Summary:

Six years ago he left his love between the stars...When Sarah is wished away to the Goblin King, she finds herself in a world unlike anything she ever could of expected with a story and a life she never thought she'd have the chance to live. Jareth/Sarah

*Authors Note* Hey everyone. Hope you enjoy my Labyrinth fic, it's been like... a year in the making, but I'll be posting a new chapter every week or so. (Reviews are well-loved) You'll notice that the story is organized into parts with 3 or 4 chapters in each part, the first part being "The Expense of Spirit". Enjoy, and I PROMISE that Jareth makes his appearance in Chapter two, so hold on!

*Authors Note 2* There has been a minor edit to the content per the request of many readers/reviewers. In previous edit, Marcus was married, but many people had a problem with it, so I have just made him single.

BTW, i do not own Labyrinth or anything or anyone associated with it. I just really really like it. A lot.

Part One;

The Expense of Spirit

Chapter 1

A smile played on Sarah's lips as she sat doodling in her notebook. Sitting in the third row of her Literature 1050 class, she was only half listening as Dr. Reynolds lectured on the finer points of Hawthorne's writing – she knew he would fill her in later if she asked. Hawthorne was his favorite and Sarah knew he would relish at the chance to relive a portion of his lecture to her. Sarah had, herself, particularly enjoyed The Scarlet Letter, not that she would have admitted that to him. The only books Dr. Reynolds had seen in her possession were fantasy novels like Harry Potter and Labyrinth – not that he had any idea of the importance Labyrinth held for her. She winked when his gaze fell on her and he looked away quickly, a smile on his face as he read an excerpt from The Blithedale Romance.

"Ms. Williams, perhaps you'll enlighten us on some of the more unusual aspects of this story?" He said, smiling at her again.

"The narrator is a vastly unreliable character, shrouding all which takes place in doubt." She answered. She had not heard a word he had said, but knew, from his frequent talk of the book what he found to be the most unusual. He shook his head slightly but returned to the lecture, smiling up at her on occasion.

"Ms. Williams, please meet me in my office to discuss your paper, and the rest of you, enjoy your spring break and don't forget to have The Blithedale Romance read by the end of the break. Thank you!" The class hurried out at the sound of the hourly bells and Dr. Reynolds had only that small chance to announce the assignment as Sarah stood and made her way to the front of the classroom, smiling wickedly.

As she followed him to his office she played the part of the confused student well, it was something she had grown accustomed to. Inside, Dr. Reynolds turned around and locked the door behind her, backing her up against the desk.

"Now, Sarah. Throwing my own words back in my face is quite like you, isn't it?" The blonde man said as she leaned over her. Sarah sat back casually, not fleeing from his advance in the slightest. "I should refuse to fill you in on what you weren't listening to." He said, smiling a smile that Sarah found to be familiar to that of a man she had known long ago.

"But then I'd fail, and I wouldn't be in your class next year, now would I, Marcus?" She replied, laughing as Marcus Reynolds ran his hand up her exposed thigh.

"Sarah." He chastised. "Sometimes I think you try to distract me during my lectures. Look at this thing you call a skirt." He laughed then, pulling her to him at last and kissing her on the lips. Sarah wrapped her legs around his waist and drew him closer, burying her fingers in his hair, but Marcus pulled away.

"Sarah. You know we can't do this now." He said, but he was as flushed and breathless as she was.

"Why?" She said, disappointed at the sudden loss of contact with him.

"Dr. Kelsey's in his office next door, Sarah." She bit her lip. "God, Sarah. I want you, too, but I want to keep my job as well." Sarah turned away from him then, looking toward the computer instead.

"I guess I'll be going home then." She said, standing and adjusting her skirt.

"You are such a child, Sarah." Marcus said, grabbing her by the shoulder and turning her so she was looking at him. She tried to jerk away, but he held her tighter. "A child who thinks she can play with the adults. I would have thought the time you've spent with me would have helped you to grow up a bit." Sarah stared up at him defiantly.

"Let me go, Marcus." She whispered, her voice as cold as death.

"Very well. Will I see you tonight, Sarah?" He asked, loosening his grip.

"Probably." She whispered. "I'll be leaving on Monday, so I'll come over this weekend if that's alright." Marcus nodded before his lips touched hers one last time in farewell.

"Goodbye, Sarah." He said, opening the door, "I'm glad we took the time to discuss that portion of your paper, I think I understand what you were getting at a little better now." He said, smiling. Sarah couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you, Dr. Reynolds. It was good to get that cleared up."

Back in her dorm room, Sarah rummaged through her bag, tossing papers unceremoniously onto the bed. She knew she had seen that little red book, but for the life of her she couldn't find it. With a sigh, she flopped back onto the bed. Labyrinth made a point of disappearing exactly when she needed it. The same could be said of the friends she had loved from that place.

Hoggle, Ludo, Didymus and the others had continued to come at her call for several years after her trip to the Underground, but it was not long after that that Sarah found herself sitting alone in front of her mirror calling their names into the empty air. By the time she was eighteen, Sarah had all but given up on her old friends, but the book that sat on her bedside table prevented her from forgetting that place all together.

"Damn it, Jareth! Give me back my book!" She called out, but no answer came – not even the passing of a white owl.

