Spider and the Fly

A/N: Alright, dearies, I know you all must be positively furious with me for not updating in so long, but before you burn me at the stake, let me explain some of the things that caused me to put this lovely little story on hold.

1) I had a fight with my parents who I'm currently living with, which resulted in my being kicked out of the house for 5 days, with my laptop (and story) and cell phone held hostage. Everything's alright now, but I was living with a friend during that time.

2) Due to said fight, I've been doing more and more housework and less writing, because my time alone is looked down upon here, and it's very hard to write while being told to do more work and have no thanks.

3) My boyfriend and I had some trouble ourselves, and he is my inspiration to write this, seeing as how he's so much like Jareth that my brother remarked on it one day. Without my muse, I was stumped.

4) Catching up with friends I haven't seen in about a year, due to moving to college.

5) Every writer's curse and worst fear: the Infamous Writer's Block

That being sad, enjoy the new installment! I'm working on the next chapter as we speak.


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"What do you mean?" she demanded, twisting to where she was almost straddling him.

"You've been dreaming ever since you returned to the Labyrinth." He stated flatly.

"WHAT?!" she screeched, trying to struggle out of his grasp.

"Oh, hush, you stupid girl. Ever since you returned here, you've been dreaming. Every night, when you sleep, you dream.'

"I do?" she whispered. "But why don't I see them?"

"Because, Sarah, I do." Jareth whispered, stroking her face with his gloved hands. "I haven't had dreams of my own in so long... the Labyrinth takes them, you see, to create magic. And so when I sleep, I search for dreams. And your dreams, your lovely, vibrant, healing dreams, call to me. You dream them, Sarah, and I am but a puppet in them, but I see them and feel them as if they were my own."

Sarah turned bright red as she remembered a couple of dreams from Above. Jareth laughed and nuzzled her neck. "No, there haven't been any of those dreams. Although a few have come close-" Sarah blushed even deeper "-I always wake up before that happens. Though, judging by your reaction, perhaps I should stay asleep." he teased.

"Too much London After Midnight." Sarah muttered, drawing blank looks from Jareth and the Sun god. The Moon goddess, however, laughed and whispered into the Sun god's ear. He bellowed in laughter and stood up, wrapping his arms around the Moon Goddess's waist.

Lustful little minx, isn't she? The Sun god winked at Jareth. Sarah couldn't tell if he meant her or the Moon goddess; she was almost positive he meant both of them.

The Moon goddess smiled but pushed away. Sarah, there is more for you to know.

Sarah nodded at her, still extremely conscious of Jareth's hands on her.

Clearing her throat, the Moon goddess spoke hesitantly, as if weighing Sarah's reaction. A Sun Child and a Moon Child are rarely blessed at the same time. There have been two... occurrences of this happening before. Both times, the Children had to perform a duty that was harsh but necessary. A rebirth of the worlds, you might say. Separately, this task would have drained them completely... but there is a way to survive it.

"What is it?" Sarah asked, her throat suddenly dry. I have a feeling I'm not going to like this, she thought darkly.

You must marry the Sun Child.


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"WHAT?!" Sarah screeched again, shooting out of the chair. "Are you serious?! Marry Jareth?! NOW? What the fuck?! I ought to-"

"To what, Sarah?" Jareth purred, his tone dangerous. He spun her around to face him, holding onto her arms. "What are you going to do to escape the horrible fate of marrying me?"

"I-I-I..." she trailed off, staring wide-eyed at him.

"Would it really be so bad, to spend forever with me?" he asked softly, sadly, letting her arms go.

"I..." Sarah stopped again, at a loss for words.

"Well, Sarah?" Jareth's eyes bored into her own, bright blue and gold. "Would it be so horrible to spend forever in the Underground, with your friends, where you are loved and revered? Where you will be a Queen, and have all you wished for?"

"I don't want to be honored and revered and to be a Queen!" Sarah suddenly found her voice. "I want to marry for love! I want to spend forever with someone who I know will wake up next to me when we're both ancient, and still see the girl he married, not the withered old crone next to him! I want someone who will kiss me for no reason, who finds my favorite flower just because he wanted to see me wear it in my hair! Who listens to me and who can dance and sing with me! I want someone who loves me, not the Queen of the Goblins or the Moon Child!" she yelled.

It wasn't until Jareth enfolded her in his arms did Sarah realize she was crying again.

"Shhh... shhh... it's alright, Sarah." He murmured into her hair.

"No, no it's not!" she cried, her sobs getting heavier. "I'm broken, Jareth! No one wants someone like me! I'm fucking crazy, a nut job! I'm nothing!"

