Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The phone rang for the third time that morning in the shared West Hollywood penthouse of Sarah Williams and her best friend Maya Aldea. Sarah groaned and pulled a pillow over her head. Probably just the agency calling about interviews or a paparazzi shoot set up in some upscale part of town. Or, her least favorite calls, her agent telling her she needed to get a high profile boyfriend to carry around her arm. She had grown into a beautiful young woman over the past few years. She was newly 20 with a solid career in modeling. She was among the most sought after models in the industry, and it was all by accident.

Sarah had moved to the west coast only 2 years prior to attend an arts academy in Southern California. Karen was more than willing to send her, they mended their relationship, but it was never anything more than tolerant. Karen wanted Sarah out, both because she was just another financial burden as well as she made Karen very jealous. Her father always commented on how she was growing up into an even more beautiful version of her mother, and it infuriated Karen.

During the first few months of Sarah's absence from home Karen didn't even bother to call, until her hometown newspapers caught wind of Sarah's success in California.

Sarah didn't intend on becoming a model. After about a year of school Sarah heard of an upcoming audition for a major role in the musical Chicago that would play in Hollywood for 12 weeks. She jumped on it immediately and when auditions rolled around she went down to the studio where she thought she would audition, only, she went into the wrong building.

"Are you the replacement for Anna?"

Sarah was swept into a fitting room before she could get a word in edgewise.

"What's your name hun? I need to tell the agency you made it."

"Um, I'm Sarah but I don't have an agency, what is this?"

A professional looking lady with a short bob walked around the changing curtain and looked Sarah up and down.

"You're not the replacement model? You fit the description of her. Hmm"

She walked around Sarah and tapped a pen to her cheek.

"Well, we don't have time anyways, you're our girl. I'll get your information to the agency as soon as we're done here."

As soon as she walked out a very petite young woman with berry colored hair and deep olive skin stepped in and spun Sarah around. She shoved a top and skirt in her hands, along with tall socks and some platform ankle boots.

"Well? put them on!"

Sarah almost jumped at the power behind the girls voice, she was so small, but definitely packed a punch. Sarah quickly changed into the outfit, not exactly what she figured to be her style, but she liked it. She was pushed into a chair as a team of artists dabbed makeup on her face and pulled her hair into a high ponytail. Ok, you're on.

Sarah had never modeled before, but two other girls and a guy dressed in similar fashion stood in front of the backdrop. She was told to stand this way and that. Pose and express. They put her in several other outfits and posed her with one or two other models.

When it was all over she heard the professional looking lady talking on the phone.

"..yes, I understand that it's not what you wanted but I assure you she's got a future in the biz... no... yes, I'll get her info... alright, I'll bring her into the office tomorrow for some portfolio shots.. you too Mr. Kingston, have a nice day." She hung up the phone then reached in her briefcase, pulling out some paperwork. "Miss Sarah, come over here please."

Sarah walked over to the lady.

"Well, now that things have died down we can formally meet. I'm Victoria Elmwood, I work for Kingdom Modeling Agency."

She stuck her hand out to Sarah. They shook hands briefly.

"I'm Sarah Williams, I'm... well I was under the impression that there was an audition for Chicago here today. And I'm not really a model.."

"Oh, Chicago? That finished its run here two months ago, you must have mixed it up. We're glad you came though, we want to sign a contract with you."

Sarah was shocked. She was 18 and in a place she just started to get used to, and her career may have just taken a big turn. Sarah spent the next few hours reading contracts, listening to Victoria talk about modeling, and signing contracts.

Sarah was officially a model, and according to Victoria, a good find.

Sarah grabbed her bag and started to leave.

"Wait hon! I forgot to tell you some stuff! Tomorrow morning I need you to meet me at this address."

She pointed to one of two written down on a fancy business card. Nodding Sarah turned to leave. Once outside she let out the breath she'd been holding in for hours.

Fast forward to present time. Sarah rolled out of her bed with a moan. She shuffled to the white makeup counter along her far wall where her personal phone sat. The screen showed up with 3 missed phone calls from Victoria and 1 missed call and a voicemail from Karen. Sarah yawned and opened her phone to listen to the message but decided instead to text Maya, who was out for the week in Puerto Rico visiting her home and family. As much as she wanted to she refrained from texting Maya and switched back to her voicemails.

Karen had started calling more frequently and started being much more lovable to Sarah once the news was out that she was making plenty of money and had a career with status. Karen doted on Sarah, always asking when she would be back home so they could go downtown together or drive to the city so she could be seen with her stepdaughter. Sarah rolled her eyes every time but always promised her that when she was back on the east coast she’d make sure to spend time with everyone.

Sarah’s manager Victoria, though business like and professional, had a major weak spot when it came to gossiping with Karen. The two had met when Sarah was in New York last fall for fashion week, as she stopped by her hometown for a weekend before she flew back to LA. Karen and Victoria hit it off immediately, like two long lost friends who had reunited. The bulk of their conversations had to do with Sarah though, and boys. Always. Boys. Or young men, handsome hunks,  ‘possibilities’ and a whole list of other objectifying terms they came up with.  If ever asked what their strengths were, it would be persistence, because they never gave up trying to find someone for Sarah.  

“Hey Sarah, it’s Karen call me back when you can, we have big news!”

Sarah sat puzzled for a second, but decided to go find something to wear instead. She walked to her closet and found a pair of tight black jeans, and an oversized band tee. A casual look as Sarah had a meeting with Victoria at 2:00PM to go over a few contracts for some possible shoots. She tossed her hair up in a messy bun and put on makeup, refusing to let her routine slip for the sake of Victoria and Karen.

Finally finished and calmed down she walked out into the main living space and sat down, deciding to call Karen back so she wouldn’t have to deal with it after dealing with Victoria, since the two of them tattled on Sarah to one another all the time. She touched Karen’s contact and took a deep breath while the phone range.

“Hello? Oh Sarah I’m so happy you called me back, I just picked up Toby from class for the last time this month and I was hoping you’d call while he was with me oh this is such good timing let me put you on speaker hold on a second.” Sarah could hear Toby trying to help Karen to put the speaker phone on, happy to get a break from Karen’s bombardment of words.

“Hey Sarah!” Sarah pulled the phone away from her ear when she heard him yell into it, obviously excited about something. The month? She thought.

“Hey Toby! Hey Karen!” She said, finally able to get a word in. “So what’s this big news you need to tell me?” Sarah could practically see Toby’s smile through the phone when he asked if he could tell Sarah.

“Sarah! Guess what!! Guess guess guess!” He exclaimed excitedly. Sarah truly had no idea, usually things that were this important as Karen said would have been easy to figure out, like if she found a new guy or was going on a trip somewhere. With Karen it was usually always something fairly insignificant or superficial, but that was what made Karen, well,  Karen.

“I have no clue Toby, you really got me on this one!” She said, she heard Toby pause and she could almost imagine him right now, bubbling over with joy in his booster seat in the back of Karen’s car, looking at Karen with huge expectant eyes, waiting to be given the green light to tell Sarah.

“We’re going to Disneyland! And we’re going to see you Sarah! We’ll be there for a whooooole month!” Toby was so excited, Sarah on the other hand was not feeling quite as excited. But for Toby she told herself to be excited.

“Wow no way! That’s awesome! When will you guys be here?” Sarah was talking in her excited voice, not the one she talked in when she was truly excited, but the one that she used on the phone when talking to Karen, because Karen wouldn’t know the difference one way or another. Heck, Sarah could be yelling at Karen and she’d probably interpret as Sarah being just over excited or surprised.

“We leave Sunday evening and we’ll be in at around 4 am there” Said Karen who had since taken back the phone. “We have a hotel planned for the first two weeks in LA, but then we’re planning on going up the coast to sight see for the rest of the month so we have a few days at each different location…” Karen went on talking about all their plans for about five minutes, by which point Sarah had already found her refrigerator more interesting to rummage around. She made her ‘okays’ and ‘mhmms’ as if they were scripted to Karen’s rambling.

When Sarah finally said her goodbyes and hung up the phone it was 12:45. With the berries and yogurt in hand she sat back down only then to get her 4^th call of the morning from Victoria. Sarah pushed the button for the call and listened to Victoria remind her of their appointment at the office, saying to at least look like a human and not wear just her sweats because there was someone important there who she needed to meet. Sarah said she’d get there early and clicked the phone off. It was always the same little lecture from Victoria, look good and make appearances, don’t be late, don’t forget. Though Sarah had never missed on any of those things Victoria still insisted on lecturing her about it.

And at that Sarah was headed out the door on her way to the office.

Chapter Text

Sarah preferred to walk. It reminded her of her walks to the park when she was younger. 'Now that brings back some memories' she thought to herself as she purposefully walked toward her destination. Her walk had improved since her younger days, especially since her run through the Labyrinth. She was confident in her step and walked with her head high, unafraid of falling in an oubliette or down a tunnel to the bog. She smiled as she thought of those days, but noticed some tourist giving her a skeptical eye. She immediately put on her usual face of indifference.

Sarah crossed the street and thought of her time there. It was a rare occasion for her to actively think about it. She never forgot about her friends or her time, but it wasn't at the forefront of her mind. Hollywood and Los Angeles reminded her of the Labyrinth, a maze of streets and tall cold walls, but glittering and full of strange and exciting creatures all the same.

Sarah finally reached her building, and was immediately hit by the cool air inside, not that it was overly hot but it was always a constant warm temperature that suffocated Sarah after a while. It was the kind of smog filled, stifling, muggy air that was as much a part of the draw to the city as the movie stars and socialites that could be spotted there.

The inside of the building not only felt cool temperature wise, but the atmosphere felt laid back and cool as well. Glossy white walls and floors, midnight blue accents. A waterfall that went from ceiling to floor behind the receptionist's desk filled the lobby with soothing ambient noise that could make you forget that right outside the door were tourists trying to find certain stars and a busy street with tour buses and cars.

Sarah nodded to the lady behind the desk, she was on the phone but knew Sarah and checked the list on the computer. Sarah made her way to the elevator and went to the top floor, which was only the 4th as the offices were only a branch of a much larger building that took up much of the block.

Victoria was the first thing Sarah recognized in the room, the second was the group of people with her. Victoria was on her phone, as per usual. Sarah opened the glass door and walked into the room of waiting people. She was met with a few glances and silence. She sat by Victoria who was furiously typing away on her phone. Sarah cleared her throat and sat with her hands folded on the glossy white resin table top. "Um, Victoria?" She said quietly to her manager who seemed completely oblivious to Sarah's arrival.

"Oh. Sarah precious! I was just texting Karen, I'm assuming you've heard the news?" Victoria said in a cheery voice. "Yep, I called her this morning before I came." Sarah didn't look at Victoria as she struggled to keep her eye roll to herself. There were some new faces in the room, Sarah let her eyes drift over them as they occupied themselves with other things like small talk and their phones.

"Vic, isn't this just a going over the contracts and stuff for the magazine shoot?" Sarah asked Victoria after looking at the time. She hadn't realized it had already been 15 minutes since the meeting was supposed to start. Victoria looked at her watch and then the clock on the wall, and then her phone, just to make sure she could really believe what he saw. Victoria leaned over to a dark-haired man who looked almost nerdy, but in a really chic way. They mumbled something to each other and Victoria sighed as she sat back up. "Apparently Jared is stuck in traffic." Said Victoria as she walked to the window, only to see no traffic on the street below. She rolled her eyes. The dark-haired guy walked out of the room and stood outside the glass wall on the phone, everyone watched his gestures of frustration as he talked with whoever was on the other end. Victoria came back to her seat by Sarah.

"Jared is going to be your best friend for the next few weeks, if he ever shows up. Be nice to him, don't have an attitude when you meet him, and don't act like it's the end of the world. Royals wants you two to star together in their next issue and you'll be working in close-proximity for that time. So, I'm ordering you to pretend you don't hate all men, okay?" Victoria finished her lecture with a stern look that Sarah knew all too well, it was a mix of disapproval and making her point. Victoria turned back to her phone "I wonder if he's single?" she said to no one directly. Sarah huffed and rolled her eyes when the door to the conference room opened.

The dark-haired man, who looked thoroughly done, walked in and sat, followed by another man. He was tall, around 6'3", skinny but toned, he had fair skin that looked way to perfect, and platinum blonde hair that was styled into something that would come off the cover of GQ. Sarah assumed this was the Jared that Victoria had talked about. He looked a little too familiar, but she had probably just seen him in photos or something. Sarah looked at Victoria with hundreds of emotions flying across her face.

The dark haired guy pulled some paperwork out of his briefcase and handed it to Victoria. "Thanks Winston" she said as she took the papers and started rifling through them. She signed papers as some of the other people there talked. Sarah couldn't figure out why she couldn't focus but it felt impossible to look away from her hands, which were gripping the edge of the table.

"You know, if you stare any harder you might just burn a hold straight through your pretty little hands, what a shame that would be" chimed a deep and velvety voice close behind Sarah. Her head shot up, and she balled her hands into fists. Sarah looked around the room wide-eyed at the other unknown people who were looking at her quizzically. She had been so lost in her own world she didn't realize they were talking to her until Jared commented. Victoria cleared her throat. "Sarah, they asked if you are ok with sharing an apartment while in Germany." That signature Victoria look again, Sarah sighed internally. "Yeah, sure" She didn't even think of her answer before she said it, and she didn't even think to ask who she'd be sharing with until Victoria let a corner of a smile crack on her face as she continued to talk with the other people in the room. Sarah signed papers, the same old thing every time, she only had to skim through it to know what it said, until she got to another form. It was one she had only seen once before, which was for a shoot she didn't end up doing anyways. Victoria tapped her finger, Sarah took a deep breath and signed it. She didn't really care, as long as her shoots were well done,

The rest of the meeting went by and Sarah's head swam still, but she gave up trying to figure out why a while ago. The four people, presumably from the magazine, walked out and Sarah was left with Victoria, Winston, and Jared. Sarah looked at her phone screen, shocked that the meeting had only taken and hour. It felt like ages for Sarah. Victoria sighed and looked at Winston. "How about the four of us go get lunch and then sit down to go over the plan, this is going to be a very important shoot as this is one of fashions most mainstream magazines, and it only has two issues a year. Detailing all the trends and show-casing the industry's biggest talents. You guys are two highly sought-after models and to have you two together… It's going to be the biggest and best yet." Victoria looked at Sarah after her last sentence.

The group walked down the sidewalk. Sarah looked at the stars she walked over, always smiling as she passed over her favorite star right outside the office building. She always remembered her first time to Hollywood. It was with a theater company on the way to a clinic at Disneyland Resort. They had 1 hour to wander around Hollywood and soak up all the sights before they continued to their destination. She and two friends decided to spend that time looking for one star, David Bowie's. It was the most frantic search she ever remembered because she thought that she'd never get a chance to see it again in the foreseeable future. Sarah laughed as they walked along remembering it. They walked all the way down the boulevard and all the way back looking for the star, only for it to be across the street from their starting point. They used up all of their time looking, but it was worth it to Sarah.

Victoria led, talking with Winston about this and that as Sarah walked alongside Jared in silence. She couldn't even look at him and she still didn't know why he made her feel that way. She was always confident and sure of herself and the situation she was in, so why would this be any different. She sighed and looked longingly down the street her apartment was on as they crossed it along the intersection. All she could feel was tension and his eyes burning into her every time he commented on something about the city, most of which Sarah brushed off.

"Okay, so you Sarah and you Jared, you will be together on a sort of… modeling tour. They have several locations all around Germany set up for street style shoots, which is the main trend for this year." Victoria always did this, she'd start laying out the trip so well that you felt like you've already been there by the time you arrive. Most of this Sarah let come in one ear and go right out the other. It wasn't her first time to Germany, and it definitely wasn't her first big adventure like Victoria had been making it out to be since she first got wind of this shoot.

"Does that sound good Sarah?... Sarah?" Sarah didn't realize she'd been staring into her pretty fruit cocktail, she just swirled it around with the little umbrella, lost in the movement. It reminded her of the ballroom dream. Swirling around, all the little particles swishing in a circular motion individually, all while moving fluidly together. Back and forth, around and around. Sarah was mesmerized by it, and struck by the thought that she just compared the ballroom dream to… a margarita?

"My God Sarah! And you've only had two sips of it!" Victoria's scolding snapped Sarah out of her trip in la la land. She looked up to see 3 sets of eyes all looking at her like she had 6 eyes herself. Victoria sounded just like Karen when she scolded her.

"I asked you if that sounds good." Came Victoria's next words, as she eyed Sarah with her accusatory look.

"Umm… Yeah, yeah that sounds fine." Sarah just nodded and agreed as she usually did with Victoria, because it usually appeased her.

"You don't even know what we agreed on do you?" Winston said, eyeing her further. Sarah looked back at her drink. Damn him, that gorgeous Jared probably poisoned this drink. Sarah's ears got red as her head shot up. 'What? Where did that come from?' she thought to herself. She concluded that her stepmother's news earlier this morning was just getting to her and she was just stressing out.

"Sarah? Helloooo? Earth to Sarah" Victoria looked at Sarah as she turned her head towards the conversation. "Sarah, one of these days you're going to end up in a lot of trouble if you keep doing this whole zoning out and pretending you're in dreamland thing. I asked you if all of our plans sounded good to you, do they? Or do you even know what the plans are since you seemed to have played with your drink ever since we started talking." Victoria gave Sarah the 'just don't argue with me' look.

Sarah nodded, "sorry, it's just been a long day, with the news of my family coming out here and staying for the next few weeks." Sarah sighed and hoped that would smooth things out a bit. And it worked just to Sarah's plan, diverting the conversation to something other than more plans.

"Ah, how nice! I bet you must be thrilled to see them." Chimed in an oddly chipper Jared. If there was any sarcasm in that statement it was well hidden, Sarah couldn't tell herself.

"well… thrilled wouldn't be the first word I'd choose, not when they say they're flying out within the week and they only just told you today, but it's nice to see them." Sarah wasn't impressed at all.

"Ah, but your younger brother must be thrilled to come see you!"

Sarah's head shot up, "Never mind my brother, wait, how did you know about my brother anyways?" Sarah had plenty more questions where that came from.

"You really must be stressed out, you told me on the walk here, remember? Toby, was it? If he's as handsome as you are beautiful then I better watch out, I may be forced into retirement!" Jared gave Sarah a smirk of sorts. Sarah took note of that smirk those… those lips. Sarah rolled her eyes so she didn't give away her own looking.

"Yes... "she said cautiously, "Toby is quite young though still, and I doubt he'd like to live this kind of life. He wants to play soccer and baseball, and go bowling with his friends. He even told me last time that he didn't like the smell here, or the taste of the water." Sarah didn't realize two things, the first being that Victoria and Winston had moved on to their own conversation and had left Sarah completely without escape from this gorgeous yet frustrating man, and second, she was getting a little defensive and worked up over something so, trivial.

Jared quirked an eyebrow at her, "My my, no need to get all fiery about it. I was merely joking." Then Sarah saw it, he smiled and she saw it. Those teeth, those weren't… human. Sarah face went blank and she felt like she was going to vomit. It suddenly felt very hot and prickly out. "umm, uh..." Sarah shook her head to clear her thoughts for a brief second, "Ah, Victoria, I feel like I may have come down with something, I'm not feeling well, I don't feel…well." Victoria shook her head at Sarah's words.

"Yes yes, I think I get that you don't feel well Sarah, or do you need to tell me a fourth time just so I understand?" Victoria sounded so much like Karen, it was unbelievable. Sarah just shook and nodded her head all at the same time, then got up and walked out without saying anything, almost like she was in a daze.

"What did you do? Poison her drink?!" Exclaimed Winston and Victoria almost together. Jared only stared at his drink.

Chapter Text

Sarah just walked, and walked, and walked. Straight past the street her apartment was on, all the way to the end of the boulevard, where she turned the corner and then kept walking. Her feet were killing her but she kept walking anyways, damn heels.

“What am I even doing?” Sarah mumbled to no one in particular. It was nearing evening; the sun had set behind the buildings at this point but it was still light out. She made her way to a fountain nearby, and sat on a bench facing it. The rhythmic sound of the water calmed Sarah as well as the smell of chlorine, a smell that was always there in the city but stronger where the fountains spouted. It could have been a few minutes, maybe even an hour or two before Sarah unfolded her hands from her lap. She was staring into the fountain like she had been staring into her drink, and she was happy she didn’t have anything expensive with her or she would have been an easy target for someone who saw something they wanted. The lights illuminated the circle where the fountain was, they were set into the ground and gave off a soft dingy yellow glow. Lights inside the fountain also came on, but they were brighter and changed color.

Sarah’s phone fell when she lifted her hands, and the motion woke up the screen, way too bright for Sarah’s dilated eyes, long since adjusted to the ambient light of the sidewalk. 5 missed phone calls from Victoria, 3 voicemails from Victoria, 3 missed phone calls from Karen, 1 voicemail from Karen. 3 new messages from Maya, hundreds of tags on Instagram… Sarah’s heart stopped. “Oh lordy, what now?”

Sarah closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then opened her phone. Avoiding her phone calls and voicemails she went immediately to her social media to see just what everyone was all riled-up over. There it was, just as she suspected, someone snapped a picture of them… and it was good. The kind of picture media fed off of. There they were, walking down Hollywood Boulevard, Jared had his hands in his pockets and looked like a smitten school boy, staring at her with his intoxicating smile, and there Sarah was looking at her feet as they walked past the China Theater. The picture was taken from behind and she had to admit, it was a great photo. Someone did a good job at being in the right place at the right time. Then she scrolled to the caption, and her face flushed. ‘Is it true? Jared and Sarah spotted together and in love!’ Then her phone screen went dark briefly and started vibrating, lighting back up with another call from Victoria. Sarah sighed then answered.

“Sarah! Oh, thank god, you’re alive! I was about five seconds away from filing a missing person’s report, you practically fell off the face of the earth! Oh lordy, oh I’m so happy you answered. We were all so worried about you! where have you been? And why haven’t you picked up your phone? Even Maya didn’t know where you were! Don’t do this to us! You’ll make my hair go gray again, I'll have to start paying my stylist more!” Victoria talked so fast Sarah couldn’t help but laugh, she didn’t even know why she was laughing, it’s not like it was that funny, Victoria getting worked up was a regular occurrence.

“Um, I just took a walk, that’s all, no worries!” Said Sarah, who now actually felt awake and not swimming through fog for once today.

“Did you see it? Almost every social media site has this picture up! Some tourist must have snapped it earlier and it’s all over! This is incredible! But we need to take it slow, I'll stage another opportunity to spot you two together in a few days! Sarah it’s perfect! I’ll be over at about 11:00 tomorrow morning and we’ll talk then. Gotta go, I have other calls to answer, Oh! And you had better talk to Karen, she wants to know every little detail! K bye hun!” Victoria ended the call before Sarah could even respond. Sarah stood up and walked as fast as she could back to her apartment.

Sunday. Karen and Toby arrive Sunday. Sarah flopped down onto the couch and pulled her feet up under herself, shuffling through the stack of takeout brochures siting on the table next to the couch. She just pressed the end call button after ordering a pizza when her phone lit back up, she wanted to throw the thing across the room or drop it off the balcony. Instead she threw herself on her bed and looked at her phone. Karen. Of course it was Karen.

Sarah made a grumbly noise then answered it, putting it on speaker and setting it next to her so she could lay there and not hold anything.

“Sarah! He’s gorgeous! I would have the most beautiful grandchildren! Oh, please tell me all about him. I want to know every little detail! He looks so… mysterious! Please tell me he’s single! I insist you take him while you can! Boys and girls everywhere must fawn over him! They will hate you and envy you all the same Sarah!” Karen took a deep breath “Sarah? You’re still there right? No, don't tell me, you're daydreaming about him!!"

Sarah almost choked as she inhaled. She sat upright and rolled her eyes. “Hi Karen, yes I’m alive, his… he... no I'm not daydreaming. And I’m not interested in him.” Sarah knew what was coming next.

“Excuse me young lady? Give that lovely angel a chance! You don’t know what might happen! He may sweep you off your feet while in Germany! Better be careful if you’re rooming together as Victoria is saying! Oh my!” Sarah’s eyes bugged out of her head. Rooming together? 

“WHAT?” Victoria never told her they would be rooming together. Then she remembered the meeting earlier that day… oh goodness. That lady from the magazine was talking about…. Him? And Sarah agreed. She didn’t even realize it. That must have been why Victoria was smiling so much in the meeting! Sarah was lost in her thoughts and didn’t even realize Karen was still talking on the phone when the doorbell rang signaling Sarah’s food. “Hey Karen, I’ll call you back in the morning, you should get back to packing if you’re arriving on Sunday.” Sarah didn’t even wait for a response before ending the call.

