~Chapter Two~

Warm sunlight bathed Sarah, but all she knew was that her eyes hurt, and she squinted.

"Your Highness!" A shrill voice cried. "The Lady stirs!"

'Lady'?

Sarah slowly opened her eyes, adjusting to the light. She lay in a small bed, facing a window. But Sarah was alone. Who had cried out?

"How is she?" Another voice, both angry and concerned at once. "No harm came to the girl?"

"None." The shrill voice answered. "She fainted when we brought her; I guess she was scared."

"You guess she was scared?!"

He entered the room, Goblin in tow, and Sarah sat up, gasping. This caused Jareth to rush to her bedside. "Sarah? Are you alright?"

"I didn't…ex-expect it to…work." Sarah admitted, sitting up quickly. Jareth raised an eyebrow. "I'm fine." She answered.

"Do you remember what happened last night?" The King asked, pulling up a chair Sarah hadn't noticed was there. He straddled it, crossing his arms on the top of its back.

"Yes." Her cheeks turned slightly pink. "I wished myself Underground. But all I remember after that is waking up here."

"That would be due to your 'kidnappers'." Jareth turned and glared at the Goblin, who quivered and left abruptly. "I apologize for them frightening you."

"Who said anything about me being 'frightened'?" Sarah sat up straighter, the old look of defiance on her face. The King smiled.

"No matter." He pulled the chair closer to her and his expression became quite serious. "Sarah, I have but one question: why? After all this time. You seem to have a content life."

Sarah closed her eyes for what felt like an eternity. When she finally opened them, she found herself staring into the same blue and green eyes she'd gazed into seven years ago. But for some reason, there was no tension within them, and that made what she had to say a great deal easier.

"When I got back, I made a decision about what to do with my life: I'd protect unwanted children form you." At this, Sarah felt herself blush, but she still held her head high. "They aren't unwanted by choice, but I didn't think that would matter to you." She hesitated before adding, "I did my best to forget you."

"I see. And that's why you told those children all about my Labyrinth and I?"

"I thought they'd enjoy hearing about something fantastical and enchanting."

"Forgive me, Sarah, but you lie." Jareth hid a smile. "I can still read your eyes, even after all these years."

Sarah narrowed her eyes slightly, too proud to admit he was partially right.

"So, you were spying on me? She inquired, changing the subject. "With a crystal, I suppose?"

"For a time, yes." Jareth replied with confidence, as if defending himself. "But after awhile, I decided to let you have your privacy."

"Thank you so much." Sarah said sarcastically, throwing off the covers without thinking. To her relief, her clothes were still on. They were dry, on the plus side, but she resolved not to ask.

"So," Jareth got up from his chair and went to the window, "tell me, Sarah. What happened? What made you so desperate to wish yourself away?" He paused. "I thought you hated me."

"I never said that." Sarah protested quickly-too quickly. Jareth turned his head momentarily; she saw him grin.

"Could have fooled me." He remarked, mock pain in his voice.

"I had to save my brother!" Sarah jumped up, hands in the air. "And I confess here and now that I thought I hated you at the time. But I realized you just did what I asked you to." She stood beside him and stared at the Labyrinth below. "It's been years, Jareth. I've realized the error of my ways."

"So you have." The King agreed, turning to face her.

"What about you?" Sarah asked curiously. "After you…let me go."

Jareth's grin half-fading, he took her hands in his own and led them from the room.

"Let's go somewhere private."

Sarah was about to ask why this small, hardly furnished room wasn't private enough, but she held her tongue and followed him.

* * * * *

Jareth closed the door to a larger room; it was a sort of parlor, from the looks of things. A fireplace off to one corner, a dark red couch, a red, velvet chair with an end table along side it. Even a large rug in the middle of it all.

After seating Sarah in the red chair, he pulled up a footstool-type chair for himself.

"Jareth," Sarah began, confused. "What did happen after I left?"

"First, before, I start, I must make a confession. After you returned home, you, your friends, and other creatures of my Labyrinth danced the night away in your bedroom."

"How did you-"

"I watched. I thought it far beyond unfair that you'd beaten me, and I followed you back Aboveground."

"As the owl." Sarah shifted in her seat, but expressed no shock. She'd seen him, flying out the front door of her house that night.