Sarah kept sobbing into his shirt, gripping him with all of her strength. Through her grief, the animalistic female part of her brain noticed the muscles in his arms and chest, how strong he felt under her hands, and how warm he was, and how heady and intoxicating he smelled.

At that moment, she hated that part of her brain.

Jareth held her as she cried. Deep down, he knew the words she was crying were from her years of abuse, at the hands of her family and the people at the hospital.

"Sarah... we both know that's not true." He said, pulling away enough to look her in the eyes. "If it were, you wouldn't be here."

She hiccupped, staring at him with a tear-stained face. "I always had a good imagination, Jareth." she said, a bit of her old fire back.

"That may be, Sarah, but... if you were, as you said, 'fucking crazy', then you would be so medicated that you wouldn't be capable of imagining this." He stated factually.

Her eyes lit up as she realized the truth of that. "Maybe I skipped a dose..." she said playfully, but tears still trembled in her eyes.

"Then tell me, Sarah, if you ever imagined this." Jareth growled, and kissed her. She tasted like salty tears and sweet wine, and a hint of magic. He lightly nipped her bottom lip, getting a squeal in return. He continued to lightly kiss her, drawing her out of her misery. Eventually, he felt her arms slide around his neck and she began to return the kiss, opening her mouth to him.

Jareth walked backwards until he was sitting down again, dragging Sarah onto his lap. She shifted to where she was straddling his waist in the chair, her hands grabbing his shirt, his hair, his shoulder. Anything Sarah could touch that was Jareth, she held onto as if she was afraid he would disappear without warning. In return, Jareth was touching all of her that he could reach, trying to reassure her that he was, indeed, real, and very very permanent.

I think it's time we leave. The Moon goddess whispered to the Sun God.

Aye. The two of them are givin' me ideas. He smirked down at her.

Her laughter rang through the room as they disappeared.


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Sarah and Jareth didn't hear them leave, engrossed with their current situation. Sarah's kisses were getting more aggressive and demanding, and Jareth was only too happy to oblige.

She gasped when his hands slid up her legs and under her skirts. He grinned wickedly at her before gripping her hips.

"Jareth, what are you doing?" she whispered, trembling.

He didn't answer, and Sarah's eyes widened as she felt his bare thighs against hers.

"Where did your pants go?!"

"They were in the way." He muttered huskily, kissing her again. He shifted her slightly and she felt him pressing against her.

Smirking at him, she leaned down and whispered, "So, that's what you have in mind, hmm? Well then, I suggest you think again, because you're not going to-"

Jareth slid into her, and she finished her sentence with a groan. Sarah moved her legs to where he could go deeper, moaning when he did.

"Jareth... god, don't stop." she whispered to him, gripping his shoulders.

"Sarah, I think it's time you learned something." Jareth nipped her ear gently as he spoke.

"What?" she said, wiggling on top of him.

To answer her, he gripped her hips and began moving her up and down. "This. Keep moving, Sarah. And don't ever stop." He groaned in her ear.

"And what happens when I do?" she teased, but still moved her hips.

He growled in his throat. "You don't want to find out." He replied, his hands still guiding her.

"Oh, I think I do." She laughed, and stopped moving, wrapping her legs around his waist so he couldn't move her.

"Sarah..." he warned.

"Oh, come on Jareth, you're not going to do anything to me." she smirked. "Besides, I want to see how the mighty Goblin King does with a little harmless playing."

"This isn't playing, this is torture." He groaned, trying to move her. She laughed and held his waist tighter.

"Oh no, you're not getting away that easily." She mocked lightly.

Jareth's eyes flashed and the next thing she knew, they were no longer in the study. They were back in his room, in his bed, with him on top and her beneath. Their clothes were gone, but his devilish smirk wasn't.

"Jareth, what in hell?" Sarah tried to sit up but found her wrists tied together with a silk scarf, which was tied to a loop in the headboard she hadn't noticed. "Ohhh no." she warned, trying to wiggle away and undo the scarf with her teeth.

Jareth held her hips in place and smirked at her. " Oh no, you're not getting away that easily." He growled, biting her neck.

It was delicious, her being tied down and seduced by the Goblin King, Sarah reflected as Jareth bit and licked her skin. She gasped when he bit particularly hard and she felt a little bit of warmth trickle down her neck. "You bit me!"

"I've been biting you." He said innocently.

"I'm bleeding!" she shot back, trying to wiggle again.

"Not for long." he replied, leaning down and licking away the blood. He kissed the wound, then started sucking the blood away. Sarah groaned at the feeling of his tongue and lips on her neck like that.

"Jareth..." she whispered, arching her back.

He kissed her, and she tasted her own blood, fueling her desire.

Sarah whimpered and bucked her hips against him, trying to communicate what she needed.