She went to the door and payed the delivery guy for her dinner and gave him a nice tip, something she did for almost every young delivery kid, most likely in college or a struggling artist trying to get their big break. She had been in their shoes before her audition mishap, she understood their pains and the need to just make rent. She smiled and offered them a nice night before going to the kitchen.

Sarah walked to her bedroom and pulled out soft shorts and an oversized cotton top. She walked into the bathroom, by far the most spectacular room in the penthouse. The deep soaking tub was at the end of the long bathroom was calling her name. Sarah opened a bottle of a bath soak that claimed to be 'stress relieving' and 'relaxing.'  Heaven knew she needed it. She leaned her head back and breathed deep, as the bottle of bath soak suggested to ‘get the full effect.’ She stayed like that for a few blissful minutes, until her phone buzzed. And buzzed. And buzzed again.

“Stop it would you!!!” she yelled at her phone, before realizing the neighbors below her were probably sleeping and didn’t really want to be woken up by their crazy upper neighbor. She grumbled deciding to ignore her phone and finish the relaxing and de-stressing she set out to do.

About thirty minutes later Sarah decided her fingers and toes were wrinkled enough to get out. She took one last deep breath before letting the water flow down the drain, hopefully bringing the stress of today with it. If only it were that simple, she thought and laughed to herself.

She put her phone on silent and breathed deep. Finally, some real peace and quiet. Just as the thought crossed her mind a knock on her door broke her from silly thoughts of things like peace and quiet, who even thought of such things being a reality anyways. Silly dreams of hers, peace and quiet! What was she, 5 enjoying the simple stress of learning the alphabet and coloring inside the lines? She didn’t even care what anyone thought about her messy post bath appearance, they were out of their minds knocking on her door at this time of night anyways.

Sarah huffed and put on a completely unimpressed face before opening the door, expecting to defend herself and shut down any harassment from her annoyed neighbors who were most likely the ones at the door, ready to complain to her about her yelling. How wrong she was. Never in her life had she wished she had worn sweat pants and a bra under her shirt more until his eyes dragged over her body.

“Why.. why are you here?” she narrowed her eyes at him, “And better yet, how did you know where I lived?” She pushed her chin out and crossed her arms.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I wasn’t intruding on anything important was I?” He said in that deep seductive voice of his, smirking with those beautiful lips again. Geez Sarah get your mind out of the gutter, she mentally scolded herself while keeping a straight face, hoping he didn’t catch her eyes linger one second too long at his mouth.

“No, not at all!” She retorted, voice dripping in sarcasm.

“Oh good! well you don’t mind if we talk for a bit then right?” He seemed immune to Sarah’s attitude.

“Oh, I think talking to you at the restaurant earlier was more than enough. Nothing more to say!” She started to say bye and push him out of her doorway until he put his foot out to stop it, already anticipating her next move. He raised an eyebrow at her.

“Precious, you may not have anything to say, which is fine because it probably wouldn’t be very nice anyways, but I do have something to say to you.” He said back. Sarah noted how his eyebrows seemed to express further what he was saying, they moved up and down with his words, making sure she knew he wasn’t to be denied. 

“Jared, what could there possibly be that it so important that you had to tell me immediately, tonight. Right. This. Second.” She finished the last three words of her protest through clenched teeth.

“I just needed to clear the air. Sarah we’re going to be working together in very close quarters in the upcoming months and I just wanted to make sure you won’t try to kill me.” He said, in an almost condescending way.

“Oh, believe me, you’ll wish you were dead, and I’m taking it upon myself to convince my manager to make sure we room separately. I will not put up with you more than I have to.” Sarah was leaning her weight more on one foot, with one hand on a hip and her other arm across her chest gripping her shoulder. She hoped that he didn’t see how uncomfortable she was right now, she wanted to be the sassy all powerful model she was on the runway, making nearly everyone stop to pay attention to her and see her confidence, but she wasn’t feeling that same confidence inside. All she wanted to do was to shut the door in his face, lock all three locks, and go run into her bedroom and crawl under the blankets.

“Sarah, what’s said is said, and you said, three times today, that you were OK with staying in the same flat while in Germany.” Jared’s eyes narrowed to match Sarah’s. She was getting that prickly feeling again, this man, albeit gorgeous, was giving her the creeps.

“I did not know what I was agreeing too. I-”

“Probably because you weren’t paying attention” He tilted his head down and gave her a ‘what now’ look that rivaled Victoria’s.

“As I was saying, I was unclear as to who I was rooming with, and even at that, the fact that we would be in the same flat, not even conjoined rooms with a locking door in the middle, a flat. One where the doors don’t lock and we share almost everything. I know this because I’ve been to the same one before, so DON’T try to tell me otherwise” She poked a finger at his chest, an action she didn’t even plan on and apparently neither did Jared. He looked down at the spot her finger had just jabbed.

“How you wound me Sarah.” He looked at her with pathetic puppy eyes.

“Please, save it for someone who cares” She rolled her eyes.

“What? You don’t care about me? Your wonderful, handsome, caring, handsome co-worker who came all the way to your penthouse to make sure things were okay?” He smiled at her like he was smiling in the picture that the media was still savoring.

“Get out. Now” Sarah was finally pushed over the edge, she started to push the door closed on him when his foot refused to move.

“Oh, please Sarah? Don’t make me go.” He pretended to pout and tried to guilt her.

“Nope! Out.” She pushed him, trying hard to remove him from leaning in her doorway. By some fast move on his part she found herself instead far closer to his chest than she ever planned, feeling heat rise into her face. 

She was still trying to figure out how this situation happened when he moved a gloved thumb over her collarbone, pushing her now barely damp hair behind her shoulder with his other hand. “I“Now now precious, no need to get worked up, we’ve barely known each other for more than a few long and trying hours, don’t be so angry with me.” 

Sarah’s eyes bored into his, if they could shoot daggers he’d have been dead. “I don’t seem to understand why you seem to think we need to be… companions… or even… friends, while we do this shoot. I’ve worked with plenty of other models and celebrities that I didn’t have to be friendly with, and they didn’t have to be friendly towards me. We did what we were there to do, then went home and left it in the past, I don’t see why this should have to be any different.” Sarah stepped out of Jared’s grip while he was caught off guard and slammed the door shut before he could get a word in edgewise. She slid the top lock shut and turned the other two. Then walked to her room after turning the lights out in the living space.

Sarah threw herself onto her bed, setting her phone alarm for 9:00am. She tossed it on the night stand and laid face-down on her bed, making disgruntled dying noises into her pillow. She pulled her blanket over her head and decided to worry about some certain thoughts and memories strolling through her head tomorrow. She was far too exhausted and was going to sleep.

Chapter Text

The meeting with Victoria the next morning went just as expected. She said stuff Sarah was bound to ignore, and Sarah nodded her head to make Victoria think she cared. Sarah wasn't going to bring up what happened last night, not a chance. She thought Victoria wouldn't know one way or another, but yet again Sarah was wrong.

"So, Jared called this morning asking that while I'm here I ask if you're ok with all of 'this.' I'm not sure what he's talking about, Sarah did something happen, you seem to have a bit of history. I know he was one of the men in that very first shoot you did, but I never thought it was anything more than that. Hun, you know I can read you like a magazine! Spill it." Victoria leaned back into the couch once the more business side of things ended, and was now acting the friend Victoria roll, not the manager Victoria roll.

Sarah closed her eyes and drew in a breath, then let it go with a sigh. "Well, him showing up at my door at 11 o'clock last night wasn't exactly invited. And he frustrates me. It's like he believes he's the king of everything and should just be feared and loved. Pompous and arrogant. That's what I think and that's what you can tell him I said. So, that's how I'm doing." She hadn't even let him cross her mind since she shut the door in his face the night before.

"What did I tell you yesterday before the meeting? Hmm? I told you to at least pretend you like guys and to behave and play nice." Oh Victoria, thought Sarah, that's only the half of it.

"Fine, tell him I'm not sorry for shutting the door on him and going to sleep, and it's his own damned fault that he kept me up longer than I was already planning." Sarah got up to busy herself with dishes, more like a cup full of soapy water and utensils that were 'soaking.' Then her mind wandered back to what Victoria said about her first ever shoot. What a mistake she had made, "but I guess all things happen for a reason right?" She mumbled to herself.

"Victoria, I didn't know Jared was in that shoot, tell me more?" Sarah hoped her interest in Jared's career would make her forget about the topic at hand, and for once something actually worked the way Sarah had hoped, even if it was for a brief second, she was grateful it was something other than last night.

"Well, that was the lucky mistake shoot as I always call it now, right?" Victoria asked, Sarah patted herself on the back in her mind for diverting Victoria, she nodded and hummed in agreement 

"Right, well that was Jared's second shoot ever. He kind of came to us last minute and out of nowhere, only having one previous shoot and a nearly nonexistent portfolio. The company was close to cutting him from the photo lineup, until we saw him. Then we just knew he was going places. I even have a picture on my computer of you and him in one photo. It wasn't used because it didn't turn out like they had hoped, but I kept it, I just knew one day I could use it for something. And now look at you, you're both signed on with the Kingdom Modeling Agency, he King and Queen of the modeling industry!!" She shrieked, Victoria loved things like this, and Sarah was determined to keep it going, using every last ounce of her willpower not to gag as the new nickname. 

"Is that so? Where is Jared from? And who else has he worked with?" She asked with a well-trained voice of innocence, though she was really imploring for as much information as she could squeeze out of her information filled manager. She wanted her brain to be filled with as much material as possible before she released it to overanalyze everything she was thinking about this mysterious and pushy pain in the ass.

"Well, his portfolio says he was born in Brixton, London, but he either never talks about it or gives very short answers when asked. And he's been in shoots with many of the same people you have. You two were just destined to rule together I know it. King and Queen of the modeling world!" Sarah followed Victoria's words until she started talking about Germany again. "Well, I guess I'll leave you to do whatever today. You should go for a drive somewhere, you're not wearing yesterday very well, it does not look good on you." Victoria grabbed her things and headed to the door, she and Sarah said their goodbyes and Victoria reminded her for the umpteenth time this morning that they would all be going to dinner together tomorrow night, she, Sarah, and Sarah's family.

Once Victoria was out the door Sarah decided she'd actually take her advice for once. Driving, and hanging out with the only person whose opinion really mattered, Danny. Maya was her best friend but Danny surpassed all else. He was her first real friend when she moved out to California, they were Liesel and Rolf in the sound of music and got along wonderfully. They had to kiss in the end of the gazebo dance scene, and everyone in the cast thought they should be together. Why couldn't people get that not every male identifying person she came in contact with was of interest to her! It vexed her to no end and it still does now. She and Danny shared practically everything, and he was the only person she had ever told her 'dream' to too. Well, at least that's how she portrayed it.

Sarah was so caught up in her new career and trying to make her break that she had set aside her big adventure. She always related at least some part of her day to the Labyrinth, but even that started to end. If she were being honest with herself it hadn't even really crossed her mind, she had pretty much let the past stay in the past. Days of calling on her friends and thinking of being swept away in the Goblin Kings arms were thoughts for 15-year-old girls with vivid imaginations.

Goblin Kings…

Sarah sat down on her makeup chair and considered the mirror. It hit her like a train coming in hot. That same prickly feeling crept up her neck again. Goblin King…

Sarah refused the thoughts going through her head, she glared once more into her mirror before leaving. 

"It's about damn time you called me, you have news to share and I'm only mildly offended you didn't call last night…"

"But you'll forgive me when I say you're coming to the beach with me and I'm buying your ice cream from our favorite spot?"

"Deal! See you in 5!" The phone ended on his end and Sarah had a smile spread across her face. She walked outside, making sure to lock the front door and grab her aviators. Perfect day for a drive down to Seal, and a day watching the waves roll in.

Sarah had the guy from valet pull her car around, it was her baby, a '65 Mustang convertible she found in a small town only a few weeks after she arrived in California. The owners hadn't really taken care of it, they had planned to give it to their son, but said that he bought himself some new model sports car once he hit it big in the tech industry. They were sweet and gave Sarah a good deal for its dilapidated state at the time she bought it. Since then she had had it repainted its original color of 'raven black' and had had the interior and engine restored as well. She pulled it up in front of the building and waited for Danny to arrive, and shortly thereafter he did.

"I never thought you'd call now that you're all cool and with Mr. Handsome" He said as he hopped into the car and gave Sarah a quick peck on the cheek.

"You have no idea how happy I am. I really need someone to talk to."

"Oh, you better talk! Don't think I didn't see what was up all over my feed yesterday, and to not tell me first!" He looked at Sarah with all the sass he could muster before breaking, "Ok, so you guys looked pretty friendly in that photo, how long have you been hiding him from me? I'm not going to deny that I'm a tiny bit jealous of this budding romance, but the second scoop you're buying me will make me forgive you quicker." He smiled at Sarah, who looked over at him with her mouth hanging open.

"I'm one second away from leaving you on the side of the freeway, now shut up and listen, no more from you unless it's something important." Sarah waved her free hand around while saying this.

"Aren't all my words earth shattering though?"

"Only because your voice goes higher the more you intensify."

"I heard that! Not nice to say to someone willing to listen to you."

"I thought I told you to stop talking!" Sarah was smiling and looking out her rear-view mirror as the traffic moved sluggishly past the construction going on right across from the Chinese Theater. Neither Sarah nor Danny saw the utterly shocked Jared watch them pass as he walked down the sidewalk.

"Where should I start… well, I'll start with letting you know that he's not taken, and that there is nothing cute or romantic between us. Absolutely nothing. You know that shoot I'm doing for Fashion?" Danny looked doubtful, but nodded her on.

"Anyways, I found out yesterday morning that he is going to be in all the shoots with me, and he's also rooming with me." She looked at Danny in time to see his eyes bug out of his head.

"Did I head that correctly? Bedroom and together?! You didn't even tell me that! But… rooming together? How did they get you to agree to that? How much is this contract worth?! Tell me everything!"

"Well, um…" Sarah's face was red, not really for any reason. She had come to terms with being angry at herself for not paying attention, and at Jared for unabashedly capitalizing on it. And she wasn't embarrassed by it, it wouldn't be the first time she'd roomed with a coworker. But Jared... Sarah didn't realize she was once again strolling through la la land.

"Earth to Sarah! get your dirty mind out of dreamland and finish telling me all about it."

"Hey! I wasn't even thinking like that!" Sarah glared at Danny from the corner of her vision. "Well, to tell you the truth I wasn't even paying attention to who I would be staying with when they asked if it was ok. I've had so many contracts ask in the past if I would share boarding, and I've nearly always said yes, so why say no now. I just didn't have a clue it would be with… Him." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "And besides, there's nothing I can do about it at this point." She shrugged her shoulders.

Sarah drove through down the coast on the PCH, pulling into a beach access parking spot. The pair walked in silence for a bit before Danny spoke, he leaned over and bumped his shoulder to hers. "But all the speculation? Haven't you heard? All the reports about you both! When they find out you'll be rooming together it'll be as good of proof that they could ask for. Oh and Jason! His comments on some of these posts!!"

"First off, since when do you have the time to read comments on a tabloid post? And secondly, what did he say?" Sarah had dated Jason in her first year of modeling, he was old news, but for some reason kept popping up in unexpected and sometimes uninvited places, he was like a bad penny, he never went away.

"He just said 'Ha… haha. Funny… not' but trust me, every queen has an army and boy did your little army defend you!" He grinned. Sarah rolled her eyes. Victoria wasn't the only one capitalizing on the King and Queen stuff apparently. 

"Has everyone really picked up this Queen term to use for me?" Sarah was glad they were at the ice cream shop once she finished her statement, whispering the last exclamation. Her mood fell way down. Why was everything reminding her so much about the Labyrinth, that place was a wonderful childhood memory, but she was successful and didn't really need that innocent part of her anymore. She was Sarah Williams, a person all her own, who didn't need fox knights coming to her rescue when she was stressed. She handled those things herself, she was grown up. Sarah continued trying to give herself affirmations when Danny elbowed her.

"Hey we're next, and you're definitely getting me two scoops! Look at this week's flavors! Mint Julep, Pralines and Cream with Bacon, Olive Oil, Hibiscus Pomegranate Sorbet, Irish Coffee, Strawberry Cheesecake, Vanilla Bourbon, Mexican Cold Chocolate and Bourbon Dark Chocolate!" Danny turned to Sarah and eyed her, but didn't say anything about her obvious mood change. It was their turn at the counter, "I'll have one scoop of Bourbon Dark Chocolate and one scoop of Vanilla Bourbon please!"

Sarah looked at the barrels of ice cream in the cold box. "I'll have the same thing actually!" she gave the girl taking their order a smile, probably a student at university nearby. The moved to the register so Sarah could pay for their treat, she put the change in the tip jar plus some extra, and they headed back out into the sunshine with their overfilled cups of ice cream.

"Mmmmmm! My favorite things all in one! Alcohol and ice cream!" Danny was positively beaming, with a huge smile plastered across his face and bright eyes, he was like a kid again.

"You seem to be a little troubled, what's up?" Danny questioned as they reached the point where the sidewalks turned into sand. Sarah knew she could tell Danny anything at all, but she had already kept most of her feelings to herself, shoved into some deep dark place in the back of her mind. She sighed and gave in.

"Well, you know how I used to tell you about that really vivid dream I had when I was younger? And how I could describe everything so well, and how everything seemed so… real? How I felt like I knew each of those characters individually, and how they knew me as well? I grew up a lot since that dream, but in the past few days I feel it all coming back, not like I had forgotten it or anything, but like, I feel like every little thing I see or do is related to it, or reminds me of it somehow. Danny am I having a break down? I'm losing control of my life!" Sarah was admittedly a little over-dramatic at times, but it made her so good at what she did.

"Well sis, I can tell you that you're not having a breakdown, and that you could have plenty control of your life, IF you'd pay attention more. I don't really know what to say about the rest. Maybe Germany and this new guy will help solve it!"

"Hmm, maybe, but he also seems to be the root of my problem! Ever since he came into the picture I've been seeing things. When he smiled, his teeth were just… not normal, not like he needed braces or anything, but they seemed threatening, and his eyes, if you look closely you can tell one is just the tiniest bit different, not noticeable to most people but if you look into them, it's just different. And his skin, it's porcelain perfection, like, he seriously doesn't have a single blemish anywhere, and it's just perfect. It's like he used primer over his entire body and it never budges or rubs off! Like he's living with a snapchat filter just always on him! And I feel like I've heard his voice before. It's a voice you could swim in its so deep and wonderful." Sarah didn't realize she was drifting off talking about him again in such a way.

"Are you sure things are bad between you two?" Danny laughed

"Bad? I never said things were bad, I just slammed the door in his face last night when he was at the apartment way past bedtime, and that he infuriates me to great lengths, and that he always seems to find the most cynical or sarcastic comeback to anything. And how he's completely arrogant and doesn't seem to understand that the world doesn't revolve around him, but bad? No, we didn't have a falling out." Sarah huffed kicked a clump of wet sand, sending it splattering across the sand waiting for another wave to erase it.

"Okay, but maybe he's not as bad as you're making him out to be. Maybe he just reminds you too much of that guy from your dream that you were still madly crushing on until you weren't."

"Excuse me, he wasn't just 'that guy,' he was the King! and I didn't crush on him until any something went click. I don't know what you're talking about!" Sarah cut the air with her ice cream spoon as she made her case, shaking it at Danny and making her point.

"Oh, well excuuuuuse me your majesty!" Danny rolled his eyes and motioned with his hand. Sarah giggled and elbowed him lightly. It was getting breezy and cold out, and Sarah was tired. She and Danny had talked a bit longer about his record shop and her family coming to LA. Sarah was still stressed over the whole thing. She really didn't want to be in the building when Victoria and Karen were reunited, but she was excited to see Toby. Danny would be her date tomorrow when they went to dinner with her family and Victoria since Maya wouldn't be back by the time they left. Maya was usually always Sarah's date to anything because they were close and lived together, and didn't run their own businesses like Danny.

"I think we should get going, I don't want to hit traffic back into Hollywood and there's some super hero signing at the theater, so the TV stations will be out and people will be flooding the area to get a glimpse. I think I heard on the news earlier that it's some of the Marvel characters, they're holding a charity event for a children's hospital I think." Sarah stood up and stretched her arms over her head before giving Danny a hand up.

Once the car was on the road Sarah got a call, she told Danny to answer for her.

"Hello? This is Danny answering for Sarah who's driving."

"Oh, uh, okay. Well, tell Sarah that when she's not driving that she needs to call me back."

"Wait who is this?"

"Jared"

"Ohhhhhh, hi Jared!" Sarah's head whipped around to Danny who had a tiny evil glint in his eye, and a very wide smile.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Danny, only Sarah's very best friend in the whole wide world!" He answered back

"Okay, well nice to meet you. Anyways, please tell Sarah to call my number once you get back, as I probably won't see her again until we fly to Germany in two weeks." Click. Jared ended the call at that.

"What was that all about Danny?"

"He needs you to call him back once you're back your apartment, he actually sounded pretty urgent."

"Hmm, okay." Sarah shrugged and kept driving the same speed, not really in any rush to get back to the apartment. The rest of the drive was filled with small talk, Sarah didn't feel bogged down by anything like she had yesterday and this morning, but she wasn't about to get into anything deep with Danny until next time.

Sarah was thankful that she didn't have to take Hollywood Boulevard to get to her house and took the back streets instead, keeping her from the clogged-up street. She dropped Danny off at his apartment and said her goodbyes and goodnights before driving to her apartment building and handing the keys to the valet guy. Sarah decided she'd finish the rest of her takeout from the night before and take a quick shower, then go to bed before it hit 10:00 once she was inside…

"Hey, miss Sarah? there was someone who stopped by today requesting you, he said his name was Jared. He seemed to be a little worried, is everything okay?" Said the lady at the front desk.

…oh right… call Jared. Sarah nodded to the lady after a second of thought. "Thank you, I'll go give him a call." She said politely.

Sarah slid her card and walked up the stairwell to her penthouse on the top floor. She pulled the boxes of leftovers out of the fridge and put the contents into two separate bowls, microwaving them both. She waited till it dinged then pulled them out, grabbing some metal chop sticks and sitting down onto the couch with her food. She decided to let it cool and called Jared. She rolled her eyes, probably something unimportant, like last night's conversation, where he was just being an annoyance. She dialed his number and held it up to her ear, it rang almost until the last ring, she was hoping maybe it would go to voicemail, but no such luck. Just as it was about to tell her what to do Jared picked up.

"Hey, Sarah?" came a groggy voice from the other side

"Is everything all right Jared?"

"Umm, yes, yes everything is fine. I didn't catch you today to tell you, I guess you were out with that Danny, whoever he is. Anyways, I wanted to tell you that I wish we could have gotten together before the shoot and gotten a little more comfortable and maybe smoothed things out a bit, but I had an emergency back in my… home, back home. I have to fly out and take care of some stuff. I probably won't be back until the day we fly to Germany. I wanted to tell you in person but at least you know now. I have to go now actually, I'll see you then bye!" Jared hung up after finishing his last sentence quickly, Sarah scrunched her eyebrows and shook her head.

"Okey, well I hope everything is all right!" She said to her phone, which was now laying on the couch beside her. She shrugged and attacked her food, finishing quickly. She deposited the dirty bowls and chopsticks into the sink and walked into her bedroom. She didn't even bother changing into pajamas, she simply took her pants and shoes off and crawled under the covers. She didn't care if the sun hadn't set yet, she was tired and had a long day ahead of her.

Chapter Text

The plane landed at 4:15am, just far enough behind schedule to send Karen into a frenzy. Poor Toby was stuck between Karen and his father, who was reading some book about methods for looking for sea-shells. Toby was still very young, but picked-up on the eye-roll technique his sister always employed. Right now was a time she would have been using it.

Sarah on the other hand wasn’t worried, any extra time she had to stand in the cool early morning air, breathing in the smells of the airport and observing the quiet and tired travelers wander around was fine by her. It was an 11-hour flight from New York to LA, with an exchange in Houston, Texas, the flight was bound to be at least a little late, no big deal. But she already knew Karen would be on the phone as soon as they touched down. Sarah sighed and rocked back on her heels, it was definitely going to be a trying day.

Jareth walked through his castle, he was suddenly very unsure of himself and his next move. He had been planning this for so long, Sarah was now in the position he wanted her to be in, and he had been subtly interacting with her for the past few days, it all seemed okay. But he could tell she was catching on to something, she wasn’t sure of that that something was, but the look in her eyes when he saw her last told him enough.

