Chapter 11

I am so sorry this is late! Ending are hard! They are so hard! But I feel good about this one.

TBH I've been feeling a little burnout. I've been a part of the fanfiction community for over ten years now and it's always been home. There have been some ups and downs for me (i.e. the LOTR fandom, never going back there) but overall I've enjoyed writing and reading and reviewing and being a part of this community. But transitioning to the life I want means I have less time and energy to write, even if I badly want to continue to create.

On top of all of this I've suffered a reviewer that has worked to be continually negative to the point of bullying on my Labyrinth pieces. I welcome constructive criticism, I seek feedback. But after repeated interaction with this reader and some introspective thought I came to realize this reviewer was going out of their way to be negative and seemed to be hate-reading my work. I blocked them, something I have never done on here before. It's not a step I take lightly.

I don't write this to make anyone feel guilty or to ask for your pity or whatever. I just want want to acknowledge that there was a reason I've been slow at updating. This made me want to step away from writing for a while, specifically from working on this piece and give myself some time.

That being said, I'm not going to stop writing and putting stuff up on here. But I am going to step away from Labyrinth for a while.

Thank you for hanging with me. I hope you enjoy it.

-XXX-

"I am so pleased everything managed to work out," Maris said as Sarah filled out her final time sheet. She was twirling a lock of her short blue-black hair around one finger, standing before the register. It was twenty minutes to close and the shop was empty. Sarah was glad that her last day had been a slower one – she had gotten an opportunity to truly say goodbye to the place. Though she'd only worked at the bookshop for a few months, it had become a second home of sorts. She would miss it.

"Yeah, I'm happy they let me work our last shift together. Chris was not happy that I was turning in my notice."

"Oh, I didn't mean that, but yeah, I am glad we got to finish together too." Maris's red fingernails drummed against the counter. She seemed very energized, which was odd considering what a long day it had been. Time moved slower when there were no customers.

The elder girl continued, turning to lean against the counter so she could face her soon-to-be-former coworker. "No, I meant between you and your boy. I'm glad you resolved your differences."

Sarah didn't look up from the computer screen. "Aw, thanks," she said absently, double-checking her hours entry. "Yeah, it took some time, but I'm thankful he was patient. I needed time to sort somethings out."

"Jareth is the one who should be thankful." Maris grinned. "You're quite the catch, Sarah Williams."

Sarah smiled back. "Thanks."

"Credit where credit is due, though, I think we can all agree I definitely played a part."

Logging off the desktop, Sarah laughed as she shrugged on her coat, which had been hanging off of the back of the chair. The October temperatures were finally beginning to reach an autumnal-level and it was chilly after sundown. "Oh really? What did you do, Maris?"

"I mean, gosh, countless things. For starters, convincing the two of you that you were suffering some kind of curse that forced you into spending time together."

Sarah paused in the midst of zipping. She turned slowly on her heels to face Maris. "Excuse me?"

The plastic blue frames of Maris's glasses were for once out-shone by the girl's eyes, which were abnormally bright. Almost a though light was being emitted directly from them.

"Jareth was never going to make a move," she said simply. "He was resigned to watching in his crystal and sighing over you. It was getting old – and so were you. Human lives are so very brief. I decided that it was now or never. So a few spectral visions here, a few there." She shook her black bob, pursing her red lips in a smile. "It didn't take too much to coax him into the thought that his decision to try to go cold turkey from seeing you might be the cause."

"Who are you?" Sarah whispered.

"She's a manipulative sneak, that's who," a voice from the door said.

Sarah jumped. The bell that typically rang when customers entered had failed to sound, though when she saw who had graced their threshold it made sense why. Jareth, in a leather jacket and jeans, with his hair shorn to just above his ears, leaned against the frame, arms crossed. He looked less-than-pleased.

"Apologies," Maris said gravely. "But something had to be done. If we had waited much longer Sarah would have been in a much less pivotal point in her short life."

"Don't say 'we' you lying pile of bricks," the Goblin King fumed. "I had nothing to do with this scheme. If I had known that you were meddling in our lives –"

"You would have stopped me. But you ought to be thanking me."

"Can someone," Sarah said loudly. "Please explain what is going on?"

Jareth stalked forward, gesturing angrily to the petite young woman who was currently lounging against the shop's front counter, looking quite pleased with herself.

"Do you recall, Sarah, when I mentioned that my Labyrinth had been occupied with something in the Above?" He stood beside her, drawing an arm around her waist.

She searched her memory. "Yes," she said slowly. "It's why you came to that woods, that day."

Jareth gave her a short smile, approving. "And now we've found what was keeping her oh-so-busy. She was working part-time as a manager of an independent bookshop."

"Assistant manager," Maris corrected, pushing her glasses up. "And that wasn't really my true focus. But it was fun."