"Yes." Jareth nodded. "And after I'd seen enough, I flew home to my castle. Needless to say, I was put out and went through a range of emotions: rage, that you'd won; sadness, that I'd lost you; happiness, for I'd be my match.

Sarah pushed a lock of long, dark hair out of her eyes. A stab of guilt went through her, for she had done her best to forget him.

"There's something you're not telling me." Sarah announced finally. "I can see it in your eyes."

"You always could." The King rose to his feel and went to the fireplace. There, he laid his elbow upon the mantel and rested his head upon his fist. "Are you ready for this?"

"I solved your Labyrinth, Jareth." Sarah reminded him. "I'm ready for anything." He wished she didn't look so confident as continued.

"A year after you solved my Labyrinth, a rough-and-tumble girl of eighteen wished her small sister away. The child was a month short to of ten years old, and I must say I felt pity for her. Catrina's sister, Ana, didn't lover her at all. Ana was my worst case yet. Eve you, Sarah, loved your brother.

"I offered Ana the opportunity to save her sister; she refused. Something about this head-strong teenager attracted me to her." He faintly smiled at Sarah. "She reminded me of you, but Ana also had her own sort of fire. She was defiant, and talked back to me on more than one occasion, and stood up to me-all the time well aware I possessed magic and she did not. The only thing that bothered me was Ana's lack of love for her sister. Everyone who was offered to solve my Labyrinth accepted. She was the first to decline."

"She sounds heartless." Sara commented softly, for she had to admit: she did love Toby.

"I had that exact same feeling." Agreed Jareth. "And because I had such pity for Catrina, I went to see Ana more than once after that. Each time, she replied the same, ‘I hate my sister. I refuse to save her.’

"But I was determined to convince her to reclaim her sister. In the meantime, little Catrina stayed in a small room three doors from my own chamber, so I could keep a close I on her. It was one night when she was staying with me when I heard her crying. I went to her at once and asked her what the matter was. ‘Ana.’ She told me. ‘I know why she doesn't want to come for me.’

Catrina told me of how upon her birth, the girls' mother had died, and Ana forever blamed her for it. Then, the day of Ana's eighteenth birthday, Catrina and her father went shopping for a present. On the way home, a drunk driver swerved in front of them and they crashed. The child broke her leg, but her father did not survive."

"I'd never wish upon my worst enemy what that child had to go through." Sarah told Jareth.

"Nor would I." The King sighed sadly. "And of course, this didn't repair any of the damage between the sisters. Though Ana did become her sister's legal guardian, but only because she knew her parents would hate to see them separated. She then began having dreams in which people wished away the unwanted, and soon tried her luck.

"It was then I understood. Ana was never truly heartless; a painful life was the cause of her hatred for Catrina. So, since Ana would not hear me out, I went into her dreams…

"Happy was the dream she dreamt. Her mother and father took her on a picnic in the park, and the weather was beautiful. Then, suddenly, a baby appeared on the picnic blanket, and her mother began to fade away.

"‘No!’ Ana screamed frantically. ‘Mama! Please don't leave me!’

I caused it to become dark in the recesses of her mind, and she was quite scared. ‘Ana,’ I began, ‘you know as well as I do that Catrina is not to blame for your parents' death.’ I saw the eight-year-old advance to her present age, and a tear roll down her cheek. ‘She didn't kill my mother. Or my father.’ Ana spoke finally. ‘I never meant to push her away.’

"When I asked her if she'd like to solve my Labyrinth this time, she smiled brightly and whispered ‘With all my heart.’

"After she woke the next morning, I brought her Underground. With pride and faith in her, I watched Ana enter the Goblin City from my crystal, Catrina by my side. The child was thrilled that her sister was coming for her. With minutes to spare, Ana entered my Throne Room, and the sisters embraced. Never have I seen such a warm expression of love and forgiveness.

"I looked at Ana, she looked at me, and our eyes locked. We silently decided none of use would ever be apart again." He finished. Sarah blinked in shock.

"You mean, they're still here?" she questioned, a smile forming on her lips. "Can I meet them?"

"I…guess that would be alright." Jareth agreed nervously. Sarah got up and advanced toward the door. "That wasn't too shocking."

"Perhaps because I have not yet told you the last detail."

"What would that be?"

Jareth paused before he answered,

"Ana is my wife."