He walked out onto the grand balcony connected to the throne room, looking out below into the goblin city and the labyrinth beyond it. He needed to get away from her and take care of his kingdom, give her space to forget about the things she was thinking, so when they had a 12+ hour flight to Germany together it wouldn’t be as awkward. He knew he would have to be careful though, and not let her on to him too soon.

Living together while there was a blessing and a curse, because while he would be in close proximity with her he also would have to make sure no goblins appeared and that no underground business showed up unexpectedly, a challenge he was still trying to figure out how to accomplish, but one he was fully willing to take if it meant he could woo his Sarah.

Jareth was well aware of the dwarf behind him, who he had employed as a messenger of sorts for him. Hoggle would spy on Sarah subtly above and report his findings to Jareth, as her final words to him kept him from spying on her through crystals or visiting her in his fae form. He cut it very close as Jared, the human model who looked like the fae Goblin King Jareth. It was sneaky, and mostly well played, but because it was almost exactly like seeing her in his fae form it drained his magic incredibly fast, which was another challenge he would face in Germany. He couldn’t just disappear whenever he was drained, and if he cut it to close he could very well be left without enough magic to get back, the only way back after that would be Sarah. But telling her would make her upset and then he’d lose everything.

Hoggle cleared his throat, “Uh, yer majesty?”

“Yes Higgle?”

Hoggle grumbled at the name, but it was useless to correct it. “Well, I wasn’ sure if you needed me ta go check on the lil lady, since you were just up there an all.”

“No, you are free to go spray fairies.” Jareth said, still not turning around, but waving Hoggle off all the same.

“This plan of yours is getting complicated Jareth” came an elegant voice from his side. “You know I can’t rescue you if you get yourself stuck in the Above.” Jareth turned his head only slightly to look at the person speaking from the corner of his eye. A small and gentle hand cupped Jareth’s cheek.

“Mother, I… I didn’t really think it all through. I was too quick to act, and I have to tell her at some point, but if things go like they’re going now…” Jareth hung his head a little. He didn’t know his mother had been watching him so closely to know what he was thinking, but she could go undetected, unlike the dwarf.

“Jareth, I know how much you love her, and you know how much of a romantic I am, but you must also put your kingdom and all the people in it first.” She put her hands on the balcony rail and looked out over the Labyrinth. “The labyrinth must think she’s a good fit as well, or you’d have been stuck above ground already. You do realize it’s given you much more leeway than it would have if it were any other girl? Child of mine, you could have been dead by now if you were any less important to this kingdom, but here you stand. By the way, I’ve brought my best healer along with me, you may be needing him, whether you like to admit it or not, I’m still your mother, and I can see straight through you.” She smiled, then turned and left. Jareth stayed put a second more, then decided to go to his bedchambers. He didn’t realize he was as weak and tired as he was.

Sarah had taken her father, Karen, and Toby to their hotel so they could sleep and rest until evening, but Toby insisted he was wide awake and wanted to go with Sarah to her apartment. Karen was a little worried at first but gave in when she no longer had the energy to argue with the kid.

It was now about 3:00pm, Sarah had three dresses laid across her bed, a golden-bronze colored dress that was tight at the waist with a flared-out skirt, a dark forest green shift dress, and a burgundy strapless dress, all equally elegant and appropriate for this evening. Danny had texted her several times asking what dress she was choosing so he could choose a bowtie to go with it. Sarah rolled her eyes, what a diva she thought. 

Toby had been fast asleep on the couch a few minutes after they got in the door, Sarah suspected he was sleepy, but she knew that he didn’t want to face Karen’s primping for dinner. Sarah grabbed some clothes out of toby’s bag before they came back to her apartment so she could get him dressed and not have to deal with Karen later-on about being late. The reservation was at 5:00 but Victoria would be picking them up at 4:00 to ensure they wouldn’t be late.

Danny arrived around 3:30, which was when she woke Toby up. She hadn’t changed yet, waiting till the last minute so she wouldn’t be lectured about being seen in public with wrinkly clothes. She scooted Toby into the bathroom so he could brush his teeth which he admitted he hadn’t done since yesterday morning. Sarah used a little water and tousled Toby’s hair, then swept it to the side. Between getting herself and Toby dressed up she barely realized there was a knock to her front door. 

“Danny can you get that”

“Sure sis” He jumped up and grabbed the door, opening it so Victoria could walk through. They chatted while Sarah knocked on the door again.

“Toby it’s time to go, you know how much your mom hates to be late, now come out of there”

“Fiiiiiinnnnnnne!” was the response Sarah got from the bathroom. She heard some stomping coming towards the door, when it opened an angry little Toby stood with his arms crossed and brows furrowed.

“Wow, it must run in the family!” Victoria quipped and Danny laughed.

“Toby, come on, it’s just a few hours, I’ll even let you sit by me!”

“Fine, but I don’t want mom to sit on the other side of me either. She’s been annoying me all week and I just can’t handle it anymore.”

“Toby! You shouldn’t be talking like that at your age! She just wants this trip to go well!” Sarah knelt down and looked at Toby, who softened his face a little. “We’re going to be late, now tie your other shoe and let’s go, or I’ll make you sit between mom and Victoria!” she whispered the last part in Toby’s ear. His eyes shot wide open and he immediately tied his other shoe and ran to the door.

“I’m all set!” exclaimed Toby as he jump-landed by the door.

Sarah stepped into her heals and grabbed her small handbag, giving herself one more check in the mirror before heading toward the three already standing there. They walked out to Victoria’s car and loaded themselves in, Danny and Toby in the back and Sarah in the front passenger seat.

Danny and Toby chatted about Disney characters while Victoria and Sarah sat silently for a while.

“So, I’m assuming you finally got a hold of Jared?” asked Victoria, who sounded unhappy about it.

“Yes, but he didn’t really say anything. Did he call you?”

“No, he told Winston he had to go back to his home country to take care of some business, I guess it was an emergency, but he didn’t really explain much. I only heard that from Winston this morning.”

“I don’t feel so left out then. He sounded a bit worried when I called, but he hung up after explaining that he wouldn’t be back until lift off for Germany. I couldn’t even ask him if he was ok.”

“Wow, Sarah? Asking the guy who she seems to hate if he’s ok? What changed?” Victoria laughed a bit.

“Nothing’s changed, I just don’t want my coworker to show up for the job half alive, or not at all.” With that Victoria shrugged and dropped the conversation as they were pulling into the parking lot of the restaurant. They found a spot two places over from her father’s rental car and parked. Sarah’s father came around and opened the door of the car for her. 

“You look beautiful Sarah, I’m so proud of you.” He said smiling to her as the group walked in.

Once at their large circular table the group shuffled around until they were happy with their seats, Karen and Victoria sat next to each other, talking one another’s ears off. Sarah sat between Danny and Toby, Sarah’s father was between Karen and Toby, and Danny was next to Victoria. The night was pleasant and passed by quickly. Toby talked about all the things they were going to see in Disneyland while Victoria and Karen talked about… who knows what. Sarah chatted with her father about this and that, and Danny joined in where he could, but was content with listening. After they all had finished saying their goodbyes Sarah, Danny, and Victoria headed back to Sarah’s apartment. Sarah hugged Danny goodnight before he headed down the street to where his own flat was, but Victoria stayed.

“Sarah, you really need to work on softening up a bit.”

“Why? Isn’t that part of what makes me good at what I do?”

“Well, yes, but I feel like you will either need to get back into acting or date Jared. I know you’re going to be a huge topic this year, but what about after that, when the momentum goes. You know? People are going to find new models like we found you, and either you’re going to have to refresh your image, or you’ll need to find something media will love, like you FINALLY finding love."

“Um, Vic, I know you want me to date Jared and all, but where’s the rest of this coming from?” Sarah was mildly offended, she was used to these random things coming out of Victoria every once in a while, but never this.

“Hmm? Oh, just a feeling. Watching other top models rise and fall in the past as new and exciting models come into the scene. You need to be more exciting. I think you should go to Disney with your family on Tuesday, make an appearance. Get people talking. They’ll probably wonder why Jared isn’t with you and make up some story for that too. This is actually an order Sarah, come Tuesday you’ll be at Disney with your family, being a softer more approachable and exciting Sarah.” Victoria yawned and leaned against the door. Sarah just raised an eyebrow at her, unsure of what to say because it all made no sense. “Alrighty kido, I’m going to head home. Give your boyfriend a call and see how he’s doing, tell ‘em Winnie and I are worried and say hi.” Victoria fumbled with the door before walking out.

Sarah just stood there confused. She shook her head, Victoria and Karen probably had something to drink and she didn’t notice. Sarah kicked her heels off and turned around with a shriek. “Shit! MAYA!” Sarah about fell to the ground when she saw her friend standing there leaning on her door frame. Maya doubled over laughing at Sarah’s reaction.

“Welcome home to you too! How was dinner and the family?” She said between laughs.

“It was just great thank you." Sarah growled out. "How was Puerto Rico?”

“Same old little island, but I guess my brother Anton is getting married in the fall. That’s about the only exciting news I have. Mama says hi, she said she saw you on the cover of a magazine in the dentist’s office the other day. Oh! And abuelita made you some of her special mantecaditos, she also told me I couldn’t have any of them and that they were completely yours. You're everyone's favorite.”

Sarah almost laughed when Maya said that last sentence. She hid the look on her face from her and wandered into the kitchen where a decorated tin box sat with ‘ꜟcon amor desde Puerto Rico!’ printed on the lid. Sarah popped the lid off and snatched a cookie from the box. “Mmmmm, abuelita’s cookies are always the best, tell her thank you for me!”

Maya laughed then yawned, “It’s getting pretty late Sarah, I think we should get to bed.” Maya walked back into her room and closed the door without waiting for a response. Sarah did the same.

That night Sarah couldn’t seem to get to sleep, she went out onto the balcony connected to her bedroom and looked out over the flickering lights. Hollywood was magical at night, it was completely different from the daytime hours. She sank into the hanging macrame chair and put her feet up on the guard rail where she finally fell asleep.

Chapter Text

The first week the family was in town they all went to various places. 3 days at Disneyland, 1 day at Knott’s Berry Farm, 1 day at the Aquarium of the Pacific, and the other days at various beaches.

The second week they were on their own, they saw a few colleges for Toby when he got older, then spent the rest of the time at beaches so her dad could try out his sea-shell collecting methods. She and Toby agreed it was kind of ridiculous but they got to make sand castles then watch the waves destroy them. Those nights she dreamt of the battle at the goblin city and woke up unsure of what was reality or dreamland. The last day of their stay before Sarah had to leave was given to Toby to choose, he said he wanted to spend the whole day with just Sarah. So that’s what they did.

Karen and Victoria went to try on clothes at some of the upper end stores and maybe buy some stuff, Sarah’s father spent the day at a golf course, and Sarah and Toby went to a special spot. Sarah told toby about it before, and sent him pictures, but never told anyone else about it, she figured today would be a fun day to do that.

“Alright Toby, we’re here.” Sarah said as they pulled into a parking lot at the base of a tree spotted hill. People are always surprised to find forests not far from LA, something Karen liked to exclaim every time they visited "It really isn't just one big beach, you'd think..." Sarah tended to drown her out. 

“Um, Sarah this isn’t very exciting, it’s a parking lot.” Toby crossed his arms.

“Well, mister.” Sarah reached over and poked Toby’s side. “Just wait and see” Sarah put her hair up in a pony-tail and tied her sneakers once she stepped out of the car. She walked around to Toby’s side and opened the door for him, pulling him out and spinning him, giving him a hug. She set her little brother down on the ground and ruffled his hair.

“Come along, it’s a bit of a hike up there little man.” Sarah grabbed his hand.

“Walking? Ewww. Sarah whyyyyyy?” Toby walked but pouted all the same.

“Well, like I said, just wait and see until we get to the top!”

“Fine…” Toby stomped ahead of Sarah. It was a peaceful silence, except for water breaks. Sarah occasionally carried Toby piggy-back style for steeper lengths of the trail.

“Sarah, when are we gonna stop?”

“Soon Tobes, Very soon. Then we’ll have a picnic and I’ll show you some special things.” Sarah swung Toby up over her backpack and onto her shoulders, and finished the hike to the top. “Now I know you couldn’t see much while we were walking, but when you get to here…”

“Woahhhhh, I can see for forever!” Toby’s face was in awe. From Sarah’s special spot on the ridgetop you can see all of Los Angeles and the ocean beyond.

“So, was it worth it Toby?”

“I feel like I’m on top of the world! Please don’t ever bring mom or dad up here! I don’t want them to ruin it!”

“I can promise you I won’t!” Sarah laughed at Toby’s quips about their parents. “hey Tobes, how about we have those sandwiches we picked up this morning? Wanna find a good spot?” Sarah knew exactly where he’d go, it was the only one good tree to sit under in this spot, and it was Sarah’s usual hangout for when she wanted to clear her head. Just as planned Toby ran right over to the tree and plopped down, swinging an arm over his head and rolling onto his back.

“All right Sar, now the sandwich… please?” Toby’s attitude had definitely gotten worse since she saw him last, but most 7-year old’s she knew had attitudes like no other.

“So, Toby, how’s school? Anything exciting happening in 2nd grade?” Sarah bit into her sandwich and looked at her brother, who was wiggling around.

“Um, not really. It’s pretty boring, except for recess.”

“I see, mom tells me you’re pretty popular with the other kids huh?”

“Well, Clare said she likes me, and I’m inviting some of my friends over for a slumber party, but I’m not really ‘popular’”

“Oh, well it sounded like it from what mom said, she said you’ve been invited to lots of slumber parties.”

“Not really, I mean, I go to Robbie’s and George’s a lot.”

Sarah thought about Toby and his little friends, more than she had at his age. “You done with your sandwich?” She said motioning to the brown paper wrapper holding a leftover corner of his sandwich. Toby nodded and fell back in the grass. “Are you tired or something!” Said Sarah tickling her brother.

“No! I don’t get tired!”

“Oh, you don’t huh? You want to wait till evening up here to see the lights come on?”

“How long is that?”

“Oh… A little while. But look, the car’s right down at the bottom of the hill, we could go to another spot a little way down so we don’t have to walk that far when we’re done.”

“Sure.” Toby yawned, the sun was on its route to the edge of the ocean, where the water would eventually tuck it in for the night.

“Well hop up then, because I’m not carrying you this time!” Sarah packed up her backpack and slung it over her shoulders again. She held a hand out for Toby and headed down the trail to where they would sit and watch the nightly show the basin put on.

Around 8:00 the sun was dim enough that the first streetlights lit, and from there the various cities held within the dust bowl came twinkling into existence.

“Now Toby, if you stay awake for a little longer and look right over there you’ll see something super awesome.” Sarah had her arm around her little brother who was fighting to keep his eyes open.

Not long after the night shut out the last traces of sunlight the fireworks started.

“Wow!” exclaimed a sleepy little voice at Sarah’s side. “They’re so pretty from here, and there’s no crowds!”

“Isn’t that the best part, fireworks just for you to see from here!”

After the finale, Sarah ended up carrying Toby down the hill to her car. She buckled him in and drove back to the hotel Toby and his parents were staying at. She shook his arm to wake him, but it didn’t work, so she carried him to their room asleep. Karen was waiting at the door to bring them inside. Sarah brought Toby in and laid him down on the roll-out bed he was sleeping in, giving him a hug and a kiss on the forehead.

“I think he had fun! He surely won’t be a bundle of energy while you’re all on the road tomorrow!”

Sarah gave her father and Karen hugs and they said their final goodbyes. She drove back to her apartment handing the keys to her valet, mentioning that Maya would be taking it out over the next few weeks instead of her. She headed up the stairs to her room, almost passing right over the bouquet leaned up against her front door. She picked it up, beautiful sunset colored tulips, one of her favorites. There was a small note attached to a pick in the bouquet. Sarah decided to get inside before she read it though.

Sarah rushed to throw together the last of her things, though most people like Sarah had people pack for them, she preferred to do it herself, and last minute. 3 large suitcases and 1 carry-on later she was all packed with everything she’d need for the next several weeks. Sarah took a quick shower and pulled out clothes she’d be wearing on her early morning flight. She was about to sleep when she looked over to her nightstand with the note from the flowers still on it, all the people she could think it could be from running through her head, she knew fans sent her stuff, and sometimes brands sent her flowers with an item, it could even be Danny wishing her luck.

She sighed and opened the little card, ‘I hope you’ve been well, see you tomorrow. – Jared’

Sarah made a grumbly noise and pulled a pillow over her face.

“Wow Sarah, who sent those! They weren’t there when I came back earlier, they must’ve been sneaky!” Maya threw herself onto Sarah’s bed beside her. “So, who’re they from?” She snatched the little card out of her hand.

“Just my new, incorrigible, frustrating, arrogant co-worker.”

“Well if you don’t want him I’ll take him! Do you think he’d be interested in jobless movie directors?”

Sarah laughed and flopped the pillow onto Maya. “You can’t have him, we live together and that would mean I’d have to see him more than I want to!”

“Darn, that’s okay, I have a date with Roberto tomorrow anyways!”

“You didn’t tell me! He’s the one from Warner-Brothers, right?” Maya nodded and Sarah yawned.

“Yeah, he’s pretty cute, he asked me today after work. I think you need to sleep though, since you need to get up again in 4 hours!” Maya rolled off the bed and skipped into her own room, shutting off the hall lights and closing her door.

Sarah turned out her own lights and fell asleep, card still on top of the comforter.

“Now yer majesty, why’d you do that?” Hoggle snapped at his king.

“Hogwart, I thought I told you not to question what I do for Sarah. What I choose to do is my decision and mine alone!”

“It won’t be yer decision if ya get yerself stuck in the above!”

“Hush hush Hoggie, just tell me you got the right ones and put them in a safe place where she’ll find them?”

Hoggle grumbled, mumbling something about his name again, “Yes, sunset colored tulips, a note with ‘Jared’ on it, and right in front of her door.”

“Good, now you can leave. Oh, and Hoggle, please make sure the flat we will be staying in above is ready to my liking. I will be needing a locking door on my room, but leave hers as is, and also be sure to go back to her room before she wakes up in the morning and put that little book in her carry on. Now go.” Jareth watched the dwarf roll his eyes and walk out the door, he laughed to himself and turned his attention back to the fireplace in front of him. He only hoped Hoggle wasn’t right about getting stuck above ground, and if he was how would he get Sarah to say his real name. He would be stuck in his glamour and with no magic. Jareth sank into the chair a little further and sighed.

3:00 AM came far too quickly for Sarah, who was dragging her luggage out to the sidewalk where Victoria would pick it up in her larger car, a very mom-stereotype car at that. Once Victoria arrived Sarah gave Maya a hug and loaded her stuff as well as herself into the car. They drove to the airport where they were met by Jared and Winston on the tarmac, also with loads of luggage. Luckily, they were being flown to Germany by the magazine, who provided a private jet.

They handed their things off to the people loading the plane, then boarded. Sarah walked to one of the seats at the front which was forward facing, as they had to be buckled until notified by the pilots. Jared decided to sit next to her, blocking her in. Sarah just stared at him.

“Why?”

“Why not?”

“Because.”

“Because why?”

They only stopped arguing like children when they realized Victoria and Winston were staring at them with amusement. Sarah pulled her hood up over her head and cranked up her headphones. Jared thumbed the edge of a book while looking down bashfully. The plane taxied down the runway then started its takeoff, jetting into the air with ease. The sky was still dark as Sarah gazed out over the city lights, slowly flickering off as the sun woke up.

A short while later the signal was given that they could leave their seats and go wherever else in the cabin. Sarah was stuck though, and Jared wasn’t moving. She nudged him, hoping he’d get a clue, but he only stared back at her, then smiled.

“Jared movvvve!”

“Why? I’m perfectly comfortable right where I am.”

“I would like to go into the lounge, away from you! Now if you wouldn’t mind, get out of my way.” Sarah was seething, but her voice stayed in control.

“Oh, my lady, I really would mind though. Why don’t you just go to sleep where you’re at?”

“Are you kidding? You realize there’s couches and food in the lounge, are you seriously going to stay right there?”

“Hmm, it sounds nice, but yes. I like this seat. And you, you’re nice company. Oh, I forgot to ask, did you get my flowers?”

Sarah’s face was red now, if she were in a cartoon smoke would be coming out of her ears. She pulled her headphones out all the way and stood up, stepping onto her chair, climbing over it, and walking to the back.

“Awe Sarah, now I’m lonely, come back.” Jared laughed and tossed his book into the seat Sarah had just bailed out of.

“Jared, keep it up, she actually smiled!” Victoria whispered to Jared as he stood up to head to the back as well. Jared considered that for a second then nodded to Victoria. He walked toward the back and pushed past the curtain, going to the couch across from Sarah. Sarah huffed and laid out across the entire couch, ensuring no one would sit by her.

The flight landed in New York to refuel and then take off over-seas for Germany, both times Sarah had to be seated, but she was careful to choose a single seat or face sitting by Victoria. Jared seemed to have backed off a bit, but Sarah could never be sure with him. She still got strange feelings from him. She just felt like she had known him or encountered him more than the occasional photo shoot together. Something about him.

They were off over the Atlantic now, Sarah was munching on flavored almonds and focusing on the beat of the music when the turbulence hit. The light went on for the group to find seats and stay fastened. In Sarah’s rush, she sat down in a seat by the wing, one of the more stable places on the plane, but forgot about the open seat next to her until it was filled by the one and only person who dared to fill it, Jared. Sarah sat squishing herself against the window of the plane, pretending not to notice the attractive man next to her. She mentally kicked herself.

The turbulence ended before she woke up, she didn’t even realize she had fallen asleep, or that her pillow was a boney shoulder. She snapped up immediately and put her hands over her face. “How long was I like that?”

“Oh, only about 3 hours, not very long at all!” Jared popped his neck and rubbed his shoulder like he was the one put out.

“What? How long was I on your shoulder?” Sarah was thoroughly red-faced and embarrassed.

“Only the whole time you were asleep.”

“And you didn’t think that I could possibly be woken up or pushed over against the wall? Instead you let me fall asleep on your shoulder? I hope no one to a picture of that and posted it. Oh god, what if someone did that!” Sarah was remembering what Victoria had said about feeding the media fire, but then Jared had left before she could get her way. But now?

“Oh Sarah, I definitely took a picture, but I haven’t done anything with it yet, it’ll just stay on my phone for a while.” Victoria chimed in “and we have 2 more hours until landing, which gives you 2 hours to figure out what you’re going to do when we land, because the world wants to see their King and Queen together.” Cue Victoria’s sickly sweet smile.

Sarah rolled her eyes so hard she was afraid they would get stuck. “Fine, I’ll play nice for now.” Sarah grumbled just as Toby had the day before. They mimicked one another as close siblings often do, not even realizing it.

“Good, now Sarah, where will you let me take you for dinner once we land?”

“What? No, when I say I’m playing nice I didn’t mean that nice. I’m going to sleep, go eat without me.” Sarah looked out her window to see land in the distance. She turned her attention to an unimpressed Jared. “And please, stop making everything sound like a damned date. If you’re going to ask me to go get food at least don’t sound like it would be just you and I out on some… date. Because that won’t happen, ever.”

“Fine, hey wanna go get food with Victoria, Winston, and I once we land? Or would you like me to bring back food for you?” Jared put on his cute puppy-eyed face, in hopes of winning Sarah over. No such luck.

“Nope, I’m ordering room service then taking a bath and then going to bed. That’s. It.” Sarah stared straight through Jared.

“Fine, I’ll see you tomorrow morning then, bright and early, when I’ll force you to come to breakfast with me!” Oh, that smile, that… those teeth. Sarah flushed, she hadn’t thought about the feelings she had a few weeks ago, until now. She felt light headed and her skin prickled, suddenly feeling very hot.

“Umm, excuse me, I think the drop-in elevation is getting to me, we’re about to land, right? Uh… e-excuse me.” Sarah got up and walked to the restroom near the back of the plane. Not like commercial planes where the bathroom was cramped and dirty. This was very much like a nice hotel bathroom. Sarah put her hands on the sides of the sink and looked in the mirror, mentally telling herself it would all be okay.

The light came on signaling the final descent, and for Sarah to return to her seat and fasten her seatbelt. She found a single seat two rows ahead of Jared and held the armrest in a death-grip. She wasn’t sure if she was getting payed enough to deal with this for the next two weeks.

Chapter Text

"Alright, now when we get off this plane I want you to put a smile on and play up the 'I missed Jared' thing. Okay? Sarah? Hello?" Victoria rapped her knuckles on Sarah's forehead, pulling her from her fog.

