A/N: I am a day later posting this than I promised, I am sooo sorry. I got sucked down the rabbit hole that is , it's both fascinating and frightening.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Labyrinth, I make no profit from it.

Whitechapel District, London, April 1888

Mildred Drake, Milly to the patrons of The Ten Bells, where she worked every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday night, walked out of the loud smoke filled establishment, wishing with everything in her that she had not agreed to pick up the extra Monday night shift. Her body ached from carrying trays of food and tankers of ale to the drunken, sweat stained men who packed the place no matter what day of the week. She pulled her thin, threadbare cloak closer to her body and shivered at the eerie, fog filled alleyway, trying to decide if she should spend the extra on a taxi home or chance the short 10 minute walk in the chilly April drizzle. She had promised her mum that she would be home an hour ago to help get her younger siblings off to bed. Things had been so hard on them since her beloved father had passed in late December, influenza racking his big robust body and whittling it down to a skeleton and a shadow of his former self. She was still a pretty thing, rich chocolate brown hair and brilliant green eyes, dark thick lashes and a smile that could light up a room. The men appreciated that she took care of herself and tipped her an extra coin here and there, it made the hard work a little more bearable. Her mum had wanted her to give up the night work and become a governess after that horrible affair with Emma Smith right in the very alley that she now stood in, the weight of the tips in her purse made it a hard choice. Thinking of it made Milly give another shiver and cast her eyes around, trying to see in the fog and dim light. Surely the horrible person that had attacked poor Emma wouldn't set his sights on another woman so close in time and location. Just as Milly decided to make a run for it, an elegantly clad gentleman appeared, his lush velvet cloak making a heavy swishing sound in the damp air.

"My dear," he said, with a cultured, educated accent in his deep voice, "Whatever has you out on this dreadful night in such a very dangerous area?"

"My Lord," Milly began, because surely this was a gentleman of the peerage, dressed as fine as he was, "I am returning home after my shift, I was just trying to decide if I should walk or hail a cab."

The mans eyes gleamed under his silken top hat, gallantly he offered her his gloved hand and said, "My dear, I would consider it a great honor if you would allow me to escort you home. These are dangerous times for a woman to be about alone on a damp, dark night. We shall go to my carriage and I will return you home forthwith." With a small bow, he placed her hand in the crook of his arm and set off with her deeper into the alley.

Before they had gone five steps, a shrill voice called out from behind them, "Millie Drake!"

Startled, Millie turned to see her mother striding out of The Ten Bells. "Mama!" She gasped. "Where are the children?"

"Staying with Mrs. Nesbitt. I was just beside myself with the thought of you walking home by yourself, so she offered to come stay while I fetched you." Eyeing the man with her daughter suspiciously, some mother's intuition having the hair stand up on the back of her neck, Mrs. Drake held a hand out to her daughter. "Come now girl, Mrs. Nesbitt's son Conner is on the other street with a carriage waiting to take us home."

Milly turned to the gentleman and gave a slight curtsey, "Thank you for your concern and care, My Lord, I shall accompany my Lady Mother home."

She didn't notice the quiet rage building in the mans eyes, but she did feel the tightening of his grip biting painfully into the tender flesh of her upper arm.

"My Lord!" She exclaimed, "You're hurting me."

Just as quickly he let her go and with a dramatic twirl of his cloak, strode off into the dark alley.

"Mildred Sarah Drake," her mum began, "This is your last night working in this godforsaken bar. Your father educated you and made sure that you had a good head on your shoulders, first thing in the morning you are to take yourself to apply for that governess post! I will hear of nothing else!"

"Yes, Mother." Milly replied meekly. She felt in her heart that her mother had rescued her from a similar fate as Emma, she had thought the man a member of the aristocracy, however, she had very quickly sensed something off. Being a governess for the wealthy Williams family would be a piece of cake compared to endless nights of heavy food, drunken louts and possible murder.

Columbia University, New York, New York, April, 2001

"Jareth, how exactly do you plan on chasing a murderous Fae through time?" Sarah asked.

Jareth suppressed the shiver of pleasure that ran down his spine at the sound of his name on her lips. Turning to regard her, sitting in her chair behind the desk, looking every bit a Queen, he drank in the sight of her. Glorious, shiny locks of chocolate brown hair, brilliant, cruel green eyes, rosy lips pursed in thought. The entire image had his body vibrating. He resisted the urge to reach out and fondle a shining curl that teased her temple. His body rigid with the effort it took to keep his hands to himself.

"Time is easily manipulated if you know its secrets." He drawled, giving her a sharp grin. "I believe I have demonstrated my mastery of it to you before." He smirked.

You cowered before me! I was frightening. I have reordered time. I have turned the world upside down, and I have done it all for you!