Sarah blinked once, twice, three times at Maris before the connection was made. Maris smile patiently, indulging the other woman's shock.

"You!" Sarah finally managed.

"I knew she was a smart one, my lord." There was only a little sarcasm in her tone. "Pretty, smart, and headstrong. Just what we need. What a strong monarchy we shall endure."

Jareth's flared nostrils were enough of an indication to show that despite her flattery, he was far from pleased. "I have spent a month driving myself mad trying to determine where you have been. All this time, here, in a secondhand bookshop, whispering who knows what into her ear. You have a lot to answer for."

The Labyrinth shrugged, propping her slim elbows on the counter to grin at her master. "It cannot have been all bad, can it? You've got your girl, I have an incoming queen, and everyone is happy."

The King looked as though he were about to throttle her. Sarah shifted against his increased grip.

"I did not want any meddling," he said between his teeth. "I wanted Sarah to come to a decision free of manipulation."

Sarah interjected. "You did meddle," she started, eyeing her coworker as she placed a hand on Jareth's chest. "Without a doubt, you were here with an agenda. But if you hadn't, I don't know if we would be here today. And that would have been a shame. So even though I am with Jareth on being less-than-pleased regarding this development, I am grateful that you've given us this opportunity."

She looked up at the Goblin King. He had a peculiar expression on his face that she could not interpret.

"Well said," he allowed quietly, pressing a kiss to her temple.

Behind them, Maris beamed.

-XXX-

Her going away brunch had been entirely Karen's idea. Sarah would have preferred a simple goodbye before the car, and Jareth would have preferred to wipe everyone's memory of her altogether and whisk her away. Karen wanted one last family meal together – and an opportunity to evaluate her step-daughter's new partner, this strange Jared who was taking her states away.

When Sarah had told her parents that she and Jared had reconnected and that she was now moving to live with him across the country, they had been more than shocked. Her father had grown ashen and her stepmother had sputtered for several moments. The prospect of telling them had made her so nervous. Once they had recovered, both had so many questions. Some had been predictable – "When did this happen?" and "Are you sure?" and "Why?" – and others threw her off her game. When Karen asked, "What will we tell Toby?" Sarah nearly burst into tears.

It was not an easy decision, she told them. But she was moving nowhere here. There were more job prospects. More opportunity.

Did she love him?

At this Sarah swallowed. "Yes, I think so."

Enough to move so far away?

It came stronger this time. "Yes."

They still were uncertain and unhappy. But she was an adult. It was unlike the Williams to prevent Sarah from doing anything once she'd set her mind to it. So her father brought home moving boxes one night after work. Karen let her take Toby out for ice cream to break the news. And she began to go through the kitchen, coming up with rarely-used pie tins and spatulas Sarah could use in her new home.

"I'm not sure I'll be able to bring that much with me," her stepdaughter said as she reluctantly carried a box of odds and ends out to the garage. "I was kind of hoping to pack light."

"Nonsense. No need to buy all that when we have some here."

Despite the annoyance, Sarah knew it was Karen's way of trying to be supportive. She was just as worried as Mr. Williams. At night when she was in bed, staring at the ceiling, she could hear their low voices from down the hall.

Sarah herself was more than a little fearful. The Underground didn't exactly have wifi. Jareth reassured her that she could visit whenever she wished. They would figure out how to mail letters, find a way to video chat, all of that. Still, the prospect of missing things was heavy upon her.

The morning eventually came. Jareth showed up early, "having taken a red-eye" to be there to drive out to the coast with her. He wore a slim-fitting beige sweater and a smug smile when she'd answered the door. He still looked unearthly, despite his attempts at dressing more mundanely. With a small sigh, she accepted his kiss. Given her impending absence, they'd rarely seen one another, with Sarah spending most of the time with her family. Despite the good reason for the distance, she had missed him more than she'd anticipated

"Is that Jared?" Karen called from upstairs.

"Yes," Sarah replied. In a lower voice, she turned back to the Goblin King. "They're really anxious. You need to be your charming charismatic self times a thousand. But not so charming and charismatic that you come off as like, you know. Fake."

His brows rose in a "well I never" protest, but he was soon cut off by the sight of Toby at the top of the stairs. The eight-year-old appeared somewhat sullen, eyes downcast.

"Hello, Toby," the king ventured warmly. "I don't know if you remember me –"

The child came to wrap a small arm around his sister's waist, glowering from slightly behind Sarah. She winced, ruffling his hair. "This is Jared. He's excited to meet you."

Toby did not answer. He'd been fairly unhappy at the prospect of Sarah moving out of their parent's home. A move across the country had set him off in an extremely unpleasant mood. Sarah couldn't seem to talk to him. As soon as she'd told him, he'd withdrawn, choosing to avoid her as much as he could. It was very distressing as their limited time left together ticked away. She had hoped that maybe these last few hours of time leading up to her departure would see her younger brother shedding his anger. But it appeared Toby remained unhappy.