"What? Sorry, I didn't feel well earlier, you were saying?"

"Sarah, we're about to land, put your shoes on and walk either right before or right after Jared when we get off the plane, I want the pap's to put a little more in the tabloids, got it? Stick close to Jared, but keep them guessing."

Sarah closed her eyes for a moment before she felt the plane even out and then touch down, shaking her from her thoughts. She mumbled an irritated ok but Victoria had already turned around in her own seat before she replied.

Germany was overcast when they arrived, but not cold. Sarah grabbed her carry on, which she hadn't even looked in throughout her flight surprisingly, and waited for a flight-crew member to open the door. Outside on the tarmac a black limousine rolled to a halt, Victoria was the first to go, followed by Sarah, then Jared close behind. Winston popped out last several minutes after the rest of the group had slid into the supplied transportation. They were escorted off the tarmac and the left to drive to the hotel on their own, their luggage on its way in another vehicle close behind.

The limo pulled up in front of a resort looking complex, once everyone was out they split up, Jared and Sarah were lead to their apartment while Victoria and Winston were lead to their separate rooms. Sarah only noticed the click of a camera from behind a bush once it was too late to do anything about. Jared only smirked, she noticed he looked incredibly tired and worn out.

"Jared, you sure you still want to go out with them tonight? You look pretty beat."

"Yes, yes I'm fine. Why do you say that? I'm perfectly healthy and well!"

"Gee, no need to get offended, I was simply asking. But whatever." Sarah walked on ahead of Jared as they made it up to their flat.

Sarah inhaled the scent of hotel room when they opened the door. The hotel employee bid them a good evening and said their luggage would be sent up as soon as it arrived. Sarah walked into the living space and let her bag thud onto the couch, the counter of the kitchenette had 3 bouquets on it from different designers.

"Ah, fans?" Jared drawled from behind her.

Sarah blushed, remembering the tulips he had sent her the day before. "Oh just some of the designers I'll be wearing, sending well wishes and thank you's." Sarah forced her cheeks to return to normal before she turned around and walked into the living room where there was a big white box sitting on the table with a bouquet of pristine white roses beside it. She smiled and knew who that was from.

"Still your fans, I guess everyone who likes you sends you flowers?" Jared was trying to be subtle at this point, knowing Sarah knew about the tulips. She didn't say anything, only holding the sides of the box lid.

She smiled like a kid on Christmas morning as she slowly lifted the lid. The small, gold foil letters on the top of the box caught the light and glistened as the lid came off. Inside was a Givenchy bag and a letter to Sarah in the same elegant letters. Sarah pulled the purse out and handled it like a baby. She squealed and clutched the small, cream-colored leather bag tight.

"And this brand who loves me sends me bags" Sarah gave Jared a devilish grin. "What room are you taking?"

Sarah looked at her bag, simply letting her fingers wander the leather, getting to know every crease and stitch. Jared walked to look at the rooms, to see if Hoggle made one of the doors lock like he had asked. Sure enough the dwarf came through. "I'll take this one."

Sarah nodded in a disconnected way. She didn't care one way or another what room she had.

"Well then, I'll see you when I get back, don't enjoy your loneliness too much now." Jareth grinned at Sarah's glare.

"Oh, I will."

As soon as Jared left Sarah ordered room service and went to check out the rest of the flat. She decided to soak after everything she'd dealt with today. Her food came and she ate while letting her phone play music from across the room. She finished and went into the spacious bathroom, filling the tub with warm water and rose scented bath soak. She climbed in and relaxed for what felt like the first time in forever.

Sarah didn't know how long she had let herself soak, but she always lost track of time and the world around her when she was in the bath. Jared had returned not long ago, but Sarah was oblivious. She also didn't think to close the door she was so focused on just getting in the bath. She often did that at home, not paying any mind because it wasn't like anyone was going to disturb her. So she thought.

Jared leaned against the door frame, picking at his nails, when he cleared his throat finally. He had been standing there admiring the lovely girl in the bathtub, but figured she would have noticed him already. Sarah turned her head and looked at Jared, not thinking anything of it, until she came back to her senses.

"Excuse you! Out! Out now!" Sarah's face was red as she folded her arms over her chest and pulled her knees in.

"Well, excuse me, Sarah. But you left the door wide open"

"Just because it's open doesn't give you an invitation to stand there gaping at me! Go away and let me finish!" Jared wiggled his eyebrows then shrugged, he started to turn when his face spread with an evil smirk. He casually reached over and grabbed the rolled up towels from the rack then went and sat down on the couch, which was in the line of sight of the bathroom.

Sarah let the tub drain but realized what Jared did a little too late. "You didn't"

"Oh, but precious, I did." He smirked, putting his hands behind his head.

"Jared!"

"What? I only stole a few, there's one under the counter." His smirk was far too familiar and Sarah couldn't help but realize that it looked just like the Goblin Kings when he approached her in the tunnels. Her face turned beet red.

"Jared, I will only ask this once more, toss me a towel from no closer than the doorway, then either go away into your room or close the door, if you don't I'll call-" Sarah realized her next big mistake

"And how would you do that, my lady?" Jared questioned as he flipped her phone over on the coffee table where she left it.

"This isn't fair! It really truly isn't! Curse you!" Sarah looked up towards the sky as she snapped. She just knew that she wasn't winning in their game now. Jared was winning, and she had left herself completely vulnerable to it.

"Oh Sarah when will you figure this out." Jared mumbled to himself. He yawned, feeling a little too tired to continue his game now "Fine, I'll make a deal with you. I give you the towel and close the door, but you have to go with me somewhere after shooting. Just the two of us"

"Jared I'm not going on a date with you."

"Do you want a towel?"

Sarah thought it over. "Fine." She pouted as Jared tossed her the towel, bidding her goodnight before he locked himself in his room.

Once inside his room with the door locked, Jareth nearly collapsed onto his bed. This scheme of his was definitely not his best idea yet but he always got lost when it came to his Sarah.  He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, then walked over the mirror doors of the closet.

Jareth put his hand to one of the doors and the mirror that it was made of rippled briefly, but it was enough to step through. He ended up in his private sitting room, where he sat into the deep armchair by the fire.

"Well, I didn't think you were going to ever come back, 'Jared.'" Giggled a chirpy voice. Peeping around the side of Jareth's chair was Araceli, who looked to be about Sarah's age.

"Sister, how many times must I remind you that these are MY private quarters, it seems every time you and mother visit from the High Court you forget. And why are you calling me 'Jared'?"

"You don't really think that I didn't know did you? I'm offended that you'd think I was that clueless!" Regardless of if she was really offended or not Araceli sat herself on the arm of Jareth's chair and gave him a hug.

"Ari, how much do you know?"

"Oh, just everything?" She smiled up at her brother. Jareth refused to look at her, he knew he would break and end up telling her all about it if he did. Besides being Jareth's sister Araceli was also his best friend. Always stuck in the castle together growing up they had become incredibly close, they knew each other's secrets without even telling.

"Ari, did you really think I wasn't going to make it back? And get off me will you? Get your own chair!"

"Well yes, you know I've been watching right? As soon as you started this whole thing I've been paying attention. That flight really took it out of you." Jareth didn't want to admit it to himself or anyone else that he bit off more than he could chew.

"Well, I figured you would have caught on sometime, especially since Mother is standing in for me while I'm on 'business leave', I didn't think you'd follow all of it. But yes, I did underestimate myself and how long I could spend Above.. and around her."

"I know you did. Jareth I don't know what I'd do if I were stuck with all of those damned goblins before it was actually my turn to rule this place."

"They're terrible aren't they." Jareth looked into the fire, thoroughly exhausted. "I need her to know Ari, but I don't know how she'll react. She doesn't like Jared, I can tell you that much."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that."

"What do you mean?" Jareth looked at Ari a bit surprised "You think she likes Jared?"

"Well, I'm not saying she likes Jared. She has mixed feelings about him. It's like she knows something is up but can't place it."

"Well that's the point Ari. But I don't want her to like Jared and not Jareth."

"Well that's something for you to figure out yourself, I'm not helping you with that. Why haven't you told her?"

"I thought you knew everything?"

"Well I don't know that!" Araceli crossed her arms.

"It's because all those years ago when she ran my labyrinth and said those words it has blocked me from her completely. This is the closest I can get without actually being me. And those damning words keep me from saying anything too! She has to come to this conclusion on her own or it doesn't count."

"I see, so she really has to figure it out for herself. Jareth, you know she's not going to do that. I know she's absolutely afraid of it. The dwarf has been talking with me too you know."

"Oh, not Hoggle, what does he have to say?"

"That he's upset that you've made him spy on Sarah but haven't let him talk to her or see her. You know that may be your best bet at this point."

"No, and besides, Hoggle slipped the book into her bag before we left, it should make things click." Araceli gave him a pointed look "Oh, stop that, you look like mother when you make that face Ari."

"How long has it been since Sarah stopped calling on her friends?"

"About 3 human years, I know they already understand though, the last time they talked she told Hoggle that it may be the last since she was living with a roommate. I don't think she's forgotten but the life she leads now has barely any room for it."

"So you know she still kind of believes then? But you're trying to pull a girl who doesn't have time for it into the underground to be a Queen? You're crazy." Jareth sighed

"I'll send up mother's Healer Fendrick, you don't look too good, it would be best if he gave you something strong before you go back Above, just to be safe." Araceli helped Jareth to stand and hugged him. "Please don't screw up like last time."

"I didn't screw up!"

"Then why isn't she here kicking goblins and gossiping with me?"

"Because… queens don't gossip."

"Whatever, go rest and I'll get Fendrick." Jareth nodded and stumbled to his bed exhausted.

Sarah still hadn't changed into pajamas as she wandered around her room with a towel wrapped around her. She grabbed her carry-on bag and the luggage which was now in the hallway of their flat and pulled them into the bedroom. She glanced over at Jared's door, reassuring herself that he wasn't spying.

She tossed the smaller bag down onto the bed, when a book flew out, landing face down on the fluffy white comforter. She stared at the book, knowing already what it was.

"Well, I don't remember stuffing you in there. You must've been hiding in there from another trip." Sarah spoke to the book like an old friend, a slightly feared old friend, but a friend none the less. Sarah flopped down on the comforter in her pajamas, letting the days emotions and events mull in her head. She didn't know what to do about Jared, she was trapped in a semi-foreign place with him as a flat-mate for almost the entire month. She felt like she finally had a second to think about the prickly feeling she had every time he smiled with his teeth at her. Sarah couldn't decipher good feelings from bad feelings, it was like her fight or flight instinct froze whenever he was around, she just didn't know what to do.

Sarah turned her head to see the worn red binding staring at her, prying into her soul, telling her she should feel bad for shoving it all to the back cabinets of her brain, yet drawing her back to its pages. She grabbed the book and stared long and hard at its front cover. "This calls for tea." she was on a mission. The book had always helped her in her troubles in the past, maybe it was a lucky coincidence that it was there now, calling her back, letting her know it would be there for her to help her sort herself out.

She peeked out the door to see Jareth's lights still on in his otherwise quiet room, she shrugged and tiptoed into the kitchen, scrounging for the assortment of teabags she knew she brought with her. Finally she found the tin box with all of its DIYed compartments, each holding a different flavor of tea. She had made it after her long first trip to California, when she realized that all of her favorite teas tasted like peaches after being packed away in just one big clump, the peach teas always overpower the rest. Sarah let her hand hover back and forth over the different teas before it landed on a tent shaped tea back. She read the tea tag, 'Green Tea with Coconut' Sarah nodded in approval and pressed the button on the coffee machine to start pouring hot water into her mug.

Back in her room Sarah turned the main light off, leaving on the lamp on her nightstand, she was almost to the end of her book now. Sarah had mindlessly read the thing, like she had done many other times, not really paying attention to the words or the characters, just reading to read and let her troubles fade away. She read the last sentence, then snapped the book shut with one hand, looking off into space.

"Oh Goblin King…" Sarah mumbled to herself. "I hope Hoggle and Didymus and Ludo are well, I feel awfully bad about leaving them all behind like that. That was so long ago too..." She looked into the vanity on the other side of her room. With a deep sigh she set the book onto the table and finished her tea, leaving the mug and bag still sitting on her nightstand, the smell of warm coconut still faintly in the air. With that, she turned out her light and slipped into a not so restful sleep.

Chapter Text

His smirk slowly spread into a smile as she looked up into his eyes. He stood toe to toe with her, one arm leaning on the wall above her head, just like in the tunnel. His wild hair shifted ever so slightly in the wonderful coastal breeze as they stood under a boardwalk, the waves crashed, but didn't reach their bare feet. Her skin prickled against the salty air, causing her internal battle between closing the distance between them or distancing herself from him.

"How are you enjoying the beach?" he cocked his head, the reflection from the water made his incredible eyes glow.

"Oh, it's a beach, just like any other." She shrugged and looked at the barnacles that called the pier home. He brought his free hand between them, still closed

"Precious, I brought you a gift" opening his hand he held up a rough and unfriendly looking oyster, she looked up at him with curious eyes, then it clicked. He saw the recognition on her face. She gingerly reached for the oyster, afraid to have it slip and be lost to the sand and the ocean forever. She pulled open the already cracked shell, and sitting inside was a beautiful, brilliant white pearl.

"I…" She looked up at him, their hands still touching under the pearl. "Thank you" she whispered. He smiled down at her, slowly closing the distance between their lips, time slowing, the sounds of the beach died out. So close…

Sarah woke with a jolt. "3 a.m.?" She flopped her head back on her pillow, then noticed the dim light coming from under her door. She got up to use the restroom and investigate the source of the light. She tip-toed to her door, listening for snoring, "Does the pretty boy even snore?" Sarah questioned herself. She opened her door and realized that the glow in the hallway was caused by the lights under Jared's door. Eyebrows knitted together she leaned an ear against his door, nothing. She was tempted to jiggle the handle but figured he was probably just passed out from partying with Victoria and Winston.

Sarah exited the restroom several moments later, and shrugged. "May as well try to sleep a little more." She mumbled halfheartedly to herself. She didn't notice the pairs of eyes gazing up at her from the shadows as she closed her door.

"It's Lady!" One whispered in awe.

"'Course it is!"

"Shhhhhhhhhh! We need'a go back. Kingy be mad at us, I knows it!" the smallest goblin of the trio was almost crying in a mix of joy and fear. Jyg was tiny and never wanted to get in trouble, but he was a follower, and was excited, as all goblins were, by mischief. "Berj, Klup, we need'a go home."

"Yeah, let's go 'for Lady or Kingy finds us." Berj said, a little loud. Jyg and Klup jumped to cover his mouth as he spoke, Berj realized his mistake as the door that had just closed opened again.

Sarah poked her head out of the door and looked at Jared's door in confusion. "I swear I…. whatever" Sarah shook her head and closed the door again, the three goblins sank to the ground and let out the breath they were holding in. They marched quietly back into the living room area where there was a mirror design that snaked up one wall, within that they disappeared from sight.

Jareth was out cold. It was like a freight truck hit him at full speed. Sarah was going to drive him to his end, but he would go willingly if only to try and win her. The hour he was supposed to go back to the flat had come and gone, even his alarm giving up on his after some time. Araceli burst into his room not long after, expecting him to be startled or start yelling at her, but no, he didn't' budge.

"Jare! You need to get up! Pleeeeease get up! Sarah is about to leave the flat and you need to go with her! Jareth!" Araceli hit him across the back with a fluffy pillow. Jareth breathed out slowly.

"I don't wanna…" Jareth shrank into the comforter.

"I'm sorry, but I thought 'Jared' had a job to do, and if you fail before it even starts you'll have no chance at all with Sarah, so get your ass out of bed and get up Above or I'LL suspend YOU over your unbearable bog! I want a sister-in-law, and Sarah is perfect, so you better not screw it up!" Araceli grabbed the cup of water on Jareth's night-stand "You have five seconds! One… two… thr-" Araceli flung the contents of the cup at his face.

Jareth scrambled up from the tangled covers "Wretched sister of mine! Get out! Out! Now! I don't want to see your hide again for a week! Out!" Jareth's wild hair was stuck to his face, dripping wet. Araceli's bell like laughter echoed down the hall as a servant held the door open, wide-eyed. Jareth grumbled to himself as he waved a hand over himself, drying his hair and changing his clothes, he disappeared in a puff of glitter and reappeared back in the room of the flat above, just in time to here an angry banging on his door.

"Jared! You have five seconds to get your ass out of that room or I'm calling Vic and Winnie over here! We have a shoot to do and you better not screw it up!" Jareth rolled his eyes, 'like I haven't heard that already today. They'll make great friends' he thought to himself as he shifted into his glamour.

Several seconds later Jared appeared from his room, running straight into a positively fuming Sarah.

"If the bags under my eyes can't be covered up by the makeup artists you better pray that I'll feel better after the shoot than I do now. Your light was on all night, but you were probably so passed out from drinking that you didn't even notice. How do you even look this good right now! You should be the one with the creases and eye bags! Not me!" Sarah's arms were flailing about as she ranted about this and that, Jared just smirked at her.

"Ah, I just love waking up to your angelic voice and radiant smile!" Jareth drawled from his doorway, his voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Let's go, Victoria has already called me three times, she hates being late. Winston has probably called you half a dozen times from the sounds of it, but you don't seem to care huh?" Sarah raised a pissed off eyebrow at him, pursing her lips. She grabbed her bag which held clothes for after their shoot and her wallet, then stomped out the door, popping open her umbrella before a single drop of rain could touch her.

Victoria was waiting by the limo under the awning, tapping her foot and checking her watch every other second. "I'm so sorry we're late, this knot-head decided to pass out so hard last night that he didn't wake up until five minutes ago, and kept his lights on all night, leading me to have no sleep, and wake up late as well, which also means I have had NO coffee. They had better have coffee catered at this shoot. I'll even pay someone to go get me something during makeup, because I'm NOT dealing with anyone else before I have coffee. Am I clear?" Sarah looked at every person, including the chauffeur, who looked terrified. No one spoke the rest of the drive, fearful of Sarah, who sat looking out the window.

The location of the day's shoot was in a chic yet industrial looking newer part of Frankfurt. Sarah sat down for makeup while her first wardrobe was wheeled over. The artists made her face up with dark contour, dark eyes, and faint iridescent highlighting. Coffee was delivered to Sarah right away, taking a long sip and letting the tension and frustration melt away.

The head photographer greeted Sarah, and sent her to change into her first outfit. The look was very edgy, juxtaposed with the clean, crisp, and industrial part of town they were in. The people around them were business men and women in suits and starched shirts. Sarah walked down the marked sidewalk, posing and emoting as the photographer did what they did best.

Several outfits and seemingly hundreds of shots later, everything was packed up and the photographers were talking with Victoria and Winston about the next shoot, which was in two days in a garden someplace. Sarah opened her phone, several texts from Karen, Danny, and Maya. "I think we may have had more than our one photographer." Sarah mumbled, stuck staring at another well taken photo of herself and Jared. They were very close together, she had one hand on his chest, he had one hand on her hip. Jared's face was the only face seen, and his face showed the same smitten look it had when someone snapped the first picture of them two weeks prior.

Sarah's phone started ringing. "Hello?"

"Sare, oh. My. God! Have you seen it yet? Everyone is freaking out over here!"

"Ugh, not you too Danny. I saw it for two seconds before you called, what's the reaction?"

"Damn! That's the reaction, just, damn. The comments have been flying in like crazy, whoever took it and posted it must be magical, because that picture should be on the front page, or on the cover of one of those drug store smut novels! Funny thing is, whoever sent it didn't say a thing about it, so everyone is in a war over whether it's part of the Germany shoot, or if you two were caught together outside of shooting like that. Tell me us commoners here at the shop here can have the inside scoop!"

"Danny! Are you serious?" Sarah thought about the answer to that, of course he was. "You know what, fine, it's part of the shoot, it was in the last wardrobe. I didn't see any photographers besides the one from Fashion, and all of these different sites put them out at the same time with no credit to a photographer, I have no clue who's taking them! I just wish they'd stop because it's going to his head, he already pissed me off, and now he's giving me the brows… Why can't you be here right now!" Sarah whined the last part into the phone.

"Sis, it looks great and I think it's great publicity, you know how much anticipation is being built up for this issue to come out? Tons! Two of the most gorgeous humans to grace the known world. The sparks Sarah!"

"Yeah, whatever. Hey, I need to go for now and get food before I bite someone's head off, I'll talk to you later or text you in a bit, bye love." Sarah didn't feel up to talking and hung up on Danny.

"Oh Sarah, I do believe you have part of a deal to hold up?" Jared cracked a sly smile when he saw Sarah freeze.

"First, after the stunt you pulled this morning, I don't at all think I have to hold anything up. Deal is moot. Second, who gave you permission to come back here, this is my changing room, not yours, so out."

"Sarah, you can't possibly expect for us to continue like this for nearly three weeks. I need you to cooperate with me and everyone else who's been saying the same thing about us. I'm now taking control, and Victoria has already given me permission."

"What?! No! Nooooo no no no no, No way. Where is she because I do not believe you, not for one second. And who made you King all of the sudden anyways?" Sarah glared at Jared, who laughed.

"Precious, you know I already am the king. And you, you are the queen. Victoria, well she and Winston left a while ago as you've been on the phone with Danny."

"Well, your highness, if I'm queen that means we're equals. You're not superior to me in any way, shape, or form. So shove it! I'm not going." Sarah stomped her foot like a petulant child.

"You can walk then, I'll go enjoy food and shopping on my own." Jareth turned his nose up and walked out

"Well, wait. Fine. Fine, I'll go with you, but on one condition. Please don't leave your lights on all night and please get up on time tomorrow okay?" Sarah could be bribed with food by anyone, even Jared.

"I'll do it all for you Sarah. Now, I know a great restaurant downtown that has some wonderful food and drinks, I'm buying, and I'm also calling this a date. You don't have to call it one, but I am." Jared hooked an arm around Sarah's and started walking. Sarah was astounded at his attitude.

"No! That's part of our deal! I am not looking for a date from any one, especially not you, you bother me! I don't even know what it is about you but you drive me crazy!" Sarah's face was red and grumpy

"I drive you crazy do I? You drive me crazy too." Jared nudged Sarah, making her blush harder at his twist of meaning.

"Not like that! If you're so insistent on talking with me then we will play a game, I'll ask you a question, and only if you give me a decent answer will I let you ask one of me. Why are you so bothersome?"

Jared scoffed "Sarah, that's hardly a good enough question to warrant an answer. I enjoy bothering you because you can't see what's right in front of you. Think about that Sarah. Why are you so unwilling to see me for more than just a co-model?"

"Oh please, I can clearly see what's right in front of me, an arrogant pretty boy who thinks the world revolves around him. Keep dreaming. If we're playing a truthful game here, I don't know why I'm so unwilling. You make my skin prick, maybe because you are a prick, or maybe for some other reason, I don't know. Where are you from?" Sarah figured she had nothing to lose at this point, and there were far too many people around for this man to try anything crazy.

"Ouch, Sarah you wound me! I'm not just some pretty boy, though all men and women where I'm from are very pretty I think. I was born in Brixton. What is the most vivid dream you remember?" Jared was hoping she would just slip his real name in there somewhere, anywhere.

Sarah looked at him for a moment as the weird feeling buzzed around her, but she shrugged it off. "A dream? Well, I have this one dream about some characters out of a book I once read, and an adventure where I'm the main character, saving my brother from some vain, arrogant, baby stealing king of another realm. Absurd I know. What is yours?" Sarah purposely left her answer short and vague.

"I dream of a girl named Sarah, dancing in a ballroom and spending forever with me." Jared took a sharp elbow to the ribs. "Ouff!" Jared let go of Sarah and held his side, acting more hurt than he was. "I was joking, first of all, and second of all, I dream of being in bed, sleeping, nursing my newfound wounds."

"Suck it up. I'm going back to the flat, you can come of not. But if you do you better stay away from me. Go into your room and stay there. You've crossed the line." Sarah may have felt a little bad for the elbow, misjudging her strength.

"Fine. I wouldn't want to take you on a date anyways. You're a brat!"

"Says you!"

"An ungrateful, cold, rude, over confident, hoity-toity, brash, persnickety, butt-headed brat!"

"Jared, why do you keep talking about yourself? We know you're vain, but seriously?"

Jared and Sarah stopped on the sidewalk and sized one another up, in doing so Sarah realized how worn Jared looked. Not that she was worried, she too looked rather ragged after last night. Jared smirked, realizing that they truly were equal in nearly every sense. Sarah raised an eyebrow, refusing to admire his tempting lips. 'What? No, no no no.' Sarah mentally kicked herself for even letting the thought cross her mind. She rolled her eyes and walked off.