"Traveling across hundreds of years is a little different than cheating a teenager out of three hours, Jareth."

"I don't cheat." He stated. "I merely rearranged the rules. After all, my Labyrinth was a piece of cake, was it not?"

"I'm not going to argue semantics with you," Sarah replied dryly. "If you can travel through time when your not cheating teenagers and trying to kill them, let's go catch a killer."

"I was never trying to kill you." He said softly.

Sarah arched a dark brow at him, "No?" She asked coolly. "You didn't want to make me lose at all costs so you could turn my baby brother into a goblin?"

"No." He replied simply.

"Then what was it?" She asked, standing to pace the small room, angry and agitated. "You were bored and thought you would kidnap a baby and torment his sister? Court life got you down? No one to bully?"

"It was never about the baby." He said simply. "It was only ever about my future Queen. Someone who was smart, caring, kind and courageous. A woman who would risk it all for family, friends and love."

Sarah gaped at him, there was a part of her that knew he was telling the truth, the part of her that always knew when someone was telling her the truth. There was another part of her that, perversely, wished he was lying. Because the truth was just too much a cruel twist of fate to be believed. She gave up her dreams without actually having to. She gave up everything because she thought that's what she needed to do to save Toby. Now, because she had been touched by magic, had carried that magic out of the Labyrinth and into everyday life, the reason for her sacrifice was out of her reach, out of her life and the sacrifice was standing in front of her, asking for help, help that would put them in close proximity and possibly drive her insane.

"We're not going there, Goblin King." She said, closing off her heart to him. "Let's just stay focused on the job at hand and get this thing done." Tapping her foot impatiently she continued, "So, just tell me what we have to do and let's get to it."

Jareth studied her expression for a moment, then wisely decided to let the subject drop. There was time to get to the bottom of it. Two birds, one stone, he decided. Catch a killer, woo a Queen, what could possibly go wrong?

"First things first, precious, we'll have to dress for the part." He said with a grin.

With a wave of his hand, the air around them began to shimmer and sparkle, when the air settled, Sarah looked down at herself. She tried to take a deep breath and found her waist constricted by a tightly laced girdle, the fabric of her dress was a rich burgundy velvet over crinoline skirts and an awkward bustle, The high neck and long full skirts, gathered at the back on the bustle, made certain she was covered from head to toe. Reaching up to touch her hair, she discovered it perfectly coiffed in a loose topknot and a small feathered hat perched atop.

Looking at Jareth, she noticed he was elegant as ever, black breeches, sinfully tight, with a burgundy velvet overcoat that matched her gown perfectly, his wild mane of hair was slicked pack from his sharp predatory face and tied in a velvet bow at the nape of his neck, he perched a top hat on his head and with a flourish wrapped a burgundy velvet cloak around herself and a black one around himself. At her dubious look he chuckled and said, "April, 1888 is chilly in London."

Before Sarah could protest, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight against his chest. Whispering in her ear he said, "Hold tight, love. This may be a bumpy ride."

Before Sarah could even protest, he threw a crystal in the air and everything slowed down. Sarah felt like an enormous elephant was sitting on e her chest, she gasped and flailed for breath. She felt like her lungs were going to explode. When she thought she couldn't take the torture of not breathing for another second, Jareth pulled her closer and whispered in her ear. "Relax, precious."

Traitorously, her body obeyed and seemed to melt into him, finding comfort in the liquid heat of his body and the steady beat of his heart. Time flew by and stood still at the same time. Sarah looked up and locked her eyes on his. It seemed like an eternity passed lost in the blue depths, the one large pupil seeming to sparkle like a million stars, Sarah looked deeper trying to see the secrets he kept locked in his Fae eyes, getting deeper and deeper, she pushed herself closer to him and before she thought about what she was doing, her lips met his and her soul shifted. A low hum of pleasure left her lips as he returned the gentle pressure of her kiss, just when Sarah thought she could go on kissing him forever and happily melt into his very soul, she felt the ground drop beneath her feet and suddenly, they were there.

Dazedly, Sarah looked around her. The alley was dark and damp, a decided chill in the air. The fog rolled lazily giving everything an eerie, muffled sensation.

"What do we do now?" She asked, looking up at him.

"Now? We secure lodging and begin our investigation." He replied.

"Won't that look odd?" She asked. "A couple of strangers poking their nose into recent murders?"

"Not at all. A professor and his wife, taking an academic look at the violence of the city and the dangers for women of the night." He smirked in smug fashion.

"Why not a professor and her husband?" She said wryly.

"Touché, my love." He replied, grinning.

Taking her by the arm he escorted her into The Ten Bells, he had it on good authority that they had decent rooms and he thought it better to stay close.

From the other end of the alley, a man watched them walk in and grinned slowly, licking his lips in anticipation.