He was in her immediately, moving so very slowly, as if drawing out her torture.

"Jareth!" she begged. "Please!"

"Please what?" he murmured against her mouth.

"Please..." she whispered, arching against him and straining against the silk.

Laughing, he answered her pleas.


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Afterwards, they lay tangled together in the bed, wrapped up in each other. Sarah was almost asleep when Jareth spoke.

"Sarah..."

"Hmm?" she answered sleepily, snuggling against him. She wrapped an arm around his waist and laid her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"You never answered my question."

"Your chest rumbles when you speak."

"Sarah..." he warned.

"Fine, fine. What was the question?"

"Would it be so horrible to spend forever with me?" he whispered into her hair.

Sighing, Sarah looked up at him. "I told you, Jareth, I want to marry for love, not duty."

"Who said it wouldn't be for love?" he growled.

"What?" Sarah froze like a deer in the headlights.

"Oh, seriously Sarah, don't tell me you forgot the story?" Jareth sat up, pulling her with him. "'But what no one knew was that the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl.' Come Sarah, you memorized that entire book!" he said, tilting her head up. She was trembling against him, staring at him with something akin to fear.

"Jareth, I... I thought it was just a story." she whimpered, trying to push away.

He wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her tight, while his free hand tilted her head up. "Bullshit." he said curtly, before kissing her.

It was a harsh kiss, full of anger and bitterness, sadness and regret. Pulling away, Jareth glared at Sarah. "I've loved you for years, Sarah. I tried to watch over you after you left, tried but failed. Something prevented me, and I was fairly certain that YOU had something to do that. It made me furious, that you refused me and hated me so much that you blacked out your life to me. But at the same time, I longed to see you, to see how you changed-" he ran his hand over her waist and down her leg "-and how you've matured."

"You mean- you-"

"Yes, Sarah. I loved you." He kissed her again, this time less brutally. "I still do."

Sarah wrapped her arms around him and didn't let go. "Jareth... you stubborn jackass." she muttered. "Why didn't you just say those words six years ago?"

"Would you have believed me then?"

"No..."

"I waited until you called, Sarah. It was the only time I could go to you. I tried, I tried to find you, but I couldn't."

"What was this blackness like?" she asked, curious.

"Like a fog. Inky black, with a taste. It was bitter and... human."

"The pills!" Sarah shot up, staring at him with wide eyes.

"What?"

"The pills! The medications I was forced to take for 5 years!" Sarah's eyes were blazing with understanding. "The pills dulled me to where I couldn't think, let alone dream. They always had this disgusting bitter taste, I hated taking them."

"So why did you?" Jareth asked softly, pulling her close.

Sarah nestled her head on his shoulder again and closed her eyes. "I was afraid. I wanted to dream, but I wanted to be loved as well. And I knew I couldn't and wouldn't be loved by anyone Above unless I took those pills. Otherwise I would be seen as crazy, insane, a danger to society. The fact that I was a cutter before I was a rape victim made people think Daddy was crazy for letting me near Toby."

"But I was able to see you again."

"Yeah, I quit taking the meds. I went cold turkey and just stopped. No more pills, no more zombie Sarah. Just... just me." She smiled up at him. "Besides, I can appreciate life much more now."

"Sarah... say the words for me."

"Which words?" she teased, knowing exactly what he wanted to hear.

"The words I've been waiting to hear for years..." Jareth cupped her face in his hand, lightly rubbing his thumb over her lips.

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumber- eeek!" Sarah fell over laughing as Jareth pounced on her, tickling her mercilessly. "Okay okay okay okay!"

"Say the words." He commanded, every bit the domineering Goblin King.

"Jareth, I lo-"


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"I wish the goblins would come and take you away right now!"

Sarah went still as Jareth started cursing at the voice.

"Now? You gotta be kidding me!" Sarah griped, trying to lighten the situation as Jareth pulled away. She was remembering her own fear and regret, all of her experiences from six years ago. From the look on Jareth's face, he was remembering them as well. He had conjured a crystal and was scowling into it, his expression black. Sarah cringed as she felt a wave of pity for whoever had interrupted what Jareth had desperately wanted to hear.

Waving his hand, he was instantly dressed as he was the night they first met, midnight blue and black. "I'm afraid so, darling. It won't take long, don't worry." Jareth promised.

"Yeah, whatever." She muttered, wrapping the sheet around her and sitting on the edge of the bed. Jareth bent down and kissed her forehead, trying to soothe her unspoken fears.

"Sarah... I wish you didn't have to see this." He began.

"I know. I wish I didn't as well." She sighed. "Just... try to go easy on whoever did this. Children can be overwhelming at times." She smiled tremulously, fighting back tears.