"Sarah, what if we just went and had a quiet afternoon lunch there across the street, it looks good, and we're close to the hotel from here. As, friends. Then I'll work from there!" Jared's charming smile made Sarah's blood boil, but her stomach was protesting.

"There will be no 'working from there' Jared. I'm not scouting for a boyfriend, I absolutely abhor the idea of having one." Sarah started walking across the street to the smallish pub. The hostess ushered them to a table in the back, out of the commotion of the front bar area.

"But Sarah, why do you dislike us males so much? What is so wrong with letting your brain do what your heart wants for once? I see it in your eyes Sarah, you can't hide it." Jared slid into one side of the booth, Sarah on the other.

"You can't see anything in my eyes, they're soulless and cruel." She said with dry sarcasm. "I don't 'dislike' you males as you put it, I would just rather focus on my career and then after that dies down a bit I'll accept someone into my life. I say this from experience too, I've already tried it once and it didn't work." Sarah and Jared both ordered beer and several tapas style snacks.

"Is that so? And what fool would dare do you wrong?"

She didn't quite understand why she felt it would be okay telling him about Jason, especially knowing he would probably use it against her. She just felt compelled to talk. "Well, his name was… is… he's not dead… His name IS Jason. We dated for about 11 months when I was first picked up by the agency. He told me he was single, and we hit it off right away. But he apparently just couldn't decide. Do you know what I found out? He had six other girlfriends. SIX! And now? Now every time I think I've gotten rid of him for good he shows up somewhere unexpected. That first picture of us that someone put up? Jason commented, acting like I was the one cheating on him. We haven't been together for a while now, and besides! It's not like he needed to move on or anything, he had six other beautiful women sleeping with him. Though I'm sure a few of them left too after I found out!"

"Sounds like you need someone to put him in his place huh?"

"No, I just pretend I don't know him. Mostly because I found out that I didn't really know him. Everything about him I thought was true was a lie. He is a liar and a cheat who just dates multiple girls with budding careers hoping he'll get one who'll make him money. Lazy no good bastard."

"Hmm. But why do you deny yourself any love from anyone else?" Jared wasn't even going for weaseling into her heart. He was hoping maybe she'd say what he already knew. He knew her subconscious had a crush on a certain dreamland figure, but her conscious was clouded of the relation between himself and his true self, she remembered at a distance, but couldn't really recall; which was why he was working as an equal to get her to re-jog something, rather than in a different, more honest position, which he'd prefer. His whole plan was walking the thin line of locking himself Above and losing everything he had, and bring everything back to Sarah and gaining her as his queen in the Underground. It was truly tiring.

"I'm not denying myself anything, I'm perfectly content where I am right now in life. I don't need any man to carry on my arm, much to the dismay of Victoria. She's living for the two of us on media you know. It's almost sickening how much she feeds off it." Sarah tugged a piece of bread from the loaf, which had been set down while they were talking.

"Ah, so you don't long for another to dance with? Go for long walks on the beach with? Explore new places?" Jared motioned to the place they were in "You don't ever feel the need to have someone share your bed?" He lowered his voice just slightly.

"I have Danny to walk along the beach with, I can explore new places myself. As for dancing? I don't know what century you're from, but we don't exactly dance with partners. It's always just a hoard of bodies bouncing up and down to unbearably loud music."

"I see. Well, I do know of your American dancing techniques, just because I seem like a foreigner doesn't mean I don't know what it entails. It's a trend everywhere, and often you do have a partner, it's just not a… ballroom style, partner dance. I'm not stupid Sarah as much as you may think that. But what about the bedroom? Don't you miss another's touch?" Jared didn't miss her casual dismissal of the question the first time.

"Is your mind always in the gutter? Honestly, I do long for it sometimes. I don't just have a magical libido that shuts down and is always satisfied, but…" Sarah's cheeks were red, this was something she would be telling Danny, not the gorgeous man sitting right across from her. Her mind definitely registered what was in those tight skinny jeans earlier. They left nothing to the imagination.

"But what?"

"But, I can… I can satisfy myself alone. Without help, thank you very much." She didn't care anymore what he thought of her answer.

"You know very well that it isn't the same."

Sarah glared at Jared over her mug, she chewed her bread much longer than needed before she answered. "No, you're right, it's not the same. But I had to weigh my options, and I would much sooner live without sex then I would live with a companion I would have to share everything with. I'd rather eat this piece of bread than screw."

Jareth hummed a bit, then nibbled some of the other stuff that was there, the silence was bearable, but still uncomfortable. "So do you accept the olive branch I extended to you ever so long ago? Forgiven?" He looked at her with the saddest, most pleading eyes. She tried hard to withstand.

"Fine, I forgive you, but only this once. I'm not going to forgive you again." Those words were comforting, yet not. 'She won't forgive me again' he thought to himself. It was something he knew she would keep her word on. Dammit.

Chapter Text

After finishing their early dinner and drinks Sarah and Jared wandered around the city, window shopping and sightseeing. They were back at the room together when Sarah got a call from Victoria, telling her that there had been a change to the shoot Sunday with all the hype on the media about the King and Queen of modeling, and she needed to go immediately so they could fit some different dresses to her and decide what she would wear, as well as prep her for an interview. Sarah left after knocking on Jared's door, telling him through it, but she got no response. She left without another word.

Jareth sat on his throne, the day with Sarah hadn't taken as much out of him as he had expected, which meant her mind was releasing some of its shackles, letting his true form register. It was funny to him how she remembered her time in the Labyrinth, remembered her friends, remembered him, and even interacted with her friends for a time there after. He could only explain it to himself as one tries to explain that sometimes you can see things clearer out of your peripheral vision better than looking at it directly. Sarah, again, took too much for granted. He knew that her subconscious was screaming at her, telling her it was weird, but her present mind was just too unsuspecting. That was why he chose to be a model, right alongside her. She would have run off by now if he played a more dominant position, like the photographer of her shoots, or her agent. It would have been obvious, but in his place now he could attempt to catch her off guard, which was working for and against him currently.

Jareth looked out the window across from his throne, the evening sky of the underground looked as if amber had been painted across it. Golden and spectacular. He heard a commotion coming from the hall outside his throne room, and went to investigate. Five or six goblins had a trio of other goblins pinned against the wall, questioning them like it was the Spanish Inquisition from the Above. Jareth shook his head, he remembered it from his visits above, not a pleasant memory to say the least. He came to a stop behind the oblivious hoard, and cleared his throat.

"They did it!" One larger goblin accused and pointed toward the trio.

"Yeah, 'twas them! Bog em!" yelled another, the whole group erupted in cheers.

"And just what did they do?" Jareth was intrigued, normally if one goblins did something bad all the other goblins would live vicariously through them for the minute, and keep it from their king.

"They followed Kingy above!" Screamed a high voice, which came from a rather big goblin.

"Oh really? Well, you three may come with me to the throne room, as for the rest of you? Araceli may be lonely, how about you go show her these feathers!" Jareth tossed a crystal in their direction, sending them directly to his sister covered in all sorts of bird feathers. The trio of offending goblins tried to sneak out as well, but ran straight into their kings legs. "And just where do you think you're going?"

"Uh… Kingy, we can 'splain everything!" Berj said, bumping Jyg, who was shaking like a leaf, in front of himself, and directly onto Jareth's boots.

"Well, come along and I'll let you explain yourselves.

"Kingy? Y-You gonna bog us? Oh please don't bog us, I didn't mean it." Jyg was begging, unreasonably large tears beading in his eyes. 

"Why did you follow me above?"

"We just wanted to see the Lady!" Klup said, looking down sheepishly.

"Uh huh… And did she see you?"

"Almost, it was Berj's fault! He spoke too loud and the Lady opened her door, but she thought you were talking to yourself, and Jyg and I had to keep Berj quiet!"

"Wasn my fault!" Berj was offended that his own accomplice sold him out, but goblins grudges were fleeting.

"I see. You know, I should bog all three of you immediately!" The Berj and Klup fell to their knees begging, Jyg was crying his little eyes out of his head. "But I won't, no, I have another plan for you."

Berj and Klup looked at each other, they didn't really care much about Jyg. "Berj and Klup, you will be sent to the fiery's to give them a law which has been signed by me, informing them that they are now the sole caretakers of their territory, giving them free reign of their small parcel of land, but, that they may not go past the boundary, or they will be dismembered and their parts spread throughout the Labyrinth, forced to find themselves before they can return to their home. It was the best deal I could make with them. And after your task there, you shall assist Sir Dydimus on bridge reconstruction, now off with you!" Berj and Klup were okay with their task until they realized that Jyg wasn't going to be punished, and that Sir Dydimus lived in and loved the bog.

"Bu-"

"No buts, off with you before I suspend you in the bog forever!" Berj and Klup glared at Jyg before they took the scroll for the fiery's and walked out.

"Now Jyg,I have a different plan for you. You are going to be replacing Hoggle as my spy above. You are to complete the missions I send you on in a timely manner, as well as traversing the shadows, and giving me information on the Lady when I am not near her. Go about your life, and I will summon you when I need you. Dismissed." Jareth watched the stunned little goblin stumble out of his throne room in shock. He then summoned Hoggle.

"Hogbrain, you've been dismissed from your duties as spy of my Sarah."

"What? Why?"

"You ungrateful scab, you said that you didn't like the job, so I've decided to dismiss you, and replace you with a smaller goblin named Jyg."

"But Jareth, now I won't be able to see the little lady at all!"

"Good, that just makes her belong to me that much more! When she calls on you you'll be able to see her now, how does that sound as a deal. You and that orange monster, and the knight. You've all now been released from your hold from her, it's just up to Sarah to call on you."

Hoggle was still skeptical. "Oh, alright. Fine. Ya have a deal. How long are ya going to keep this up though? Ya look terrible Jareth! How are ya going to get her to say yer name and unlock the spell!"

"Hogwart, if I knew that I would have already done that, these things take time. Especially with Sarah, who is a bit wary. She knows something is up, she just has to admit it to herself before she can fully realize everything, and she is unwilling to admit to herself who my glamor looks like. She's unwilling, and I will not have my Sarah be unwilling. I will only do something she consents to willfully. The Labyrinth will not allow her to be taken here unwilling either. She must come to it on her own terms."

"Yeah, well when ya get yourself stuck above and are unable to do anything then what? What's your plan B?"

"Plan B is…b-b…"

"Oh, just say it. I wont tell anyone, yet."

"Plan B is begging, okay? If you say to anyone that your king has stooped as low as begging to get his future queen then you better be prepared to be anchored to the bottom of the bog!" Jareth said in a hushed growl.

"Yes your majesty! Of course!" Hoggle's eyes briefly shot open something just behind the throne, but he turned and waddled out the door before Jareth could say anything.

"Excuse me brother, but did I just hear You, the almighty King of the Goblins, say the- the 'b' word?" Araceli leaned over the top of the throne and let her Cheshire cat grin spread across her face, slowly, as Jareth looked upward. "You know, after sending those dreadful goblins into my chambers uninvited, I should let it casually slip at a dinner coming up…"

"You wouldn't dare."

"I'm your sister, of course I would." Jareth glared at his younger sibling.

"You know, I think you're ready for a date with Ronan, don't you think! Oh I know he'd just love to court you dear sister!"

Araceli paled. "No! I won't let anyone in on our little secret! Please, just please don't ever bring up that dreadful elf again! I'm not up for that! I would rather die alone, ruling hoards of numb brained goblins with a throne on an island in the bog before I would ever think of courting him! Just his advances at balls have made me sick! Please brother, you wouldn't to that to me!"

"Fine, but your lips are sealed, right?"

"Yes! Yes of course! Only if you tell me how your date with Sarah was!"

"Well, I'm not allowed to call it a date. She forbade me from doing so. But it was, informative, and enjoyable. Though I feel as though I was worn to the extent of my magic after spending so much time with only her."

"You look tired, but after sleeping far past when you should have this morning , I'm not surprised that you were able to last a bit longer. It seems as though your time keeps extending."

"Yes, it has, I went nearly three hours longer with her today than I have before."

"Hmm, well that's good. I have a crystal to go watch because Sarah is currently trying on something absolutely stunning for tomorrow, too bad you can't see them with me! It's a surprise, for her and you!" Araceli pooffed out of the room in a cloud of multicolored smoke.

"Oh Sarah! These are lovely!" Victoria was scanning over racks of clothes made by the designer who's studio they were at, conveniently located only an hour away from Frankfurt.

"They are absolutely stunning, what was the change for Sunday though?" Sarah thought these fit the already decided idea for the Sunday shoot, confused as to why she needed a new fitting. The designer walked into the room before Victoria could answer.

"Ah! What lovely ladies! I'm so honored to have the pleasure of working with you miss Williams! Please, follow me back here and I'll show you the new piece. The photographer contacted me and had me send my sketches to them, the ones I had already worked on, most of which you've already had fitted to you. With all the buzz of your recent renaming as the Queen, no thanks to your always delightful manager, the magazine and photographer decided that they would be the first to set it in stone, and publish you as the Queen, so they had this made to go with the dresses and settings you'd be wearing Sunday and in one of your other shoots." The designer motioned to a dark brown leather box sitting on the tabletop among the sketches of the dresses. Sarah's stomach did a flip as she touched the oh so soft leather box, carefully lifting the lid to reveal a beautiful crown.

"Woah" Sarah and Victoria gasped in unison.

"Yes, it's magnificent. It was made last week by a craftsman in Italy, I just got it in this afternoon and the magazine finally let me call you to inform you. You'll be wearing it on the cover they said." The designer smiled at Sarah, who was only staring at it. It was truly a masterpiece. "They had it fit to your head as well, based off past measurements. Go ahead, let's see it on you! I can't wait to get a sneak peek!"

Sarah gently lifted it off the red velvet pillow it was seated on. All of the stones were white diamond, to ensure that it went with any color dress, and it was a perfect fit.

"The magazine and the craftsman modeled it after the Queen Sophie of Hellenes Tiara,  It's not an exact replica, as has had several changes in pattern, but the original tiara was a favorite among all of the designers, we figured that since the original tiara was fit for royalty, it would only be fitting that you would have one just as magnificent." The designer clasped his hands and looked at Sarah, who was wearing the crown with her head held high, just as a true queen would.

"Wow, I'm excited for Sunday. It won't matter what I am or am not wearing, I feel like the most beautiful, powerful person. Thank you!" Sarah admired the crown for a minute more before placing it back into its box. She and Victoria chatted with the designer a little longer before bidding him goodnight and heading back to Frankfurt.

"Sarah, I just can't begin to tell you how excited I am now, as well as how proud I am that you're acting so mature in your relationship with Jared."

"I'm not sure how I'm supposed to take your meaning of 'relationship'." Sarah thought on it for a second, she knew exactly what Victoria was meaning. "I'm not in that kind of relationship with him though. Our relationship consists of he and I talking and acting like adults, and working together toward a good end product. After this is over I highly doubt I will be seeing him again."

"Are you planning on quitting the modeling business then? Because you will most definitely be seeing him a lot more after we go home. You're too far in to turn down the offers you have. As your manager I am forbidding you from simply giving up on it."

Sarah groaned before dropping the conversation, looking out the window as they got nearer to the resort complex. Once they arrived Victoria and Sarah headed to their respective rooms. Sarah would get to sleep in tomorrow, before Victoria's scheduled meeting in Sarah and Jared's shared flat. After the meeting Victoria would probably be dragging Sarah around for some 'girl time' in the city, which probably entailed a spa day or shopping.

"Hey Jared, I'm back, not that you probably care or even realize. I'm going to take a shower now, and this time I'm locking the door, and keeping the towels to myself and bringing my phone and pajamas in with me and I'll take a long time because I want to, so don't bother coming out of your room or anything to harass me because I won't allow it." Sarah didn't even know if Jared was in his room or if he was out and about, she just felt like saying it because she could.

Sarah enjoyed a long and steamy shower, after she was out she went to Jared's door and listened to see if he was alive. No sounds, no snoring, no talking, not even a sound of movement. She jiggled the handle a bit, but the door was locked, so he must be in there. "Jared, I'm going to bed so don't come and try to talk to me. 'Night." She walked back to her room, passing the little goblin in the shadow of the bathroom door without notice, then went in her room and fell in to a rather peaceful sleep.

Chapter Text

Saturday's meeting with Victoria passed smoothly, Sarah didn't pay attention to most of it and Jared looked off into space. It was the same old stuff, a basic briefing, Victoria's usual reprimands, the subtle pushes to get Jared and Sarah to go on another date. It seemed to drag on forever but nothing really pivotal happened. After the meeting Victoria went back to Sarah and Jared's flat with them, she was like the hover parent all the kids didn't like, even if they weren't misbehaving.

"Sarah, I have a spa scheduled for us this afternoon, we'll get one of those new gemstone facials, massages, and then a body polish for you, and a wrap for me. We'll have lunch after. Meet me at the car in five." At that Victoria got up and left the flat. Jared came in and sat in the only single seat armchair in the place like it was his throne.

"I hear I have the whole place to myself this afternoon? How pleasant, though I'll miss the joyful light which you bring to the world, it will be so drab without you." Jared smirked. Sarah rolled her eyes, then walked out of the room to get her purse. On her way out the door she huffed, then slammed the door and marched down to the waiting car.

Once Jared was alone he rolled his head back on the back of the chair, he knew his sarcasm was no way to win Sarah over, but he just couldn't help himself. He walked to his bedroom and locked the door, walking back the mirror and passing through.

Jareth wandered around his private gardens, things were starting to wear on him even though it seemed like he had been getting stronger against the magic Sarah had unconsciously placed against him. He knew the Labyrinth itself was the culprit behind Sarah's lack of recognition. He wished to talk to the soul of the Labyrinth, but as he knew, it did things on its own schedule, Jareth was merely a physical extension.

He stopped by a few rose bushes with strange and striking flowers, they were pale grey with deep blue around the tips of every petal, only found in the Goblin Kingdom of course. Jareth reached out to touch one, accidentally pricking his finger. "You know, those took your grandmother, my mother, nearly three-hundred years to get just right. She used to tell me they were from part of the moon her husband gave to her. I'll never know if that was true, but the story was good, and the roses have never died, though its been nearly two-thousand years since she started cultivating them. They were her rose, one of the few ways she will always be remembered." Jareth studied his finger, the place where the thorn pricked him was silver.

"Mother, you are creating quite a habit of sneaking up on me. I do wish you'd stop" he said, showing her his finger like a child.

"Maybe you should pay more attention to your surroundings. I've been in the garden long before you even came back from the Above." She walked toward the woven seat hanging from the willow tree which stood in the middle of the garden. All Jareth managed to say was "oh."

The High Queen studied her son as he stopped by another group of rose bushes, this time they were deep red, tipped with shimmery white, the light catching the tips, making the roses seem almost alive. "You're thinking again child. Is it about that lovely young girl from the Above?" She too stopped by the roses, which seemed to pull ever so slightly toward her, causing Jareth to furrow his brows. "There is still so much you have yet to learn son."

"Mother," Jareth wasn't feeling like talking, which is why he came to his apparently not-so-private not-so-secret garden, but he wasn't feeling like kicking his mother out. He sighed, giving in. "Yes, you know very well she occupies my every thought. I'm not going to last much longer, but no matter what I chose there is an undeniably large risk that I will lose her."

"Jareth, these are the risks we take for the ones we love. It may be cliché, but when the humans of the Above said if you love something you let it go, they may have been on to something. You can't force her to accept anything she's not willing to accept, but you can't keep playing this game either. Sooner or later something has got to give."

"I know that, but what? Even I, the king of tricks and games, is getting tired of playing. But I can't help myself. Also, the Labyrinth seems to be part of my issues as well. I'm not sure if you'd have and insight into that, but I feel as though it's the one playing with the magic. This damned Labyrinth, sometimes it takes its own existence too lightly. Why can't it just play nice?" Jareth pouted.

"You know it can hear you, don't offend it or it may play dirty, that is one thing it has taught you plenty about. It obviously didn't teach you anything about the simpler, more natural concepts." She said gesturing to the roses which seemed to be enjoying her attention.

"What do you mean by that?" He said, feeling like he too was missing what was right in front of him.

"Nearly every king and queen has their own rose, which they create and leave to grow in the royal garden. Why do you think these ones love me so much? I am quite literally their mother. I created these. It's part magic and part understanding of nature. A magic that is almost so simple it's difficult, one that is learned, rather than given at birth. As I said, you still have much to learn child."

Jareth scrunched his nose and sighed. "Yes, yes, I heard you the first time."

"Well, you'll soon have more time to worry about your magic. I feel as though things may be changing very soon. I'll leave you now, I must go see what trouble your sister has gotten herself into." Jareth watched as his mother vanished in a flurry of rose petals, the same which were uniquely hers. Jareth stood for several more minutes, then decided he should go check in with his new spy as well as Hoggle. He had a plan, which would either work very well, or would kill him.

Sarah lay on the massage table face down, cringing as she felt the lady massaging her back. One thing she hated was people she didn't know touching her, not that she was a germaphobe, but it had always given her the creeps. Sarah just sighed and dealt with it silently, because she knew Victoria loved being pampered this way.

"So Sarah, I was thinking of having you and Jared go to dinner together so that I, or your mysterious stalker, could take a few snaps, just to let the fans know what you're up to." Sarah knew it was coming, but she didn't realize Victoria would say it this soon. She yelled at her manager in her head.

"You know, it's pitching it like that doesn't make me want to go on a date with him any more than it does when you say it outright. I'm just simply not interested." As Sarah said her last sentence the masseuse hit a knot in Sarah's shoulder, making her yelp.

"I think otherwise Sarah, I think, no, I don't just think, I Know you like him. Even if you don't realize it yet, you are very much in love."

"No! Never, not his arrogant ass, not any day. I would never 'love' him. I don't care how gorgeous I or you think he is."

"But you still think it, and that is all that matters."

"Vic, do you have any idea how shallow you sound? Karen really has been waring off on you hasn't she." Sarah was crying internally, both because Victoria seemed so clueless, and because the masseuse was truly abusing Sarah's poor muscles.

"Oh well, there's still no denying the truth we all know." The masseuse walked out of the room allowing them privacy to return to their fluffy white robes. They chatted as they walked to the steam room, waiting for the next thing, scheduled 40 minutes after their massages. Sarah tried to relax but something was just really making her hyper aware of everything and she didn't know why.

"Do you ever have a day where you just feel ultra sensitive? Like everyone is watching you and they all hold some secret against you, and they judge you but you don't know why? It's like there are eyes everywhere, and they all know something that is apparently obvious to everyone but me…" Sarah trailed off after she realized Victoria was staring at her with a raised brow.

"Well, I can tell you one obvious thing that you seem to be missing, and that is that you're in the place nearly every other girl and boy want to be. Right in the reach of Jared's arms. And you two obviously share a connection, are you sure you haven't crossed paths more than just previous shoots before?"

"Victoria! Stop! I don't want to hear that name today, I thought this day was supposed to be for relaxing, well, you're not helping me relax. AT ALL." Sarah looked at her manager for a second longer before she went to sit in a chair in the giant cave-like steam room.

"Miss Sarah Williams? Are you ready for your body polish?" Asked a heavily accented voice of one of the masseuse. Sarah got up and walked past Victoria toward the door to follow the petit lady. So much for relaxing.

Victoria and Sarah walked from the spa at around 4pm, and headed back to the hotel for the day to decompress. Sarah walked up to her room, nervous about what Jared would ask about her day, but almost strangely… excited? Sarah flushed at even letting the thought cross her mind. That arrogant ass hole? Excited for what, another lively spat?

She put the key in the door and opened it as quietly as possible, hoping to catch Jared off guard. Setting her stuff down she poked her head into the different rooms, not finding Jared in any, but again his door was closed and locked, with no response from the inside. She was beginning to get suspicious, she made a note to question him next time she saw him.

It was around 7:00 that evening when Jared walked back out of his room to find Sarah with her eyes closed on the couch. He smirked, the first thought coming to his mind being to play a trick on her, but he chose otherwise. "Sarah dear I don't think you'll sleep well tonight if you nap now." He said in his sweetest voice.

"Oh, and like you should talk. Where were you today?" Sarah opened one eye and crossed her arms, she hadn't reached sleep yet, just the awkward spot right before it.

"Oh, uh, just out and about. Why? Did something happen?" Jared was panicked, he didn't expect Sarah to respond to his quip.

"No but… why do you seem so nervous? Is there something you're hiding?" Sarah hadn't expected Jared to get defensive, and she didn't know why she was suddenly suspicious of Jared, but she felt like a door had opened in her mind. Ironic that Jared's door was always locked, she thought. She kept her well trained face from breaking into a sly grin, trying to act the part, just to see how far she could implore.