"I've heard you have quite an interest in soccer, Toby."

The child was impassive.

Jareth held back a sound of frustration. He removed from his pocket a round disc. "I thought you might like this. It's from –"

"Chelsea," Toby piped up suddenly, eyes glued onto the blue and white button emblazoned with a lion.

"Yes," Jareth said, pleased.

The boy slid his gaze up to the Goblin King, still not touching the object offered to him. "Is that where you're from? You don't sound like you're from here."

"Ah, not quite." Jareth caught Sarah's eyes. She was in between laughter and rolling her eyes. "But I have friends who live there."

After another moment of scrutiny, Toby accepted the button with a great seriousness.

"You can put that on your backpack," Sarah said helpfully as they moved away from the door. "With the one you got from the arcade last week."

He didn't answer. She sighed, turning to Jareth. Before she could reassure him her father appeared with a box in his arms, several books perilously balanced on top. She moved to grab the books before they fell.

"Dad, we could have helped you with that," she said, exasperated. "I thought we were waiting to take the boxes down after brunch."

"I was headed downstairs anyways," he said in a very dad-like way. "Besides, it was hardly anything." He noticed Jareth. "Hello! You're early!"

"He's on time," his daughter said before Jareth could answer. "You and everyone else here are running late. Dad, you remember Jareth."

If her father noticed her mispronunciation, he did not indicate it. He struggled to juggle the box so he could offer a hand and grinned when Jareth issued a strong shake. Sarah had to resist cursing quietly to herself for the name slip.

"Karen will be ready with food soon," Mr. Williams said as he continued on to the garage, where Sarah's worldly possessions were being piled up. "Toby, why don't you go see if your mother needs any help?"

Toby rolled his eyes but complied. He trailed his father out.

When they were both gone Sarah sagged against the frame of the living room door. Her head was already aching. Thankfully the name mistake was small and easy to overlook. Stressful, nonetheless. Toby's reaction had also been an issue, albeit an anticipated one. Sarah's guilt increased anytime she thought of her little brother's disappointment. She had just come home, finally, after four years away. Now she was leaving for good…

Jareth gently reached for her hand. "Well, that was a bit of a gauntlet."

"You haven't seen Karen yet," she murmured darkly.

As if summoned her stepmother appeared at the top of the stairs. In a sunny yellow blouse and her hair perfectly in place, Karen was clearly trying to make a good impression as a warm and loving hostess. Sarah was touched. Karen was very particular about appearance anyways, but today she'd gone so far as to break out her anniversary pearl set, something she wore only on special occasions. The dull glint made Sarah feel oddly sentimental.

"Jared," she said, folding her hands as she walked down the stairs. "It is so good to see you. Did you have a safe flight?"

"Very safe," he assured her, smiling. "Thank you for asking. And, thank you for hosting me. I am glad to have the opportunity to spend time with your family before we leave."

"Of course." Her bright blue eyes flickered across his face. Sarah could see her calculating. Her gaze brushed over their joined hand. She felt Jareth squeeze briefly.

Interrupting the awkward silence, Sarah asked, "Karen, did you need any help in the kitchen?"

She brightened. "Actually dear, if you wouldn't mind, I could use some help with the salad. Toby," She turned back to her son, who was lingering on the landing. "Could you be a dear and set the table?"

He nodded and followed her into the kitchen.

That left Jareth awkwardly lingering in the parlor. He was just about to sit and twiddle his thumbs when Mr. Williams returned from the garage.

"Karen," he called up the stairs.

"I believe she is in the kitchen."

Sarah's father blinked at him owlishly. "Already? Well, I guess that means there is nothing for us to do but wait."

He joined the fae, choosing a seat on the overstuffed couch that directly overlooked the television. Wasting no time, he picked the remote and adjust to the proper channel, one where small figures ran across a striped field. Jareth decided that he ought to be thankful that Mr. Williams was not inclined to talk. He hardly knew what to say.

"This is your home team?" he finally ventured when Mr. Williams let out a cheer.

Mr. Williams seemed surprised. "The Rams? No, but they're killing the Raiders. Enemy of my enemy, right?"

"Ah, yes."

They lapsed into silence again. It was broken a few moments later by Toby slinking into the room to sit next to his father sullenly. Mr. Williams clapped him on the shoulder. "Toby here is more of a Cowboys fan himself."

"Oh," Jareth said politely.

"Though he prefers soccer. Just as well," Mr. Williams said fondly. "His mother is entirely against him playing football. She used to be a nurse, you know. Saw way too many head injuries come out of football."

"Yes, I can imagine." He couldn't imagine, because he could barely fathom what exactly football was. It seemed, based on the tiny clock at the bottom of the screen, that one premise of the game was the stopping of time. That, at least, was familiar to him.