"And goblins can't?" he shot back, wrapping his arms around her. "Would you like to be dressed, darling?"

"Darling? Mmm... I like the sound of that." She stretched luxuriously in his arms, trying to forget about what he was about to do. "I'll need a name for you now."

Jareth chuckled before disappearing in a cloud of glitter. Sarah looked down and saw herself dressed in her white silk nightgown from above, complete with white silk slippers.

She sighed and went to the bathroom, searching for a hair brush. Her hair had gotten impossibly tangled, from Jareth and from thrashing from side to side on the bed. Finally she spotted her hairbrush on a shelf in the bath closet. He had transferred her things into his room.

"Presumptuous bastard, isn't he?" she muttered to herself, running the brush through her hair. She finally made herself presentable and set the brush down. Her stomach was churning at the thought of spending eternity stealing children from those that loved them.

"Well, this is just going to drive me insane." She said out loud, shaking her head. "C'mon feet."

Sarah went to the bedroom door and stepped into the hallway, listening closely. Sure enough, there it was. She started down a corridor, following the sounds of goblin laughter. She traced it to a pair of closed wooden doors; through it she could hear a large ruckus. Chickens, goblins laughing, and... a crying child.

Throwing the doors open, Sarah ignored the goblins that stared at her, resolutely searching for the child. A small girl was sitting on Jareth's throne, wearing an old and stained t shirt for a nightgown. Her hair was matted and her face was dirty. Sarah practically ran over to the crying child, her own doubts and thoughts put aside in the rush to soothe the innocent girl. Kneeling on the stone floor, Sarah looked at the little girl. "Hey... it's alright." Sarah lightly touched the girl's arm, and she let out a terrified wail. "Shhh, shhh, its okay." Sarah smiled at her as the child sniffed, looking at her.

"I want my mommy!" the girl cried out.

"Shhh... she's coming for you, don't worry." Sarah comforted her. "Until then, I'll take care of you, how does that sound?" Sarah smiled at her, trying to tell her it was okay. And if not... I'll find a way to get you to her, she thought to herself, Goblin King and rules be damned.

The little girl nodded slowly, staring at Sarah.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" Sarah asked gently.

"Abigail. Abigail Elizabeth." She answered clearly. "But Mommy always calls me Abby."

"Well Abigail, I'm Sarah." Standing, Sarah leaned down and picked the child up. "Let's go look out the window and see if we can see your Mommy coming."

"Okay!" The child brightened at the prospect of seeing her mother coming to save her.

Laughing, Sarah walked to the window where Jareth often sat, and seated herself with the child in her arms. "This is the Labyrinth, Abby. It's a land of magic and wonderful creatures." Sarah whispered into Abby's ear. "You can even hear the land sing, if you listen closely."

"Really?" Abby looked up at Sarah with big eyes.

"Of course." Sarah nodded. "Look out over the Labyrinth and listen."

Abby turned and looked out the window as Sarah began to sing softly.

"Like a dream I had
In subconscious deep
Here you come again
Only in my sleep
And I remember you
I remember you
Like a memory
of a Time gone by
Many things I've seen
Still I can't deny
That I remember you
Yes I remember the things you do to me

When you say my name
When you hold my hand
When you whisper in my ear the things
That only you could understand
When you say my name
When you hold my hand
When you touch me softly in the way
That only you can do
I remember you
I remember you"

Unbeknownst to Sarah, the goblins had stopped playing and were listening to her song.

"Every other touch
Runs as cold as ice
If I get too close
I may pay the price
But I remember you
Yes I remember the things you do to me

When you say my name
When you hold my hand
When you whisper in my ear the things
That only you could understand
When you say my name
When you hold my hand
When you touch me softly in the way
That only you can do
I remember you
I remember you

I would recognize your shadow in a crowded room
Change your name a million times
It wouldn't change my mind
Or what I hope to find
In your heart underneath
In a new rhythm I breathe
'Cause I remember you
I remember you
I remember you
I remember you
Yes I do

When you say my name
When you hold my hand
When you whisper in my ear the things
That only you could understand
When you say my name
When you hold my hand
When you touch me softly in the way
That only you can do
I remember you
I remember you

I remember you
And I want you to say my name
I remember you
And I want you to say my name
Say my name
Say my name
Say my name...I remember"


Sarah smiled to herself. Abby was asleep in her arms, smiling.


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Alrighy lovelies, I'm off to write the chapter. It should be up sometime this week, hopefully.

And just a heads up, there isn't going to be that many more chapters to it. I can't go into more details, that would be giving out GASP spoilers! But this story isn't too much longer for writing, and then I'll start on another fic. It will be a Laby fic, but I haven't decided to make it a OC or not.