"Uh, why ever would you ask? I have nothing to hide, nothing, nothing tra lala" Jared's poker face faltered as he finished speaking, breaking into a smirk. Sarah jumped on it.

"Well if you have nothing to hide then why are you being so defensive?" Sarah felt a new need to get answers, but slowly, to torture Jared. It was rare that she had the upper hand and she was going to juice every second of it.

"What are you talking about? I'm not being defensive at all! Why are you being so nosy!?" Jared tried to get leverage.

"I'm not being nosy, you're just being so secretive. I figured maybe you had a reason. I'm not sure if you've heard this little phrase before, but it goes something like 'secrets don't make friends'. You're not doing very well to get there either if you keep up this… charade." Sarah wasn't sure if charade was the right word, for Jared didn't seem to be hiding a secret identity, but something told her it wasn't wrong either.

"Oh Sarah" Jared chided "the only reason we aren't friends yet is because you won't accept me. It wounds me Sarah." Jared was struggling, and he knew Sarah could tell. He mentally kicked himself for backing himself into the corner in this argument. Even though he was being Jared he still couldn't outright lie. He could ask questions to evade question and blur the truth, he could also just not respond at all, but he still couldn't lie. He hoped Sarah wouldn't notice his lack of answer.

"Uh huh. It's always my fault. Do you sleep a lot?" Sarah decided to ease up on Jared, for now. She narrowed her eyes, knowing he didn't answer her question. But she decided to let the guy at least think he was getting a break.

"Yes, I do enjoy a good nap. Victoria and Winston sure can take the energy out of you." Jared scratched the back of his neck, then realized how nervous he must look.

"Tell me about it. Did Winston go 'out and about' with you today?"

"No no, he did his own thing, I did mine. How was your day with Victoria?"

"Eh, it was fine. I'm not particularly fond of strangers touching me but it was alright." Sarah looked at her nails, as if to check that they were sharp before she clawed back in.

"Understandable." Jared wanted to make a suggestive quip but figured it wasn't in his best interest.

Sarah dropped the conversation for a bit to cool down. She checked her phone, responding to the group text between herself, Maya, and Danny. Several awkward minutes of silence later Sarah came up with her plan of attack, really hoping to pin Jared into the corner. She excused herself to the restroom to check her makeup and give herself a pep-talk in the mirror. Coming back she stood leaning against the wall leading to the hallway, just in case Jared tried to head to his room.

"So tell me, Jared" Sarah narrowed her eyes at him "Why do you keep locking your door if you have nothing to hide? And, when I come by does there never seem to be a single noise coming from the inside?" Sarah was genuinely confused, but she knew something was up.

Jared hadn't even figured Sarah would have checked his door, he tried to act nonchalant. "Well, I uh, I just kept locking it out of habit from home. That's all. I always lock my bedroom door at home, my sister has no concept of boundaries."

"Hmm, I see. It's not the locked door that confuses me though, it's that you seem to disappear once inside, then magically pop back up again at the worst times. In the middle of the day as well." Sarah prodded Jared with her eyes when she saw he was hesitant to answer.

"Sarah please just let it go." Jared couldn't think of a comeback. "It's late, I think I'll be heading to bed. Tomorrow is going to be long." Jared got up and made a move for his room but Sarah stood her ground.

"It's barely dark, and you seem to have been sleeping all day, or something, what's the big rush to get to bed?" Sarah positioned herself between Jared and his bedroom door, and took a deep breath. Not sure why she felt compelled to fight so much, or why she was putting herself into this position. Jared could easily pin her against the door and take advantage of her, he could easily trick her into his room, or even worse she could find out something horrible. For heaven's sake Jared could be a serial killer just hiding his weapons inside his room… Sarah mentally shook that idea from her head, that just didn't seem to fit Jared for some reason.

"I'm just very tired, Sarah why are you being so bothersome." Something clicked in Jared's head, he realized he needed to end this as soon as possible and get things under his control again, because the Labyrinth was playing Sarah's side, and letting her onto him, slowly, but this wasn't factored into Jared's plan, and he couldn't come up with a new plan fast enough.

"Why are you being so defensive? Jared you do realize just how guilty you look right now, right?" Sarah leaned against the door, putting one hand on the knob. Jared's face paled and his eyes grew to saucers. "That's just what I thought! You are hiding something! It's not drugs is it? I will not have myself be paired off with some drug abuser" Sarah poked her free hand at his chest.

"Sarah… No! Why would you think I would do that?"

That look, she had seen it before. She knew that look, more than from just a picture. But she couldn't remember. "Jared…" She wouldn't budge though.

"Fine. Fine! I'll make a deal with you." Jared threw his hands up in surrender.

"We can negotiate."

"You drive a hard bargain don't you. It always seems to come down to a deal between us."

"You're digging yourself a deeper hole."

"You inf.."

"Cut to the chase." Sarah interrupted, leaning on one hip and crossed her arms.

"I'll tell you tomorrow after the shoot, and in the mean-time I'll make sure that one photographer you were having trouble with keeps his hands to himself when helping pose your clothing. I'll also make sure no more shenanigans take place at my hand or any others, as well as I'll keep Victoria and Winston occupied with something other than us. In other words, I'll make sure the day runs smoothly and without any misplaced hands, in exchange for postponing my secret and you letting me go to bed. Deal?"

"All that, and you'll make sure I have the best and biggest coffee you can find in Germany at four a.m. sharp. Deal?"

Jared would do anything just to get her off his back for at least 24 hours so he could figure out what he should do, but he acted like he needed to consider.

"Times up on that deal, I also need to add one more thing. When you tell me tomorrow it will be over something nice here in our apartment which you have to come up with, like a cheese plate and drinks or something. If you don't say yes right now I will remain right here until you tell me."

"Deal, you really are a pain. Now that that's settled let me in my room."

Sarah stepped to the side and motioned to the door, letting Jared slip past and into his room for the night. But not, of course, without locking the door first.

Chapter Text

The dew was fresh on the foliage and flowers in the garden, making everything sparkle in a magical way. Sarah danced around a bit in a sheer red gown, the perfect blend of fairytale and sexy. The main part of the shoot was getting underway. Jared leaned against an ivy-covered column, dressed in a suit fit for a very modern king. Without a shirt underneath his blazer of course. Cameras clicked as he shifted positions, throwing a smoldering look at the camera.

In another part of the garden an ornate throne sat at the top of some concrete stairs, surrounded by deep red roses growing up them. The vines hugged the curves of the majestic seat, much like Sarah's deep green dress clung and hugged her body. She sat draped across the seat, legs up over the armrest, dangling the gorgeous crown from her finger. She shifted several more times, then walked back to the changing area again when the photographers felt they had adequate pictures. Jared went through the same routine, then changed into the next pieces.

The gazebo they were shooting at looked straight out of a fairytale. Crisp, clean white with deep green vines bending and weaving around it, a small yellow flower here or there. Sarah held a white rose to her nose, the same color as her whispering chiffon gown. The thing that made Sarah stand out most from other models was her dynamic personality, several facets of which were displayed in the shoot. Sexy and alluring to innocent and dreamy. Sarah could fit into just about anything.

The entire thing was running so smoothly and quietly, no fights had broken out between Jared and Sarah, Victoria and Winston were quietly sitting at a table nearby with coffees, the photographers were catching every angle with perfect light. It almost seemed… off. Like a dream sequence, floating through time and space with little effort.

The last segment of the day and possibly the last shoot if all went well. Sarah waited for the photographers to guide her to the last setting, which was back at the throne. Her hair was picked up by the breeze and tossed around while her crown sat ever so crooked on her head. The wind swirling around and picking up strands of hair made her look like some magical and powerful being.

Jared had to force himself from staring, but was too enraptured by Sarah to notice the tugging feeling deep in the soles of his feet. The world blurred around the edges and Sarah was all that held his attention. The dark spots interrupting his vision went completely unregistered by his brain, which had completely shut off it seemed. He swayed, once… twice…. Smack.

Sarah gasped audibly and everything came to a screeching halt as the entire crew froze without a clue what to do. Winston knelt by the unconscious Jared, shaking his shoulder, and trying to bring him back to present, but there was nothing. Something in the deep depths of Sarah's mind kicked in and she kicked into auto and started procedures for everything she had learned in her much younger days of lifeguarding at the local pool. She started with vitals. Pulse? Yeah, a little quick, but there. Breathing? Yes, shallow and rapid, but still breathing. No need to go into CPR, but she'd check back to make sure it didn't change. 

Sarah stood and half jogged to her dressing area after Winston finally pried her from Jared's side. Her skin felt very hot and sticky now and for some reason she could feel her eyes burning. She slipped out of the designer gown and into more practical wear then walked back out, kneeling once again at Jared's side in wait for emergency services to arrive.

Jyg wandered around the bedroom his King was staying in in the above. He shuffled through the closet first, his natural instinct to toss away whatever he was uninterested in, but then it occurred to him, for he was a bit brighter than most of the other goblins, that doing that would most definitely earn him a one-way ticket straight to the depths of the bog. He put back the few items he had discarded to where he vaguely remembered them being, pants rolled into the cubby with the shoes, right?

Jyg found one thing in particular he was interested in. Ooo! Shiny plastic flat thing! He pulled it out of the black leather slot where it stayed secure with other ones that looked like it. Some had 'Jared's' picture on them, most didn't. The green paper rectangles frightened Jyg, they were similarly colored to his skin. Horrible thoughts crossed his mind, he left them all scattered across the floor and hopped to the next thing.

The suitcase was already unzipped, clothes haphazardly strewn and tangled throughout it. Jyg heard a jingle as he pulled a pair of jeans up, a goblin-handful of coins fell out, mostly pennies and dimes, but the worth didn't matter to a goblin. Jyg looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching, and he picked up all the coins, shoving them into a pouch he had slung across his chest. He felt guilty, but Kingy wouldn't miss them, would he?

Victoria and Winston sat quietly in the waiting room with Sarah. After the EMS had arrived the crew figured they had plenty of pictures for today and went on their way to do whatever it was they did with photos for fashion magazines. No one really gave an explanation to the group about what had happened; Jared seemed perfectly fine then it was like the switch turned off.

Sarah hated to admit this, but she was genuinely worried. Something deep inside told her that she would have made a great friend out of Jared if it hadn't been the circumstances. Suddenly she thought of another scenario where she felt deep down that herself and another would have been friends if it weren't for the circumstances. The stormy look of a mysterious king popped into mind. She felt a strong shiver run down her spine, making her entire body twitch suddenly.

Victoria looked up over her phone for a second, then moved across the room to sit by Sarah. "You alright there?"

Sarah's mind was blank, "Uh…. yeah? Yeah. I'm alright. All good, nothing here." She gave a faint shot of a smile to Victoria. Sarah was about to move to go outside and take in some fresh air when Winston spoke up.

"I'm not really sure who leaked this, but it looks like Jared's collapse has already made it through to some media sources. People are skeptical though, because the sources with the info are usually all gossip. Not sure if we should take this into our own hands and let the world know, or if we should just let people not know if it's real or not until we hear back from the doctors…" Neither Victoria now Sarah listened to all of Winston's speech, instead they were online checking for themselves.

Victoria laughed suddenly. "Favorites magazine says 'Jared collapsed and died instantly of unknown reason's, doctors say'" Sarah rolled her eyes, uncomfortable at Victoria laughing at that. What if it had really happened, what if Jared was dead? Sarah was very concerned and disturbed by Victoria's insensitivity, even if the headline was absolutely stupid.

"Um, I think I'm going to step outside for a bit and get some air." Sarah walked out of the waiting room and down the hall to the elevator. Several of the nurses whispered behind the reception area nearby. Sarah just closed her eyes and took a deep breath, this elevator was taking far too long.

When finally it came Sarah boarded it and rode it down to ground level where she followed the signs to a hospital courtyard. It was quiet, lit only from the glow of the hospitals windows surrounding it. She sat at a bench, studying her sparkly acrylic fingernails. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander back to the book and what-could-have-been friendships. Maybe she'd call on her friends, it had been so very long since those days. She wasn't even sure if it was all just an incredible daydream. She tried her best to imagine the Goblin King. She had shut out everything having to do with him, including his name which she knew Hoggle had mentioned at some point. She let her mind just wander as she reached an almost meditative state. Striking blue eyes, one different from the other. Silvery blonde fringe with a subtle blue streak or two, if you could call blue streaks subtle. Though it worked for him. Canine teeth. Sarah shivered again, opening her eyes, afraid that mysterious things may be staring at her hungrily.

She scooted off the bench and walked quickly inside the warmer and safer hospital. Arriving back at the level Jared was on she plopped down near Victoria again. "How was your fresh air?" She said, without otherwise acknowledging Sarah's return.

"Refreshing." Sarah said in a flat tone.

Not a second later a nurse came in carrying a clipboard. "Sarah?" She said in a thick German accent, assuming it was Victoria.

"ah no, that's Sarah." Victoria pointed in her general direction.

"Oh, okay. Well here's what we know. He is alive and breathing, but very weak. We have run several tests and nothing seems to be wrong. We're going to release him once he's more stable, but he requested that you visit him." The nurse looked at Sarah, waiting for a response.

"Okay, what room is he in?" Sarah didn't get here until after he was admitted, and hadn't even thought of asking, figuring a nurse would just tell her. The nurse sitting across from Sarah now motioned for her to follow, which she did.

Chapter Text

"Jared?" Sarah softly asked as she entered the room, the nurse closing the door behind her allowing them some privacy. Figuring that they must be a couple or something. Of all the nurses in the hospital, the one who brought Sarah to the room was either had no idea who Sarah was, or was just very good at not acting strangely around celebrities, even B list.

Sarah made her way over toward the bed, feeling awkward as she did so. Hospitals are just so uncomfortable. She was almost afraid to get to close, taking in the much paler chest and face of Jared. Her discomfort was rising, her nerves almost making her would out, until she saw the slight eyebrow raise from Jared.

He hummed just audibly, the kind of hum one makes when they first wake up, or when they have a really great stretch. But something told her he definitely wasn't in the middle of a good stretch, nor was he just now waking up. She scoffed, walking the rest of the way to Jared's bedside. But secretly thankful for the diffusion of the previous awkwardness.

"Jared." She said a bit more flatly this time.

"Sarah, I won't bite, you know, even if I wanted to I don't feel up for it" Sarah lightly pushed Jared's arm. She sat on the edge of the bed.

"So, what happened? Was it too much work out there for your fragile pretty self?" Sarah teased.

"Nah, it was the sight of you up there. In that throne. You could have been naked and covered in much and still be a formidable looking queen." Jared teased, though that did cause him other bodily reactions. Sarah scoffed. Uncomfortable yet strangely flattered at the same time.

"Jared, I'm being serious. Not that I want you to think I care or anything like that but… One second you were fine, the next you were flat on the ground." Sarah tried to look only the slightest bit concerned, not too much, she wouldn't want to overwhelm Jared with feelings or anything.

Jared finally opened his eyes, looking long at Sarah before he spoke in a sobered voice. "I-I don't really know. Things were getting fuzzy, then the next thing I know I'm lying in a hospital bed apparently panicked about the whereabouts of some brat named Sarah." She rolled her eyes again. But didn't give him any fuel by retorting.

"Well, I'm glad you're alive. Today took a big turn of events, but don't think for one second I'm letting down that deal we made!" Sarah quipped. "And why were you worried about my whereabouts? Shouldn't you have been calling for Winston? Wouldn't you have wanted him to make sure you're all taken care of like the needy child you are?" She was probably getting a little too aggressive, but she was acting out of fear from earlier. She never did well in hospitals, they made her terribly uncomfortable.

"Ohh, how you hurt me Sarah!" Jared held a weak hand over his heart.

"Oh? Well let's just call the nurse in here and I'll go back to the flat. Wouldn't want to hurt you in your fragile state now would I?" Sarah was starting to grow fond of this banter, but she could tell Jared was struggling to keep up now. "Hey, you should get some rest. I think they said they're releasing you as soon as you're stable. Which I'm assuming means quite shortly." Sarah gave Jared a smile.

"Yeah, you could stay here this time though? I don't want to embarrass myself when I inevitably call for you again." Jared closed his eyes and smirked. Sarah's breath hitched slightly, that smirk, the prickles up her spine bothered her. Jared slid two cold, slender fingers over one of Sarah's. She just stared at the hand those fingers belonged to. Narrow yet strong looking, boney yet soft to the touch. Her eyes traveled upward to Jared's almost asleep face, without realizing what she was doing her own slender fingers of her free hand brushed some of his stray hairs off his forehead. A faint smile played across his lips.

But no one can respect a moment for too long, the sound of a camera click was loud compared to the quiet of the room. And there Victoria stood, her fingers typing away furiously. Instantly Sarah knew that the little moment she and Jared had just shared was made immortal, living forever now on the screens of millions of followers.

Sarah cleared her throat, obviously not impressed. "Why exactly did you just do that? And how long have you been standing there? That's creepy Vic!" Sarah was somewhat mortified anyone had seen what she just did.

"I opened the door while you two were in the heat of bantering. I stayed quiet letting the scene play out. I knew something good was going to come of it, media gold right here my girl!" Victoria waved her phone a bit. "I'll leave you two alone now." She said before moving for the door. If it weren't for her heels Sarah would have sworn her manager had nearly skipped with joy.

Araceli sat in the garden of the Goblin Castle. She was reading a collection of old fae poems from the above, specifically a place called Ireland. She was intrigued, remembering her brother had gone there once or twice to visit an old friend who decided on the Above life over the Underground, William was it? Wilson? Maybe Watson? No, those couldn't be right.

"Hello mother." She said without even lifting her head from her poem. Which earned her a soft laugh.

"You know, you've always been quicker than your brother like that. I could be in plain sight and I'd still scare him because he wouldn't realize it. He's always had a thing for missing what's right in front of him." The High Queen wandered the garden to a small plot which looked to be fairly new, nothing in it though but rich soil, ready to be planted.

"Mama, why hasn't Jareth checked back yet? Fendrick said he could only stay above for around 20 Above hours tops, but he's been gone for a long time." Araceli questioned.

"That's a good question dear. Though I think I know the answer. He's gone past the limit and is now stuck, possibly worse. I can't remember too well what happens when one of us gets caught above, especially in your brother's case, since he's in pursuit of his lovely champion."

Araceli smirked "Ah, my brilliant brother getting himself stuck Above? How's he supposed to fix that?" She created a crystal with a flourish of her hand to see if she could find her brother, no such luck. Her crystal was foggy. Fear and frustration took over as she grumbled.

"The Labyrinth doesn't want you to help, it want's Jareth to figure things out for himself. That's why its blocking him from us. But, it isn't blocking our dear girl Sarah." The queen said as she lowered her crystal over Araceli's shoulder, inside was Sarah in one of the Above's 'Iron Atrocities' as she called it. "I suspect Jared is in that vehicle as well, as I am unable to shift the image to anyone but her. "

"Hmm, well my question stands, how is he supposed to fix that?" Araceli looked back to her book.

"Well, this means that 'plan b' is now in action. Meaning that in order for the Labyrinth to release its hold on Jareth, Sarah must say his name. The Labyrinth plays dirty though, because I know it's been keeping her from remembering it. It's a cruel game, but if you were as old as it is, you'd play dirty too, if just for harmless entertainment purposes. It wouldn't let any serious harm come to its two favorite people. And I don't mean us." The High Queen laughed as she resumed visiting all the roses in the garden.

The group rolled into the valet at the resort they were staying at. Victoria hadn't said anything about the post or the reaction to it on the way home, but everyone knew not to bother her because she was very closely monitoring it.

Several paparazzi were lurking around the front of the hotel, so Winston asked the driver to take them around the back. The walk would be longer to their rooms, but it was better than cameras and questions. Jared shielded his face as they rolled by, even though the windows were tinted in their vehicle.

"You know, we should probably ride in something a bit more inconspicuous if we're trying to not draw attention to ourselves." Sarah crossed her arms, irritated and tired now. Her sympathy for Jared passed as soon as they got out of the hospital when he insisted it would help him is he put his arm around her.

Jyg heard the door open to the flat, panic set in. He scrambled toward the mirror only to run into it head on and fall flat on his back. The fear built up as he ran again toward the mirror, hitting it with a thud and bouncing off. He was terrified.

The door to the room opened and Jyg heard voices arguing about getting into the room. 'Jared' held his hands across the door and blocked The Lady from entering.

"Sarah, I'm fine. You can go rest now, I'll handle myself from here."

"Since when? One second you supposedly can't stand on your own, the next you're 'perfectly fine'?" She mocked.

"Sarah please, I don't have the energy to deal with you right now."

"Fine, fine. But I have to come in and check on you, Victoria and Winston both said that. You can try and lock your door and make this difficult, or you can make it easier on both of us." Sarah marched back into her room and grabbed her stuff to take a shower.

Meanwhile Jared laid in his own bed with the door mostly shut. He was finally not surrounded by other people, allowing him to think finally. 'This is not how the plan was supposed to work.' Jared's mind spun thinking of how he was going to get back underground, how he was going to get Sarah to say his actual name. His only hope was that the Labyrinth would be kind to him.

He heard the shower shut off in the bathroom, and cabinets open and shut. Sarah was mumbling to herself about something or other, and goblins? Jared's eyes shot open, "Oh Gods.." He should have realized he was doomed from the start.

Sarah walked out of the bathroom and huffed, for once in her life she would rather have Victoria share a room with her. She was not signed up for taking care of that pain in the butt. Once in her room she glanced at her bed, the little red leather bound book stared up at her. "You, you are my bane. I'd really appreciate it if you'd stop making me remember things I left behind."

Jared heard her, if it were anyone else she would have sounded crazy, talking to imaginary things, but her statement hurt him, because he knew exactly what she was talking to. He knew it was true that she had left many of the things from her youth far far behind her, but he had hoped it wasn't a negative memory. "You make things so difficult don't you, precious."

Sarah sat next to the book, again regarding it as more of a being than just a thin red book. "I think we need to talk. Look, I get it, I wouldn't be anything if it weren't for you. But that was a long time ago. You'll always be important to me, but after so long I just don't think I have it in me to call on you…"

"…wait, who are you talking to… me? The book? Sarah please be more clear…" Jared mumbled to himself.

"… I'm not sure if it was reading you the other evening or what, but it's caused me some real strange dreams and thoughts, and I'd appreciate it if that stopped…"

"…But you didn't use your right words, so it won't…" Jared almost said it too loud.

"… But, I do miss it." Sarah said more to herself than to the book. She looked at the mirror and contemplated calling on one of her long lost friends, she wandered if they were still together, if Hoggle still lived in fear of Jare… The Goblin King. Sarah's eyes went wide as she realized her minds near slip. Her wandering thoughts were cut off by her conscious. She immediately looked away from the mirror and started getting dressed into pajamas and put her hair in a bun. She poked her head out of her room and looked both ways before stepping out into the hall to go check on Jared. She swore she saw a shadow cross in the kitchen, but it was just in the corner of her eye, probably nothing..

Jared heard Sarah walking toward his room, and he rolled his head the other way, just to make his lack of sleeping seem less obvious. "Jared…" Sarah said as she walked past the threshold into his room. She looked around, suspicious of what he seemed to be hiding within its walls. "… Hey, are you alive?" Sarah bumped his shoulder, regardless of whether he was sleeping or not. Jared groaned and turned his head to face her, making himself seem annoyed that she 'woke him'.

"What did you have to go and do that for?" He growled.

"Because, I told you I'd be back. Besides, you should be happy I chose to wake you instead of leaving you to sleep and taking the opportunity to nose around your room." Sarah spat out back at him. She internally rolled her eyes, were all their conversations going to start like that?

"Hmm, I guess, but then again, I have nothing to hide, so feel free to nose around while I'm awake!"

"I think I just might!" at that Sarah walked toward the other side of the room, stopping at the mess of clothes on the floor. "Can you do anything for yourself? Is this what you were trying to hide, this terrible mess?"

Jared tried to hide the confusion on his face, he had no idea what she was talking about. "Uh…" Just as Jared was trying to come up with an excuse something in the kitchen thudded. Both he and Sarah jumped and looked at one another.

Chapter Text

Jared and Sarah crept toward the hallway. A faint patter of tiny feet and clacking of… metal? Sarah was trying her hardest not to look shaken, she was already jumpy from the book and her thoughts earlier. "Who's there?" Sarah croaked out.

