Chapter 12~ Enemies to Friends

Sarah sat up, her respiration almost normal, and put her hands in her lap.

"Hey, Hoggle?" She saw the dwarf lying on the floor, still tired from the jumping. "Could I talk to Jareth alone for a minute?"

Hoggle scowled, but then nodded, forced his legs to work, and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"What is it you wish to speak to me about?" Jareth sat up lazily.

"Did you plan everything after I left the first time?" It was kind of forward, but Sarah stuck with her question. "I mean, did you plan on pretending to be my mother and pulling me through my mirror and all?"

Jareth didn’t respond for a long time, and Sarah thought he wouldn’t say anything at all. But he did.

"Some of it, yes." There was an awkward pause, then he continued. "I love you, Sarah. I thought that was clear when I offered you your dreams in my crystal. I also offered my heart. And I never meant to hurt you." Sarah sat in amazement at his words. There was truth to them, honesty.

"What about Toby?" That was ancient history by now. Though Sarah thought of her brother, and hoped he was feeling better.

"Toby couldn’t compare to you."

"Then why did you go through all that trouble to make sure he stayed with you forever?" Sarah shifted her position on the bed.

"I guess I thought that, once you got him back, you’d forget me."

"How could I forget the Goblin King?" Sarah asked, smiling at the thought. "After everything that happened?"

They sat in silence for a minute, then Jareth spoke again, sincerely, painfully.

"Sarah, I’m not going to make you marry me. I’ve been thinking about it, and I know you wouldn’t be happy if I did that to you."

The girl next to him couldn’t believe what she was hearing, and she smiled a little.

"I don’t have to marry you?" Sarah’s heart almost burst with relief. The Goblin King sighed and turned away.

"I’ll bring you back tonight, if that’s alright. I’d just like to spend a few hours with you, just so I can remember…"

Again, there was silence, and Sarah’s face lit up. She stood up excitedly and took Jareth’s hands in her own.

"Alright," she began, "you want to marry me? You do it."

"You… you mean…the Labyrinth? You want me to solve my Labyrinth?" There was no fear in his voice, only mere surprise. Sarah nodded.

"Yes, I do." She certified. "If I can do it, you can too, right? You saw me through your crystal. You’ll be fine." She took his hand and he stood up. "I’ll give you thirteen hours, just like you gave me, and if you make it back to the castle in time, I’ll marry you. Fair deal?" She smiled hopefully. Now, Jareth couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

"You will?" Was all he could manage to say.

"Yes. On one condition."

"Anything, Sarah."

"When you get back, do it the right way. Ask me."

"I will. I promise." He told her, then frowned. "Why the sudden change of mind?" Jareth asked as he wrapped Sarah in a hug.

"I’ve seen kindness in your eyes and heart. You’ve proven yourself to be a good person, despite everything you’ve done…plus, the tights. I loved those tights when I first saw them-and I still do."

* * * * *

Jareth transported himself to the gates of his very Labyrinth sometime later. He knew that Sarah was there at his castle, waiting for him. He also knew he wasn't allowed to use any magic or fly over the Labyrinth as an owl. Jareth sighed, and as the doors opened, he stepped inside, wondering which way to go.

Left? Or right?

* * * * *

Sarah glanced through the crystal. Jareth wasn’t that far ahead. Still in the brown, brick, outer walls. That worm could help him, Sarah sighed. She grinned at the thought of the Goblin King talking to a worm.

"What was it he said?" Sarah wondered aloud. "Just think it, and you can see it."

It grew dark, and she could no longer see Jareth. Instead, she saw her baby brother, fussing in his crib. He looked much better. The child laughed suddenly, as if he knew Sarah was watching him.

Mr. Williams came into his room then and went over to Toby’s crib.

"What is it that you’re laughing at?" He asked his son. Mr. William’s became upset, and he lifted Toby out of his crib. The two sat on the Williams’ bed and Toby gurgled and cooed. "Your sister was kidnapped. I don’t think I can laugh for awhile-if ever." Her father wiped a tear away, and hugged Toby tight.

"Oh, dad," whispered Sarah. She felt like crying herself. "I’ll try my best to explain someday."

Sarah set the crystal on her bed and looked out the window. The Labyrinth sprawled out before her, calm and quiet.

"M'Lady?" A strong, clear voice behind her made Sarah turn around. There, in the doorway, stood the very Goblin who gave the others orders earlier near the Bog. "I’m Oppod. Do you remember me?"

"Yes. Is there something I can help you with?" Sarah tried to sound helpful.

"I need to speak with His Majesty."

"Oh, um, he’s trying to solve the Labyrinth." Sarah informed him softly. Oppod’s eyes grew wide.

"The King is in his Labyrinth? He’s never done it before. What made him do that?"

"Me." Sarah answered sheepishly. "He did it out of his love for me. And if he makes it, we’ll be married." Again, Oppod seemed stunned.

"He cares for you so much." He told Sarah.

"Yes, I know."

"So, did you tell him about everything in there?" He asked. Sarah frowned.

"What’s in there that I need to tell him about?" She inquired earnestly.

"Oh, for instance, the doors. One leads here-one leads to that oubliette. Did you tell him about that?" Sarah searched her mind.

"He caught Hoggle trying to help me get closer to the castle down there, but I don’t think he knows which door is which." Sarah continued to think of what she could do. Then, it hit her. "I can help him through the crystal!" She grabbed the crystal and cleared her mind.

The Goblin King was near the doors, near Alph and Ralph, and Sarah knew that they weren’t going to be much help.