Mercifully, Sarah appeared. "Food is ready," she said by way of greeting. Jareth moved out of the chair with what was likely a rude quickness. She raised an eyebrow.

"It smells delicious."

They followed her into the adjoining dining room. Sarah felt a pang when she sat, knowing that it would be a long time before she would be back here, amid Karen's blue and white patterned China and the French Country inspired décor. She would never again eat Karen's dry quiche or listen to Toby give a play-by-play of his school day. All of this had been apparent when she agreed to join Jareth in the Underground. Now it just felt more real.

She swallowed as the bowl of salad was passed to her. From across the table, Jareth caught her eye. His brow furrowed with concern. She schooled her expression to something closer to happiness.

Her father was asking Jareth about his work. In between bites of quiche he gave engaged but dull answers about his faux job in some far-flung government office. It was appropriately boring – no one had any questions.

"This was all delicious," he declared after the strawberry shortcake had been cleared from the plate. "Thank you for hosting me."

"Well," Mr. Williams said with a satisfied stretch. "I suppose that means we better load up the car."

His daughter rolled her eyes. "You suddenly seem eager to rid yourself of me."

Standing, her father squeezed her shoulder. "Never."

With that Karen and Toby set about clearing the table. Sarah took moving the remaining boxes in her room to the garage while her father loaded the car.

She lingered before she moved the final box, scanning the grass patterned wallpaper, the orange canopy, the window seat. She'd grown up in this room. It had seen her through her parent's divorce, her father's remarriage, a new brother, college, and her first ventures into adulthood. Karen would likely remove the dated wallpaper and turn it into a guest room, maybe use a corner for her sewing table. It would never again be Sarah's room. Not truly.

When she trailed downstairs for the last time, feeling a little lightheaded, Jareth was waiting for her at the bottom. His smile was subdued. It was easy to tell that he was excited when she squeezed his hand and felt his fingers drum against her palm. But he was holding back – for her. This wasn't easy.

Karen called from the kitchen. "Your father is nearly finished, Sarah, do you want to bring him one last thing?"

She squeezed her beloved hand again and moved past him into the kitchen.

Karen held out a vinyl bag, boxy and covered in holographic glitter. Sarah wanted to both laugh and cry. It was her lunch box. Her childhood lunch box, the one she lugged to school every day until 9th grade when she decided bringing a lunch wasn't "cool" anymore.

"I can't believe you still have this."

"It's going to be a long drive." Karen's voice was warm, though it wavered. "I packed your favorite. And your dad put a cooler in the front full of Diet Coke."

At this Sarah did laugh. She wrapped Karen in a hug.

"Oh," her stepmother whispered. "I want only the best for you."

Her stepdaughter pulled back, more than a little teary-eyed. "I know. And I promise this is – he is – the best."

Karen patted her shoulder, still in the circle of Sarah's arms. Her eyes were also red-rimmed. "You're an adult now. You get to make these choices, you need to trust yourself. Oh, but I wish it wasn't so far…"

"I'll call. And there is video chat now. And I'll be here. Every Christmas," she reminded her.

"Ladies –" Her father stood in the threshold between the garage and kitchen. "We're packed up," he announced.

Toby and Jareth were already outside, next to her car, which was sagging with the weight of her belongings. There was a gap of space between them that told Sarah her little brother was still radiating upset energy. She knelt to her brother's level.

"Hey."

He was studiously avoiding eye contact. She picked up his small hands.

"I will call you every day. And I will be here every Christmas. In a few months, when we are settled, you can come visit me. You can take a plane all by yourself. Mom and Dad promised."

Toby wouldn't budge. She sighed and ruffled his blonde mop. "Okay. I love you."

Karen's red-rimmed eyes were fully weeping now. She hugged Sarah fiercely. Her father gave an equally strong embrace, though his tears were subdued.

"You call if you have any trouble," he warned.

Her parents gave Jareth hugs too, though they were far less emotional. They reminded Jareth to watch out for their Sarah. He solemnly vowed to do so, while in the background Sarah rolled her eyes. But she let them have this.

They both got into their cars. Jareth would lead the way until they were out of town and it was safe to magic them Underground. Sarah had been concerned with this plan, wondering what she would do with her car in the Labyrinth. Jareth assured her it would have a happy home in the stables. With the horses.

She watched her family in her rearview mirror until she turned a corner and they were gone. Then it was just her, the road, and everything up ahead.

-XXX-

I did some googling to see if David Bowie liked any particular football teams and didn't really find any answers (which is not surprising, really) so I just picked one of the random answers on a reddit thread.

Please leave a review. I'm always open to questions and feedback and despite my delay in posting I'm usually pretty quick about answering questions.

Thank you so so much for reading!