Jared was torn about what to do, because he knew exactly what it was. A backfiring plan is what it was. That damned goblin he had assigned to keep watch on Sarah had unknowingly gotten stuck above just as he was, because unless called on, there was no open portal to the underground. That would be why his clothes were a mess too, it all made sense now, to him at least.

Everything was quiet again. Sarah looked at Jared, who looked far to calm at the moment.

Something flashed across the room behind the couch, small running feet hit the floor, then another thud. Sarah had only one thought and she cursed her entire existence. Goblin. Her body went on auto and without thinking she went straight to her room, closing the door behind her and propping the chair against it. "No no no no no, I don't have time for this right now." Sarah whispered as she made sure every inch of her room was secure and free of anything unwarranted.

Jared knew that this would have to be his new plan, let the goblin be Sarah's trigger. Let her put the pieces together and then she'll curse his name. He sat on the couch in the living area, genuinely exhausted.

Jyg was terrified, he hadn't stopped scrambling around in a frenzy since he realized the portal was blocked. When 'Jared' and Lady Sarah got home he became even more frenzied, and instead of hiding like he knew he was supposed to do he started trying to find new ways out.

He was now underneath the couch in the living area, and he could feel 'Jared' walking towards him. He didn't like his Kingy being not in his King form. He felt like a mouse trying to hide from the piercing gaze of the owl at night. His little bits of armor rattling as he shook in terror, something goblins generally didn't feel.

"Oh Jyg, would you please come out and have a word with me, quietly?" Said Jared, who had crouched down by the couch.

"Kingy, I sorry, I tried ta hide. But the mirror…"

"Silence." Jared whispered harshly. He heard Sarah moving around her room. "Go into my room immediately and stay in the closet, don't come out until I say so."

Jyg scurried from one shadow to the next on his way to Jared's bedroom, slipping inside the closet and trying to stay as quiet as a little goblin could.

Jared opened and closed the front door. He was trying to make obvious noise. How was he supposed to go about this now, 'either act like nothing happened and hope Sarah wakes up in the morning thinking it was all just a dream, or should he try to tell her it was just a rat and hope she believes him? But what if she's suspicious and then really catches on all at once and a catastrophe happens?' These thoughts circled his brain as he loudly shuffled around the kitchen.

"Danny, this is crazy. I don't think I've ever wanted to room with Victoria as badly as I do right now." Sarah sat against the far side of her bed on her phone. She imagined it had to be around 8 or 9 in the morning for Danny, who wasn't a morning person.

"Sare, just breathe ok? Breathe with me, in… out… in… out…" Danny was concerned, Sarah was having a meltdown half way across the world. He couldn't come over with her favorite ice cream and watch reruns of 'The Office' for hours. "So tell me what's happened. Does this have to do with the hospital thing? Your wonderful manager told me not to even bring up the whole thing because of her post and others posts. Like does she think you live under a rock and won't see it anyways?"

Sarah laughed "I've turned off every notification possible. I already saw the whole 'I'll be there for you, even when you fall down' or whatever stupid, stupid it said thing." Sarah said in a mocking voice. Victoria was a horrible, cliche human sometimes. "Danny, things are just getting super weird and I keep getting these creepy feelings and strange dreams and I really don't have anyone to talk to about it. I'm hella jumpy and then on top of it there was something in the flat making noise and it made something fall down and… I'm in my room with the door blockaded." Sarah was nearly to tears at this point, truly shaken.

"Hey Hon, I'm going to let Victoria know that you're not ok right now and that she needs to come over to you."

"No! … sorry, uh, no I think I'll let her stay away for tonight. I'll make sure to call her and you both if I need her that badly, but I don't want to unblock my room."

"Why don't you talk to Jared. Girl, he's gorgeous, even if you hate him you can't deny that, or deny how great it would be to curl up with him. I'm sure all those nice muscles he has can be good for something."

"Danny no, I can't do that. I feel like he's part of why I'm feeling like this, something just seems slightly off now. He's part of the reason I blockaded my door. Don't go calling Victoria telling her he's going to do something bad though. I don't need that protection. You're right, I do need to talk to him, about a lot of things. If I don't call back by midnight your time then you call Victoria and tell her I'm in trouble, not that there's much she could do at that point." Sarah knew she was all over the place, yes talk, no talk, yes Victoria, no Victoria. She just wanted things to be simpler.

"You do whatever you need to do then and I'll be waiting. By the way, Maya said some mail was sent to your place, she promises she didn't open it. She also said she's mad you haven't called her yet."

"Well tell her I can't right now and that I still love her and that I'll probably be home maybe a bit sooner than expected."

"No, complete your trip and the shoot and then come home and have it put into your contract to never ever have to go through this again." Danny yawned, "Sorry, haven't had coffee yet."

Sarah laughed, "Well go have your coffee then and remember to keep your phone on till late okay? Love you, bye." Sarah hung up her phone and let it drop beside her, she let her head fall back against the bed, listening for anything outside her room.

Jared paced the hall as quietly as he could, he couldn't stand not being in control of things, especially of himself. 'This is what purgatory feels like, trapped in the middle unable to do anything but wait for someone else to do something. The Labyrinth most definitely has something to do with this.' Jared thought long and hard about things. Maybe he should consult his dear manager about this. Jared walked into his room and called up Winston, who was on his way to sleep, "Winston, we need to talk."

There was a muffled sound from the other side and some grumbling, "seriously Jare, It's nearly midnight. Go to bed."

"Winston, it… important. You'd understand."

"Oh my gods, fine. Fine. Come over within five or my invitation is rescinded."

"Coming"

"Winston, she's blocked me out of her room completely and is having a meltdown."

"What did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything! She's been jumpy. And, and that may be my fault, but indirectly! I won't take full blame."

"Do you ever take full blame of anything having to do with her? You're notorious for getting out of the blame in the past."

Jared grumbled and sat with his legs over the arm of the chair, much like he would in his throne. "I just don't see why it has to be so difficult."

"Well, you chose this, just remember that. You chose to go through with this plan, and I knew I should have never in a million years accepted, but seeing an old friend was too hard to pass up on."

"Well, speaking from one friend to another, instead of manager to model or king to past advisor, I think I've really cornered myself. I, for the first time in my long life, admit defeat. That stupid book has been my hell ever since I gave it to a much younger Sarah. The Labyrinth itself has turned against me and I cannot do anything. I've cut myself off from the Underground too, I assume you knew that's why I passed out earlier. Gods, so much has happened in one day."

"Slow down there Jareth. Not all hope is lost, I think the Labyrinth may be trying to teach you a lesson. Maybe it wants you to learn to loosen up the reign a bit, maybe it knows you need to be knocked down a few notches." Winston joked, somewhat.

"I get it, thank you. But what do you think I should do about Sarah?" Jared looked at Winston, who just looked at his phone and yawned again.

"Stand at her door like the child stealing creep I know you are and sing her a love song and tell her how much she means to you and how badly you need her. For the finale you should tell her how great she would be as your queen and that the goblin in your apartment agrees. Then when she screams your name and releases you from your hold, poof into her room, sweep her into your arms, and take her back to the Underground without any hope of return." Winston dead-panned at Jared.

"Screw off. If that's all the help you're going to be then you can just leave."

"Uh… actually that's on you. This is my room, and I'm not the one who is facing this mess. All. You." Winston stood and splashed water onto his face in the bathroom sink. "I think you should try to talk to her though, if anything she can stay locked up in her room while she lets everything sink in.

"Hmm, why didn't I think of that." Jared mused

"Probably because you have a small tendency to do things to the extreme… Like your mother has always said, the simple things just slip right past you."

Jared narrowed his eyes at Winston, who just smiled. Jared stood and dipped his head to his friend, then left without another word.

Once back in the flat Jared took a quick shower and pep talked himself in the mirror. "You have no choice, this must happen."

He walked towards Sarah's room in a t-shirt and sweats, and knocked on the a couple of times.

"Go away." Came a muffled response, it sound like Sarah had been crying

"Sarah please let me talk to you, can we please go sit in neutral area, like the living room?" Jared pleaded, crossing his fingers and praying to the gods that Sarah accept his offer.

"There's nothing to talk about!" Sarah felt like she had had this conversation with someone else before.

"I'm not going anywhere, I'm going to stand here like a creep until you open the door. Think about it, if we do this long enough you'll have successfully killed us both, because neither of us will give in easily. But I ask you with complete sincerity, from the bottom of my heart, that you please just let me talk with you, work things out? I'll keep up my end of the promise, remember the deal? I have a really nice bottle of red wine out here, and I can make a good cheese tray" There it was, he had resorted to... the 'b' word. His life had officially reached rock bottom. He'd never hear the end of this from anyone.

Sarah had moved closer to the door as Jared spoke, her heart was blocking everything her brain was screaming at her. Something deep down was pulling her to sit and talk, even though her logical mind said 'DANGER!' in flashing red lights. She pulled the chair out from under the door knob and opened the door just a crack. She met eyes with Jared and glared.

"I swear on my life and blood that I won't bite, or do anything at all to harm you in any way shape or form, at least not on purpose. I solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."

Sarah considered his offer, again going by her heart, she opened the door and walked past Jared to the couch, fluffy pillow in hand. "A deal is a deal, right?" she tried to lighten things.

"True, and I would never be forgiven if I were not to fulfill it." Jared set to work putting together the things they had made a deal over.

Once he situated himself on the couch he handed Sarah her glass of wine, which she made him open and pour right in front of her to ensure that he didn't poison it. They avoided eye contact and let the silence grow for a few moments.

Sarah finally cleared her throat, "So, what have you been hiding?" She tried to smile and make it a bit of a joke, but it flopped. The awkward between them was almost tangible.

"You're not going to believe me if I told you." Jared's mind was utterly blank. He had been trying so hard to prepare himself for this conversation, yet now that he was here he could barely manage words.

Sarah laughed at his statement, if only he knew half of what she did and didn't believe in. "Try me."

Jared took a deep breath, "So stubborn aren't you."

"You're stalling."

"Sarah please, after today my head is not all here. I'm trying, I really am."

Sarah rolled her eyes, "sure"

"My room is a very secretive place because I know how you are precious. You're nosey, which means you would know much more about me than I want you to know if you went in there. It's nothing really, I just think that if you're to learn more about me, then I need a little something from you as well."

Sarah scrunched her nose at being called precious. She couldn't remember why it made her feel weird, but it did. "I'm not nosey, I'm curious!"

"Then I guess I intrigue you?"

"What? No. Why do you make everything sound so seductive!"

"I don't Sarah, but you if you weren't intrigued then why would you be as red as you are right now?"

Sarah's hands shot to her cheeks, her face was hot. "It's just warm in here, that's all." Sarah twirled her wine a bit, taking a sip to calm herself. She was now on her second glass.

"Mhm, that's exactly what I was thinking too. Warm, that's all." Jared looked over his glass at her, looking deeply into her eyes. Sarah's heart lurched after several seconds of eye contact. "Everything alright, precious?" Her heart rate sped up a bit too.

"Uh… yeah. I'm fine. I just never noticed your eyes before." Sarah shook her head, no, it couldn't be, could it?

"As in you didn't notice that I had any because you've avoided me for so long? Or because they are just as handsome as the rest of me?" Jared felt it, his glamour had changed his eyes to be more normal, maybe a little off still, but nothing extreme. But as he looked into Sarah's green orb's he felt his left eye change. Right as she was looking at it dead on. 'oh way to get any girl to stick around, look into their eyes and let one of yours change right in front of them.' he thought to himself. 

Sarah tried to laugh at his comment, how full of himself. "You remind me of someone I used to know. A little too much as a matter of fact. And it's making me rather uncomfortable…" Sarah realized she shouldn't have said that, she wasn't sure if it was the wine or what, but her heart rate was skyrocketing, and the panic attack was gripping her chest. "…Jar…" Before Sarah could finish her sentence she made sure she had her phone and made for the front door. "I need air, excuse me."

Jared wanted to give chase, but knew it would be of no good. So he sat for now, waiting.

Chapter Text

Sarah was happy she had worn leggings and a sweatshirt that night. On her escape from the flat she grabbed the sneakers closest to the door, which conveniently happened to be running shoes, the ugly kind she would never be caught dead wearing, but were unbelievably comfortable for working out in. She walked briskly out the back of the hotel grounds, and toward the lights of the city. She didn't stop walking. Her legs were cold, she was cold, but she was sweating bullets.

If there was anyone else out right now they would probably think she was disoriented and had something off with her. She kept mumbling to herself, her imagination was just getting the best of her she thought.

"Nooo, no, no, no. This isn't true. That's not him. Sarah get a grip on yourself." Sarah shook her head. "Oh, but Sarah, you can't possibly know anyone else with those eyes, eyes that change right in from of you like that. Maybe you were hallucinating, yeah. You just imagined it. It was the wine!" Sarah walked a few more steps, entering a park. "But why would you just imagine that? There's no way you can do that. It was too real!" Sarah argued with herself some more. She didn't care if anyone heard her. "Oh honey, you knew you were doomed from the start." Sarah half laughed, half sobbed as she found a bench to sit on.

An owl hooted and Sarah flew off the bench, her body moving without her brain thinking things through. Out of the park now Sarah was walking along a sidewalk along the streets, barely anyone was out, understandably though. Sarah saw another person out running, they nodded to her as if she too were out here, in the dead of night, working out. But in reality, Sarah had barely any clue as to where she was.

'Is it the cold or am I really just going into hysterics?' Sarah let that though float around her head for a while. She looked behind her, trying her hardest not to look paranoid. "That conniving, horrible, evil, tormenting ass of a man. I can't believe it. I won't believe it, not for a second." Sarah whispered to herself again. She started to pick up her pace again as she walked straight through the other side of the city, toward another, much larger, park. She found a bench overlooking a large pond in the middle of the park. She let out a long groan and dropped her head into her hands, she felt far enough away now to think about things.

"It's simply not possible." She tried to reason with thoughts. "There's no way it's him, Jared is Jared and no one else." She made a list of 'whys' and 'why nots' in her head. Sarah sat for the longest time in that park, just thinking and letting things sink in.

Jared was about to break the stem of his wine glass from holding it too hard. His thoughts ranged from mentally kicking himself to wanting to dive head first into the bog and stay there at the bottom for eternity.

"Kingy, I sorry I disobeyed yous. The closet threw me out though." Jyg wasn't even phased by the fact that the closet had literally tossed him out and made sure it's doors were shut tight.

"Damn you Labyrinth! Stop making everything such a hell. You're nothing but a pain in the ass!" Jared growled out in the direction of his room.

"Son of mine, sometimes I wish that Labyrinth would take advantage of you and drop you on your head, maybe it would knock a few of those screws into place."

Jareth nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard his mother's voice. He spun around and backed against a wall.

The High Queen laughed, "Your sister sure did get all of the perception, you really must work on being more aware, 'Jared'." She stepped forward and stood squarely in front of her glamoured son. "The Labyrinth and I have been chatting a bit, it was finding your situation with Sarah amusing, even more so when it when it let your eyes un-glamour. But then you just gave it up."

"Because I know Sarah, she needed to work it out herself, and if I gave chase I'd have no chance at all. The Labyrinth can screw off." Jareth huffed and walked past his mother and flopped on the sofa like a petulant child. "And how are you here right now anyways? I thought once I was stuck up here no one could access me or whatever the deal was."

"True; but as I just told you, the Labyrinth and I have been chatting. You have so much yet to learn." She looked at her son, judging the style and time the Above was in, and glamoured herself. "Look inconspicuous enough?" She was wearing a royal purple quarter-zip long sleeved shirt, running leggings, and sneakers.

"Mother, just why do you need that?" Jareth was concerned.

"Again with the obvious. I'm going to go talk with my dear future daughter-in-law." She turned to go out the door.

"What? No. No you're not going to do any such thing!" Jareth moved to block his mother from the door. She laughed, pooffing herself away in a flurry of her signature rose petals. Jareth let out a frustrated growl and aimed his displeasure at Jyg. Poor fellow was always in the wrong place at the wrong time, being punted down the hall and hitting the wall.

Sarah had seen one bicyclist and a couple running on the paths in the park from her spot. She continued to stare into the pond, not seeing the lady walking towards her from the pathway. She felt the bench shift just slightly when the other lady sat. Sarah must have looked like a dear in the headlights when she looked at the lady who just sat down.

"I didn't mean to startle you!" she said to Sarah, who was glad the lady spoke English.

"Sorry, I've been in a bit of a daze this evening." Sarah shook her head.

"Evening? oh honey it's quite nearly 3 in the morning now. Are you okay?" She was genuinely concerned, touching Sarah's shoulder gently.

"Oh, I didn't realize it was so late… er… early I guess!" Sarah laughed a little "I not sure how I am though. I just found out something about a person I'm working closely with that really changes everything. Quite nearly everything I've ever known. It's such a bizarre and complex thing that I don't even know if it's true. This whole 'finding out' thing may just be all in my head for all I know. I don't know what to do." Sarah shook her head, then it dawned on her that she probably was sharing way too much with this stranger. "I'm so sorry, I'm sure you weren't planning on sitting here to listen to me. I'm sorry.."

"It's okay" Said the lady, laughing. "You probably weren't planning on someone sitting at your bench and interrupting your thoughts"

"Fair enough" Sarah's tone was light, she felt comfortable with this lady. She felt motherly and non-judgmental.

"But since you shared your thoughts, I'd say that maybe you should talk with this person. Sometimes we have to confront things head on to get answers. Even if it's uncomfortable. If I may ask, is this a revelation for bad or good?"

Sarah sighed, she should go talk with him… whoever he may or may not be. "I'm not sure. I think my own feelings have been in the way for too long. This possible revelation isn't something new. I think I may have encountered this person several years ago, but I hadn't recognized that since I started working with him. But lately I've been getting a feeling about it and suddenly it's like the puzzle pieces fell into place. It really could mean either bad things or good things, or neither, or both… I don't know." Sarah sighed into her hands.

"Just talk with him about it, I have a feeling that it won't be bad. I am getting kind of cold now though, and you must be absolutely frigid. I hope it all goes well." The lady stood and started off down the path, jogging. Sarah waited several seconds to go herself, and when she did the lady was nowhere to be seen. Sarah shook her head, kind of uncomfortable with that fact. She took off back towards the city at a brisk pace.

She was in and out of the city in what felt like a blink, just a little bit more till the hotel. Sarah felt a chill go down her spine, causing her to look back behind her. When she turned back around she nearly screamed when she walked into the chest of none other than Him. Sarah tried scrambling backward, but his arms circled her shoulders. "Get off me or I'll scream." She hissed

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Sarah calm down please…please?" He could feel the angry energy emanating from Sarah. "Sarah, I was getting worried about you. You're freezing. Here" he took his jacket off and draped over Sarah's shoulders. She shrugged and crossed her arms. She really was freezing, but admitting it was admitting defeat.

"I don't really trust you." Sarah said between shivers, she eyed him warily.

"Yeah, I expected that. But there literally is nothing I can do about it." He reached an arm toward Sarah, who was too stiff with cold to fight it. Putting his arm around her they slowly made their way back to their flat.

"That's not fa-…very kind of you to play this game. Coming to my rescue when I'm too cold to do anything about it. You're taking advantage of me!" Sarah growled as they made their way through the door. He guided her to the couch to sit, bringing her two heavy blankets.

"You're right." Was all he said as he sat down across from her, both in the places they were originally.

Sarah let the warmth build before she said anything. "This whole time I've been living with you and interacting with you and even starting to care for you. Now I know what you've been hiding."

He smirked "You're cute when you're frozen and mad. Kind of like an angry snowball." He laughed alone. "Do tell me Sarah, just what is it you are accusing me of hiding?" He couldn't force her to do anything, even say his name. But he could try his hardest to make her.

"Yourself. Hidden in plain sight apparently. I don't know how it never dawned on me. No wonder we don't get along." Sarah looked the other way, 'we don't get along' she reminded herself again. 'I can't trust him, and therefore can't care for him.' She was fooling herself and she knew it. Her revelation made her heart flutter. The one and only Goblin King, how could she not fall for him.

He smiled "Ah, so you do recognize me. I was wandering how long it would take you. Tsk tsk Sarah, I thought you'd have figured it out sooner. I always thought you to be far more perceptive than most"

Sarah was too cold for this game. She scoffed "Well, you can be disappointed. I figured you'd be proud of yourself that you beat me at something for once." Her subconscious kicked her 'bring up old wounds, good job Sarah'

He rolled his eyes "we're even now then?"

Sarah whipped around, she knew how he worked. "No, we're not even in the least. My beating you was far greater than you keeping your secret a few days."

They kept dancing around each other for several more minutes until neither of them had a jab for the other. The silence between them was stuffy and uncomfortable. The elephant still in the room.

Sarah spoke first. "What happens now? We're in the middle of a shoot, and I'm not about to let you end that."

"I couldn't, even if I wanted to, which I don't. I still have no power over you Sarah. As a matter of fact, the reason I collapsed is because I stayed above for too long. I'm not really supposed to be around you actually, since you won. But I couldn't help myself, so the Labyrinth and I made a deal. I'm actually trapped up here now, the portal closed as soon as I collapsed. And now you, my dear, are the only way I can go home."

Sarah let that sink in, at least he didn't say it accusing her of the reason he couldn't go home, he at least took the blame for that. But there was that elephant again. "And are you going to tell me what that is or are you going to make yourself suffer for the sake of being cryptic." Sarah knew exactly what it was already, as if the Labyrinth had told her itself. His name. All she had to do was allow that one word to pass her lips. But it also felt like she was signing herself away to him and the Labyrinth.

As if he could read her mind he answered the unspoken question in his answer to her, weirdly indirect but the Labyrinth at least let him say something near the answer. "You know very well what my name is. And I can understand why you'd be worried about saying it aloud. But rest assured, I will only be allowed to be around you in my usual form and pass back to my kingdom myself, but I will still be unable to take you there. You are only able of doing that yourself. There is not a single thing I can or will do to you against your will." His expression was as sincere as his voice.

Sarah studied him. The Goblin King. As he sat there, looking at her with pleading eyes. "And what if I don't?" A cruel smile spread across her lips. She couldn't help but make him squirm just a little. She had an incredible amount of power just in the tip of her tongue. She now realized that she could do practically anything, the man sitting across from her was in her mercy.

"You cruel, precious thing." He settled into the couch, they had been talking for a while, as the sky started to hint at dawn. "Take your time, I'm in no hurry." He hoped 'reverse psychology' would work on Sarah.

Sarah shrugged, getting up and moving to the kitchen under her heap of blankets. "well, that's good because this angry little snowball is in no hurry either, Jared."

Chapter Text

"Hey try not to pass out on this one." Sarah quipped as they started getting ready for their final shoot in Germany.

Jared gave her a sneer. "Sure thing, whatever her majesty asks for." An eye roll completed the statement. Everyone in the room laughed.

Since the other night, things had gone back to mostly normal. It was an unspoken rule that no one talked about anything having to do with the previous shoot, or anything that happened in the 48 hours after it. The most major difference which garnered some whispers was the new lightness in between Jared and Sarah.

Sarah laughed internally. She was going to use this power for all it was worth. He was completely at her command. Even if no one else understood why, and Jared acted like it was just banter. Sarah noticed more and more small changes in the few days after that night. Jared's eyes were slightly more wild, his hair was becoming harder to tame, canine teeth becoming slightly more prominent. Sarah dared to believe he had even gotten taller, her imagination wanted to believe some other things had grown as well. She blushed at the thought.

Victoria had grown very quiet over the past few days as well. She was on her phone, and kept mostly to herself. Sarah was made very uncomfortable by this. Even if she enjoyed it, she was so used to the fussiness now that without it her life lacked structure. Sarah also observed Winston and Jared being absent together a lot. Her mind flashed through several scenarios, some of them were much more plausible than others though. If Winston was in on this... Sarah stopped that train of thought before she went down the rabbit hole.

The day passed quickly and smoothly. As soon as they were finished they headed back to the hotel to collect their things in preparation for leaving the next day. Sarah and Jared hadn't spoken nor bickered while in their flat together since the other night either. They went to bed or did whatever it was they needed to do without any speaking. Jared knew he was helpless and at the mercy of his beloved Sarah, yet he wouldn't resort to direct begging. Sarah, well she just didn't know what to do. She was coming to terms with everything still, going about in her own little world, letting her mind play through various scenarios and situations. Her mind had started on replay from the very first time she heard about working with Jared when they were in Hollywood and the drama involved, then to the flight over, and their time in Germany. They always told her hindsight is 20/20. She could describe every moment her heart knew something was different about Jared, but the rest of her just couldn't quite put a finger on it. All the chills and goosebumps he gave her, the mental breakdowns, the consulting her friends and the lectures from Victoria. It was all rushing back and was too much for her to handle, especially now since feelings were starting to creep in. Feelings that Sarah couldn't quite handle yet. Everything was blurring past her like a movie montage, a timelapse, all counting down to when she would eventually give in and say the word that could change everything. Would change everything.