"What exactly are you planning on doing, M'Lady?" Asked Oppod. "I mean, you can’t transport yourself to where he is through the crystal. You don’t know how, and neither do I."

"I don’t plan on transporting myself there." Sarah explained. "All I have to do is face the crystal toward the direction Jareth is in and talk to him as if her were standing right in front of me. That’s what he told me to do."

So Sarah brought the crystal to the window and held it out in the direction she was sure Jareth was at. Then, she drew in a deep breath and watched the crystal.

"Now which way?" The King was asking aloud. "I have no idea what way to go next. Great-stuck in my own Labyrinth!"

"Jareth? Can you hear me?" Jareth sat on a nearby rock, taking a short break.

"I think I’m lost." He admitted. Sarah laughed.

"I can see that. I wanted to warn you of something."

"I thought you weren’t going to give me any clues. I didn’t give you any."

"This isn’t a clue. Like I said, it’s a warning. Go forward and take a left turn. You’ll see Alph and Ralph, the door guards. They’ll tell you that one door leads to the castle, and one leads to certain death. That’s what they told me. Pick the door on the left."

"There’s only one problem," Jareth confessed.

"What?"

"That door only leads to the Bog of Eternal Stench."

"You little cheat!" Sarah yelled playfully. "You knew I would only get that far if I chose the left door?" Jareth tried to hide a smile.

"Well…yes." He said softly. "But at least you’d get closer than you were, and I was allowing to permit that." Sarah shook her head and sighed.

"So, that shouldn’t be a problem, right?" She inquired. But she didn’t get an answer from Jareth, for the crystal became dark again.

"Actually, that is a slight problem," admitted Oppod. "His Majesty doesn’t know the way past the Bog of Stench."

"What?" Sarah didn’t believe this one. How could Jareth not know his way around the Bog? That was impossible! He owned it!

"He doesn’t like the smell apparently," Oppod shrugged. "We Goblins have never found the smell to be displeasing."

"Well, Jareth knows well enough not to step in it," Sarah knew, smiling as she shook her head. "But the bridge is out. How is he going to get across? Jareth promised not to fly over."

"Would you permit him to use magic?" Oppod looked hopeful. Sarah sighed.

"For this, yes. But not for anything else." She looked into the crystal and thought,

Again he appeared in the crystal, approaching Alph, Ralph, and the doors just behind them.

"Which door are you going to pick?" Asked Alph.

"The last girl picked the door that led to certain death," informed Ralph, trying to sound dramatic.

"Yes, I know." Jareth rolled his eyes.

"Hey!" Shouted Sarah, forgetting that she was in the castle and not with the three in the Labyrinth. "That wasn’t my fault!"

"Sarah, where’d you go?" Jareth looked around, though he knew he couldn’t see her, but he sighed and waited.

"The crystal faded; I couldn’t see you." Sarah answered.

"Are you going to choose a door, or what?" Ralph anticipated. Jareth sighed.

"Yes, I’m going to choose a door! My, aren't we pushy today!"

Sarah couldn’t help but laugh. Jareth had a sense of humor after all. "I pick the left door," he told Alph. Alph moved out of the way and the door opened, allowing Jareth to step through.

Sarah watched Jareth go through the hall-like corridor, and cautiously walk around the Bog of Eternal Stench to where the bridge once was. Jareth stopped and sat on a nearby rock, puzzled.

"I guess you noticed that you can’t cross the Bog." Sarah bit her lip.

"I have," Jareth agreed. He thought for a moment. "How much time do I have left?" Sarah checked the clock on the wall. How she hated that clock!

There were about two hours left, and Jareth could make it in time, she knew.

"Two, may be two and a half hours," she told the King encouragingly. "You can make it." Jareth raised an eyebrow.

"Um, Sarah? The bridge is out, remember? There’s no other way across, and I promised not to fly over anything." His voice gave way to how worried he was.

"I know." Sarah explained. "But you can use your magic to make a bridge-just this once." The King shook his head.

"You can’t do that," Jareth insisted. "That wouldn’t be fair."

"Life's not fair, Jareth." Sarah reminded him.

"But…the peach. And all the distractions…"

"What about them? I know the only reason you did all that was to keep me with you." Sarah smiled at her own words, as if fully realizing them for the first time.

"All right," Jareth agreed. "I’ll be there soon."

"I’ll be waiting," Sarah promised. With one last look at him, the crystal faded into darkness again. She sighed and turned to Oppod. He was crying a little, and smiling at the same time. With a sniff, Oppod spoke.

"That was so touching."

Sarah reached out her arms in a hug. Oppod gladly excepted and returned the hug. It wasn’t as bad as Sarah had expected, to hug a Goblin. A little…unusual, at first. But after a minute, Sarah didn’t give it a second thought.

Another hour passed, and Sarah sat nervously on the bed, trying to read a book. Oppod was in the Throne Room, absently-mindedly cleaning whatever needed it.

It was only when Sarah heard a noise from just outside the castle did she run to the door and down the steps two at a time.

"Sarah!" Cried Jareth as they met up and hugged each other. "I've made it!" He picked her up and spun her joyously around.

"And with an hour to spare!" Sarah informed him, pointing to the clock. Without a second thought, she kissed him, passionately. When he pulled away suddenly, Sarah blinked in surprise. But when Jareth went down on one knee, she drew in her breath. This is it! she told herself, smiling.

"Sarah Williams, I've loved you since the night you wished your baby brother away. It has been trying for both of us, but we'll make it through anything. Please, say you'll be my wife, of your own free will?"

"Of my own free will." Sarah repeated. "Of course I'll marry you!"

The two embraced again, crying. They'd both found the happiness they had waited for for so long.

~The End~