"Sarah? What's wrong?" Sarah looked up as her roommate, Keelie came into the room.

"I can't find my damn book again." Sarah said, looking through the papers on her bed once again, but it landed in her lap as Keelie threw it to her.

"Sorry, I should have told you I'd borrowed it." She said, looking abashed.

"No, it's alright. Sometimes I think that Goblins steal it or something, that's all." Keelie laughed and sat on her bed. "So," Sarah said looking at Keelie in her denim skirt and knee-high boots. "Date tonight?" Keelie smiled.

"Yeah. Terrance is taking me out again. You?"

"I'm spending the weekend with Marcus." Sarah responded, her smile widening, but Keelie pierced her with her sharp gaze.

"I don't like the relationship you two have." Keelie said, eyeing the photo of Marcus that Sarah kept on her desk, "he's using you, Sarah."

"No he isn't." Sarah said, her voice rising at her friend's accusations, but Keelie just shook her head. "I don't want to have this discussion, Keelie. Thank you for returning my book." Sarah responded, seizing the book and storming out of the room, so angry she was surprised she wasn't seeing red. She went the living room and snuggled up in her favorite chair. The room was mostly empty – many of the students had already left for their spring breaks.

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City -"

Sarah's vision clouded over with tears as she remembered her and Jareth's last encounter in the Escher room. Fear me, love me, do as I say and I – I shall be your slave. Jareth's words haunted her memory. Often Sarah had dreamt of going back to the Underground, but when her friends had stopped answering her calls, she had forgotten the dream as well. Dreams, she realized, were things which were only to be coveted by children. She had ambitions, yes, but no longer did she dream of a prince – or king – coming to take her away from her dismal life. Now, she simply made the best of what was given her.

Realizing it was time to get ready, Sarah went back down the hall to her room. Keelie was still there, lounging on her bed and reading The Lord of Rings. She didn't look up as Sarah entered.

"Listen, Keelie, I – " Sarah began, but Keelie cut her off.

"Don't worry about it, Sarah. You're right, I should stay out of it." She smiled before she returned to her reading, and Sarah smiled back as she started collecting her clothes. She would be spending the weekend at Marcus's cabin in the northern part of the state and she knew that, even though it was only April, it would be unseasonably warm in Northern California. She threw some shorts and tank tops into the messenger bag with the little lingerie she owned, and filled the rest of the bag with her other necessities.

"I'll see you after the break, right?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah, Girlie. I ain't going nowhere. Will I see you at all on Sunday?"

"Um... probably that night. I fly out early Monday, so maybe we'll just stay up Sunday?"

"Sounds like a plan." Sarah smiled and hugged her friend before she turned and galloped down the stairs to the ground level. Of course, Marcus could not pick her up at the dorms, as that drew too much attention, so Sarah ran to the bus stop and jumped onto the bus as it pulled up.

The bus dropped her off in downtown Sacramento, and Sarah hurried into the nearby Wal-Mart. The area where Marcus picked her up was one of the worst in town, but he insisted that this way, if he was seen, he could say he was just giving her a lift out of the 'bad part of town.'

Inside, she wandered to the clothing department. When they had first started these rendezvous' she had to meet him in specific places, but now he could usually guess where she'd be. Today, she wandered through the underwear section, pausing between two heavily laden racks to examine a matching set of lacy pink bra and thong underwear.

"I could buy that for you, you know." Marcus said, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her towards smiled and pushed herself back further back into his arms.

"I'd like that." She whispered, pressing her lips to his.

"Very well, Sarah, I'll meet you back at my car?" She nodded, and moved away from him before taking off in a run toward the doors. She knew that if he was watching her now, he'd be laughing. As she neared Marcus' silver Buick, however, she was quickly reminded of why she did not generally wait for him at the car – especially at night.

The two men who stood in Sarah's path were easily six-foot-five and of a dark complexion that could have been from their ethnicity or too many hours in the sun – which she could not tell. They both smiled down at her, and she slowed her gait as she tried to go around them, but they moved to the side again to block her path.

"Where you going, Pretty Lady?" The man on the left asked, smiling at her wickedly.

"I'm just waiting for my husband." She responded confidently, hoping they had not noticed her shaking.

"Oh, where'd he go?" The left one asked, glancing around to emphasize his point.

"He just ran back into the store after something we forgot." Sarah said, willing her voice to sound confident and cool.

"Well, how 'bout we just wait with you until he gets here then?" The left man asked, grinning at her again. Sarah stood tall, ready to run –or fight them – or whatever it would take to escape them, but as soon as she thought it, the men froze where they stood. "Yeah." The man on the left said, his voice shaking.

"We'll just go, then." The right one answered, speaking to someone who Sarah could only guess was directly behind her. Sarah turned, expecting to see Marcus behind her, standing in some threatening posture, but when she looked behind her, she saw no one. By the time she looked back, the two looming men were gone, leaving the path to the Buick clear, so Sarah continued to the car with a shrug. Perhaps a police car had driven by and the two men had given up in the face of possible arrest. Either way, as she leaned up against the hood of the Buick, Sarah vowed to never wait for him at the car again.

*Authors Note* I hope you guys are enjoying it. There are about 6 billion hidden references in this story, so I will probably be holding little mini-competitions to see if people can guess the references. So, look for them!