What would her life be like when she was back in Hollywood in a day or so? Her life would never ever be normal again, and no one would understand why. At least not for now. Sarah's mind jumped to the future now. Would she and Jared… or whatever she should call him… be seeing each other more often? When and how would she tell Danny and Maya about everything. What would she tell her family? And what would Victoria do? It was inevitable that she and 'Jared' would be spending much more time together.

Sarah didn't realize that as all of this was playing out in her head she was blankly staring into the wall, just standing there. Jared had sat down on the couch looking at her with concern. He cleared his throat and waved his hand around in Sarah's direction. "Earth to Sarah? Helloo in there? Anybody home in there? Halloo?"

Sarah turned her head slowly looking at Jared, a tear made a trail down her cheek. She looked straight at Jared, another tear making its way down. She didn't know why she was crying, but she was. It was joy and confusion and happiness and millions of other feelings jumbled together and it was overwhelming. She felt like a train hit her. Jared stood up and was in front of her in three strides. "Sarah?" He looked at her, lifting a hand up to her cheek.

Sarah leaned into it, she broke eye contact and shook her head, laughing. "This is so uncomfortable." She laughed more. Jared was confused, but her laugh was infectious, he too started to laugh.

Jyg popped his head around the wall and looked at the two, standing a bit apart both red-faced and hysterically laughing. He was slightly disturbed by the sight.

The plane took off and Sarah felt normalcy returning every mile they got closer to home. It was a through flight, most of which she slept through. She looked out the plane window nearest to her and watched the scenery change from land, to ocean, and then to land again. When they touched down finally at LAX it was around 5 in the morning. Sarah had reapplied her makeup and changed her clothes, preparing for the barrage of paparazzi. As soon as she stepped off the plane she saw her little greeting committee on the tarmac, the only thing that blocked her from them now was the hoard of photographers and journalists with flashing cameras. She went into defense mode, head down, hand just barely covering her face. It was well learned by now, give the random magazines a picture so they could feed the rumor mill, but still get through the crowd to make a hasty escape. Danny and Maya embraced Sarah as she ran into their arms, happy to be back home. She inhaled the scent of her beloved Los Angeles; the mix of chlorine, smog, and sweat would be disgusting to most, but the air was sweet and fragrant to her. She wondered if this was what it was like for Sir Dydimus and his Bog. Thoughts about the Labyrinth were becoming more and more normal and frequent, they were just like any other plain thought to her now.

Danny and Maya smuggled Sarah out to Danny's waiting car and drove off. Sarah didn't care that nearly all of her clothes were back at the plane, as well as her manager and everyone else. She left them all in the dust because she was finally free! "I love you two so much!" Sarah squealed as Danny accelerated onto the freeway.

"You better! It's early as hell and you have lots of explaining to do. We're not going home yet because paps are there and I know Vic and whoever else will try to distract you from us as soon as they get the chance. Oh yeah, and welcome home love, we missed you!" Danny flashed her a smile in the rearview mirror.

"So Danny, where should we begin this interrogation? Should we ask her how the trip was? Maybe ask her something basic like how the shoots were? Or should we dive right in on the important things, like Jared, all of Victoria's posts, and why Sarah gave us the most anxiety like, ever, the other day?" Maya looked at Sarah and raised an eyebrow.

Sarah groaned. "Go easy on me. It's been a long few weeks. I'm sorry I never texted either of you back the other night. I really am, things just got crazy and I lost all track of everything. But it's good now. I'm here now, back in one piece!"

"No, you don't get an excuse. You told me that you'd call me if things went fine. And you didn't. We were half a world away from you, we couldn't get there and we were panicking. Victoria had to be the one to tell us you were all good. And then when we tried to text you after that you never responded." Danny tried his hardest to be angry, but as usual his words held no heat. Sarah was back and that's all that mattered.

Sarah leaned forward in her seat and put her chin on his shoulder. Danny struggled to keep an angry face, but broke down. "Fine! Fine, you win. I forgive you. I'll drop it. But you still owe me."

"Danny I always owe you something." Sarah giggled. "I missed you both so much. That was one hell of a trip and I'm so happy to be back. Things are just weird and I don't know what to do about everything. Did I ever tell you about that stupid little red book I have? Well, lots of things happened because of that book. And now things have come full circle."

"You mean The Labyrinth book? Yeah, you told me it gave you weird dreams but thats all" Maya was unconcerned

"Those weren't dreams, they were all real. I know that's barely a half explanation Maya but, that book wasn't just a fairytale. I actually lived it!  That whole breakdown the other night was because the 'full circle' of things. And that damned Goblin King in the book? Yeah well that's Jared. Well, more like Jared is the name he uses here, in his glamour. Jared is the Goblin King of that book. I know I sound crazy but it's all real! He's real and all the creatures and the magic and the Underground… it's all real…" Sarah looked down at her hands. Danny and Maya looked at each other with concern.

"Sare, I think maybe you're a little bit jet lagged? Are you sure no one slipped you anything on the plane?" Maya questioned her dear friend, who seemed anything but ok.

"No, no one slipped me anything and I'm not crazed. I'm serious! And I need you both to tell me that maybe having a relationship in the future with Jared wouldn't be bad before I can prove to you that I'm serious!" Sarah wanted her friends behind her on this if she were to say the name to break Jared from his hold. "Please, I know you both think I'm crazy but just trust me on this. I would never have told you if I didn't know for certain that this was real. You're my two very best friends ever and I need you. I need you." Sarah remembered saying those words to her mirror to her friends from the Underground. 

"I'm pretty sure that's the most logical and sane thing you've said since you landed. Yes, I support you. Even if I'm a bit jealous." Danny received a slap on the shoulder from Maya.

"Of course we support you Sarah, you two are meant for each other, all of us can see it. And by us I mean basically the whole world, because they approved of it before you even thought of it." Maya laughed. "King and Queen remember?"

"Well, that's good to know. Where are we going Danny?"

"The beach, duh."

All Sarah could think of was how crazy she must sound, and how conflicted her feelings were… and how the hell was she supposed to go about things with Him. She let the conversation drop and leaned against the car window.

Jared went home with Winston after they got off the plane, for no other reason than he really had no where else to go. It had completely passed over him, the thought that maybe Sarah would be stubborn and play at his game back. How wrong he had been in thinking she'd just say his name and let him go.

"Jared, call her. Text her. Do something! But don't just mope around here waiting. Also because I don't want that goblin getting into my things."

"I will, I just need to give her some space now that we're home." Jared glanced at Jyg, who was eyeing the French Bulldog across the room, which was eyeing him back just as intently. Jyg looked back at Jared, about as confused as a goblin could get. "Don't you dare touch it." Jared picked Jyg up by the collar of his armor and dropped him on one of the armchairs.

"How much space are you planning to give her?! This may be why you never got her in the first place because all you ever say is 'she needs space'. Jareth... Jared, whatever you insist upon being called, you concocted this whole plan nearly two years ago, and it's great seeing you after such a long while, but you need to finish what you started and get out!!" Winston waved his hands around, walking to his room to take a shower once he finished scolding Jared.

Jared mocked Winston as soon as he was out of sight. "'You need to finish what you started!' meh meh meh." He found his phone and opened it up to Sarah's number. It took him several tries to get the text he wanted to send out: 'Sarah, can you call me later when you get a chance? We need to talk. Again. Please precious?'

The typing bubble popped up and stayed there for what felt like ages. Finally Sarah sent her text back: 'Dinner. 6 o'clock. Meet out front of my place at 5."

Jared smiled: 'see you then'

The trio walked along the pier ever so slowly. There were few people out at this time, seeing as it was still too early for anyone to be awake. They watched a group of surfers paddling about, the early morning waves were always the best. The cold breeze pushed Sarah's hair back, and the smells of the bay filled her nose.

Sarah's phone buzzed in her pocket, she pulled it out and saw it was Jared. Danny and Maya were quick to figure that out when they saw their friends face was blushing. Sarah started to type, then deleted it. 'Not right now' seemed a little harsh. 'Leave me alone' was also not right. Suddenly Danny grabbed the phone from her hands, prompting Sarah to make a grab for her phone or Danny, whatever she made contact with first.

Maya in turn blocked Sarah from Danny, "Go!" She shooed Danny off, who was typing something into the phone.

Sarah struggled with Maya before breaking free of her but it was already too late. Danny handed her phone back smiling. "What did you do?" Sarah opened the messages and stared at her phone screen. "Oh, now you've done it. Now you've really done it." Sarah read the message 'she' sent to Jared. She just gave the phone back to Danny and walked the rest of the way to the end of the pier. Danny looked at Maya, high fiving. They caught up to her finally

"Hey Sare, looks like you've got yourself a date!" Maya elbowed her friend. Danny put an arm around Sarah and made puppy eyes at her "I owe you now don't I?"

Sarah looked at Danny for a long moment "Damn right you do." Sarah tried to be mad, but she couldn't hide the blush on her face. She would never admit it but she was actually happy about dinner reservations with Jared; it would be in a semi-public setting so nothing could happen unnoticed, they would have to be somewhat quiet, hopefully no one would be around listening, but if they were then so be it. And most importantly, food was always a great neutralizer.

Sarah stood against the rail of the pier between Danny and Maya, watching the waves roll in. Even if her friends were pains in the ass they were the greatest people she could have ever asked to be friends with. In contented silence they watched as the sky grew bright and the noise of the city port grew louder as the surrounding city came to life.

"I we need food." "Let's go find something to eat." Danny and Maya said almost simultaneously, as if their brains were on the same exact wavelength. They all laughed and started back down the pier. Sarah finally felt like things were clicking into place. 

Jared pulled out all the dress slacks he had, actually worried for once about what he was supposed to be wearing. "Gods what do I put together." It was like all concept of style went out the door as his nerves kicked in. "it's just Sarah… it's just dinner… GAHH!"

Winston heard his friend mumbling and making horrid noises, curious he decided to see what was up. "Your Majesty, you sound like you're dying." He said from the door of the guest room. 

"I don't know what to wear! Me, The Goblin King! And I don't know what to wear!" Jared shook the clothes in his hands toward Winston.

"Why?" Winston laughed at Jared.

"Because I have a date with that wicked beautiful woman tonight!" He went back to looking through his clothes.

"Is that so? Where?"

"I don't know, some fancy place, she chose. I told her we needed to talk, and she told me we would be having dinner. I was excited at first, I still am, but what do I wear? It needs to look good, I have got to impress her."

"Your birthday suit? That will be sure to impress her." Winston laughed more at Jared's horrified face. "I've always known you to be stylish, you're fae after all but you've never been so flustered… well except for that one time I found you trapped by those… well, we won't go there..." He and Jared both grew uncomfortable, several long seconds of silence and tension. Jareth was caught in the midst of something rather private and unfortunate by his advisor. There was a stab of pain he felt bringing up the past he and the man several feet away from him had shared. Leaving the Underground and his position as advisor to the King after his own devastating personal loss had been a difficult decision but one he felt was needed at the time. Sometimes he considered petitioning for reentry to the Underground.  

"Sometimes I'm quite glad you chose to come Above and stay. Especially right now, because I need you to tell me what to wear since you're so up with the times." Jared looked at his clothes and shook his head. He'd never admit to fashion defeat, but he really hadn't prepared himself fully before enacting this plan.  

"Grey slacks and the burgundy shirt" Winston walked over and picked the two pieces up from the pile of clothes Jared had tossed on the bed.

"Perfect! Thank you" Jared took the pieces handed to him "Could I possibly use your clothes steamer? These need to be perfect."

"Of course, It's In the closet. What time is your date?"

"six, but I think I'm meeting her in front of her apartment at five."

"Good plan. Now you better get the girl to say your name, because I'm kicking you out sooner than later if you don't. I have some errands to run, I don't know if I'll be back before you go, so I'll say it now; don't screw this up, if you do your royal highness will be out on the streets. I used to think the goblins were bad! Ha! Humans." And at that Winston walked out, nearly stepping on Jyg in the process. "Damned Goblins!"

Jared laughed heartily and went about scooping the rest of his clothes into a neater pile so he could get to work steaming his attire for the evening.

"It's getting to be kind of late, do you think we could go back so I can get a shower and get ready?" Sarah suggested. They had been sitting on the patio of a café for some time, just chatting about life and listening to Sarah's stories about her time in Germany.

"Good idea Sare, it'll be about one by the time we get back anyways." Danny lead the way back to his car. They made their way back to the apartment, singing to the radio and being happy to enjoy one another's company.

"I can't believe this is actually happening." Sarah laughed from the back seat.

"You better believe it baby, it's happening." Danny smirked at Sarah. Then picked up a conversation Sarah would really rather not deal with. "So, you've never lied to either Maya or I as far as I know, and I really want to believe you about this whole 'the book thing and the weird dreams are real and not just dreams' thing, but Sare, I'm really having my doubts."

"I said I'll prove it to you. It's really real. I swear on my grave it's real. I must sound like I bumped my head while away, or like I was on something, but I'm not. I know you want to believe it too, but everything you've ever known is telling you otherwise. Honestly, I'm just really worried about you guys not thinking I need to go to the psychiatrist about this."

"Sare, chill! You and your magic man will go on a date, and then you'll prove it to us. I'll worry about your mental state after we get you through the date, which is basically the most important thing in the world right now. So let's just pretend that all this 'it's real' stuff hasn't happened yet. K?"

"Deal. So what are you two planning to dress me in?"

"Well, we haven't seen your closet quite yet, but definitely something sexy, and I know you have plenty of that."

"Jumpsuit! Fancy, it's basically pants, harder than a dress for Jared to take off of you tonight because everyone needs a challenge sometimes. He has to earn it."

"No!" Sarah yelped through her laughter. 

It was 4 o'clock now and Jared was fiddling with the buttons on his shirt, undoing the top two, three? Buttoning them back up, no.. He sighed and left the top two unbuttoned. He then turned his attention to his hair, which was just long enough in this form to be unruly, but sexy all the same. He swept it back and to the side, but it slowly fell back into its usual side swept do. He rolled his eyes.

He made sure to grab his wallet out of his jeans, which seemed to be light in change, just then he saw Jyg's little guilty face hide behind the large ceramic vase in the corner. "I don't care Jyg, here, there's two more, if you're good while I'm gone I'll take what you've found and get you a candy with it."

"Deal" is all Jared heard from behind the pot, bribery never ceased to work on goblins.

Jared strode out the door looking mighty fine if he did say so himself, toward Sarah's apartment. It didn't matter what form or realm he was in, his vanity never left him.

In her own apartment Sarah sat, being the perfect muse for her two friends, who were nearly done making her up. Maya painted Sarah's lips red to finish off her makeup. They had chosen an extremely deep v-necked black jumpsuit, which came to a point just above her belly-button. 

Danny and Maya left the room so she could put the ensemble on, she walked out of the room shortly after giving herself a pep talk in the mirror.

"Damn!" Danny stood and looked Sarah up and down. "

"We did a good job Danny, if I do say so myself" Maya said from the kitchen. "Alright Sarah, knock 'em dead. You better go get your car, it's almost five!"

Sarah grabbed the black crystal covered clutch she chose for the night and made sure her lipstick was still perfect in the hall mirror. Before bidding her two friends goodnight and walking put the door.

Jared came around the corner just as Sarah's car was pulled around to the front by the valet, Sarah thanked the kid and tipped him. Poor kid looked positively shaken, Jared gave him the 'she's mine' look, before greeting Sarah.

"Wow, I must say Sarah, you may just look better than I do, I never knew that was possible for anyone." Jared smirked, earning him an eye roll "But really Sarah, you're absolutely stunning, poor fellow hadn't a clue what to do."

Sarah rolled her eyes, "Sorry to outshine you your highness" she remarked.

"Please, call me Jare…"

"Not so fast." Sarah cut him off, pulling out and heading off toward the restaurant. "We'll get there after, but for now, we're going on a date between two normal people"

"Oh but Sarah, you know just as well as I do that we're anything but 'normal'"

"Well, then we'll just have to pretend extra hard wont we."

Jared sighed and rolled his eyes. "Is the whole night going to be unpleasant banter?"

"Of course not, we have plenty to talk about, such as how thing are in the underground, how we'll go forward from here, what we are as two people who seem to be interested in each other… and about what happens when I inevitably say your name." Sarah focused on driving, she held the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grip.

"Sarah, relax" Jared laughed "I promise nothing bad will happen to you, I would never let anything happen to you. And I can't lie, even if I am trapped in this form Above until you release me, I still can not lie, I'm still fae."

"So that's what you're called, well that's one question answered." Sarah pulled into the parking lot, they got out and walked to the restaurant entrance where the hostess greeted them and led them to a secluded table in the back.

"It's beautiful here.." Jared was in awe, he hadn't been too many upscale places in his times above, he had no idea the above could create such glamorous places.

She thanked the hostess as they sat. Because they couldn't go anywhere without being recognized the lady had already mentioned to the manager and chef that they would be coming in as soon as they made the reservation. Shortly after the chef came out to them and offered them a chefs picks menu for their evening, Sarah took the lead and went with what the chef suggested.

Jared was unsure of what to do, he thought about all the things happening, and how truly helpless he was.

"So, Jared, the Underground. How have things been? How are my friends?" Sarah started off the conversation.

"Uhm, good, things are good. The goblins are under the control of my mother and sister currently, which is a frightening thought. I hope I am able to go back soon and get things under control again." Jared looked pointedly at Sarah.

"I didn't know you had a sister! How lovely, tell me about her." She smiled and skipped right over his last remark. Their conversation paused as their food was served. 

"She's lovely, her name is Araceli, I would compare her to your age, since we age much differently underground. We age fairly quickly at first, fae do, and then slow down until it seems like we are no longer aging. We're practically immortal, but we can choose to modify things about our lifespan and looks, though most never do. She's a brat sometimes, but wonderful all the same, she thinks you are one of the most amazing beings above and underground. You two can never meet though or I may not survive." Jared laughed.

Sarah was curious about how his sister knew about her, but then again she figured most everyone knew about her. "Wow, so if you don't mind me asking, how old are you? In Underground years that is."

"I'm somewhere around fifteen hundred years old, give or take a few hundred. It's hard to keep track exactly after so long. Ari would be several hundred younger than me."

Sarah nodded, interested and not the slightest bit perturbed by that number. Somehow this whole thing seemed completely normal, just regular conversation. "Interesting, so how are my friends? And the goblins?"

"Hogwart is his usual grumpy self. You know I sent him on several missions while I was underground. Not quite a spy per say, but he was the one who delivered you those flowers for me."

"I knew it! There've been far too many times where I've felt like I was being watched." Sarah glared at him across the table.

"Well, if it's any comfort Hoggle never stepped foot inside your home except for just one time, which created a portal. Some goblins may have passed through a few times, but they've since been bogged and I fired Hoggle from his spy job."

"That's not comforting at all!"

"Well, only Jyg has been able to come above now, and since I passed out it sealed any portal to or from for myself and the citizens of my kingdom he has been stuck here along with mE. The Labyrinth did however allow my mother passage, I guess they've been talking, which is again why all of those blocks on your memory were suddenly taken away. Damned Labyrinth." Jared took a sip of his Manhattan, the perfectly clear purified ice ball in the center taunting him as it looked just like one of his crystals.

"I see, well soon he should be able to run home. Poor thing, look at the mess you got him into." Sarah smiled at Jared over the top of her own drink before taking a sip herself.

"I hope so."

"I'm guessing then that you don't need to know how I've been doing, since it seems you already know that?"

Jared pursed his lips and looked back at the ice sphere.

"Let's see, what else did I want to ask. Oh! So here's the big question, where do we go from here?" Sarah asked as the chef came back out with several small desserts all displayed on one beautifully decorated plate, he described each just as he had with the other dishes. Jared and Sarah both thanked him.

As soon as the chef left Jared took a deep breath "You ask such complex questions Sarah." He looked at her for a while. He looked more like the goblin king Sarah remembered now, as if the further their conversation went the more the Labyrinth loosened its hold on him.

"But it is a question that needs to be answered."

"Fair enough. Well, assuming that you say my name soon, I will go back to the Underground. I will also be able to freely visit you without trying to find loopholes to do so as it has been since you said those wretched words all those years ago."

"I'm still not sorry, you should have expected it from me. I mean I was what, fourteen? Fifteen maybe? I couldn't possibly have just fallen for you and been whisked away. You kind of gave me an ultimatum. I won't deny that you've been the man of my dreams both before my run, or after. I just thought it was all fiction though, or at least I wanted to deny to myself that it was true." Sarah savored the dark chocolate dessert thoughtfully.

"You had fallen for me though?" Jared hadn't ever expected her to say that, he nearly dropped his spoon, just looking at her.

Sarah shrugged "Yeah, I mean, I guess. I always found myself comparing every male I ever met to what I remembered of you or at least what I thought of the character in that book as looking like. I guess this is leading into the other question I had…" Sarah was unnerved by how nonchalantly she was saying these things, as if they were no big deal at all.

"uhhm.." Jared blinked a few times. "What are we? That's a great question. What do you want us to be?"

The sexual tension was extreme. Sarah blushed "Well I think I've made that clear now haven't I…" She laughed at herself.

"Not outright. I know that you're interested, but that could mean many things." Jared argued.

"What do you want us to be Jared? You haven't said anything about it yet"

"Sarah I think that's very obvious, I've wanted nothing more than to be with you for a very long time. Much longer than you could ever know. Especially because of how time works in the underground."

Sarah felt her stomach flutter, she wasn't much of a romantic and was struggling with the butterfly feelings. "I guess that's one thing we can agree on then." Sarah couldn't even look at him. She was eternally grateful the manager came over just then with the bill and bid thanked them for dinning there that evening. Sarah and Jared both reached toward the bill, their hands finding each other instead. Jared laced his fingers in hers and Sarah felt like she could run screaming out of the restaurant. Romance was most definately not her thing.

"Well, do you want to head back now, maybe finish the conversation at my place?" Sarah Suggested 'What the hell Sarah? You just invited him over to your place now? Gee-gads,' she thought to herself. All of the little people inside her brain were running around frantically as if it was on fire and there was no escape.

"Sure, or if I may suggest, maybe a walk on a pier?"

"Even better, great idea!" Sarah was thankful he suggested something that wouldn't likely end awkwardly. 

After they paid they walked silently out to her car, careful to see if there were any cameras around. Luckily there weren't and they made their escape toward the beach. It was a bit of a drive, but traffic was light. Once there they strolled a bit, Sarah as happy for the cold air hitting her skin, she felt like she was on fire.

"Sarah, I hope this isn't too overwhelming. But I must add that you are the one who brought up the conversation."

"It's very overwhelming as a matter of fact. I'm so sorry. I should have just let things happen in time but of course I couldn't just do that. That would be too easy right?" She laughed

"I wouldn't expect anything so simple, you're the Champion of the Labyrinth, and you never take the easy way." Jared smirked again.

"Touche" They found an empty bench on the pier and sat, watching the moonlit waves roll in. Sarah crossed her arms, feeling the chill. Jared put an arm around her, but expected Sarah to pull away. instead she leaned into him, she fit perfectly into his side. It made her wonder just how perfectly they would fit in other ways. She stiffened at the thought, 'get your mind out of the gutter Sarah'

"So when I say the magic word what happens? Do you just poof into the underground? Will you suddenly lose your glamour?" Sarah asked, situating her head against him. He wrapped his arm a little tighter around her and took a deep breath.

"Nothing will happen unless I want it to. You saying my name is just like unlocking the door, the door won't open or change just because you've unlocked it, but unlocking it allows it to be opened now. I won't suddenly become the oh so terrifying Goblin King either. It will just allow me to if I choose so."

"I see…" Sarah sighed, she was finally calming down. "We should head back soon"

"I agree, if I'm not back soon enough Winston may lock me out." He laughed.

They stood up and Sarah wobbled on the gap in the boards on the pier. Jared caught her before she fell. Sarah laughed at, cursing the space that almost ate the heal of her shoe. Jared reached for her again after she steadied herself, stepping closer to her and letting his hands trail over her sides. They were both taken aback by what was happening, but both leaned in excruciatingly slow in a gentle kiss. Sarah's hands found their way to his chest and then his hair, she intertwined one in his locks and pulled him back down, into a more aggressive kiss this time. Pulling apart Jared looked at her in disbelief, "Sarah…" he whispered

Sarah was empowered by it and couldn't help herself from steeling another, she smiled into the kiss. "Jareth"