Sweet Possibilities Ch 6

Chapter 6: For the Longest Time

Brrrg!

There was the timer for the roast in the oven. 

Swwsh!

Now all the papers were in neat, little piles on the coffee table.

Plat. Plat. Plat. Ting!

Snacks were ready for her guests.  M&M’s and chocolate-covered pretzels were said to be favored by this group, so she planned accordingly.

All that remained now was for Sarah to get ready for the big event.

Shower done and clothing on, Sarah surveyed herself in her mirror as she put on her lipstick.  It was hard to believe that it had been fifteen years since she had run the Labyrinth and put on lipstick in a similar manner. 

The trouble was that she had been saying that for the last five years now.  College had passed, and working life consumed all her energy, as working for a publisher was not an easy job sometimes.  There were always more demands, more people to talk to, and stories to read.  More workshops on growing trends with what people read.  More training on how to handle disgruntled customers.

Which left little room for Sarah to have a social life.  Or, more importantly, for her to pursue her goal of one day publishing her own novel.  She had written it years ago, before she even worked for her current firm, back in college.  She had looked over it and updated it as time passed, but there it sat, at the bottom of her drawer at work, taking up space on all of her computers. 

And the longer it sat, the more Sarah put her dreams on hold.

Her bosses had recognized early on that she had potential.  They worked her hard.  Her problem was that she was too eager to help, too eager to do more and stay late in order to please them.  After a while, she began to get burned out and bored of the structure.  Worse, people had expectations, and they expected her to be the meek, calm Sarah Williams she had become.  Yes, she could rip apart a story when given to her, but that was never unleashed upon anyone there.  Any time she tried to break out, there were severe repercussions.    

But tonight was the night. 

Tonight, she was on the verge of getting the promotion she had always wanted, as her current boss was retiring.  He left big shoes to fill, and Sarah had been pushing herself at the higher-ups in order for them to see that she would be just as dedicated. 

There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Sarah was qualified and worked hard enough, so Sarah was always confused why she was always passed over for promotions in the past.  And if she made it to this spot, she could easily pass off her novel to someone in the group to look over and confirm that she had something good.  She was going to do it right, getting rights and royalties with the book in hardcover, as it was a monster of a fantasy tale, one she was proud of.  And she wanted that recognition, bogdangit!

Sarah sighed again as got up from the vanity and surveyed herself completely.  She looked good.  She looked proper for a hostess, maintaining a good mixture of sexy and professional to make her mother and step-mother proud.  She was going to go places.

Then why did it feel as though her life was about to end? Why did she feel so tired and bored?

“I wish I had my spark back,” Sarah said softly.  She needed to be on fire if she wanted to land this job, and she was not feeling it at that moment.  She was not worried about Jareth appearing, as she had found out by accident that she could say “I wish” without a certain Goblin King appearing suddenly.  She had gotten used to him not appearing, which was good (for work) and bad (mostly, if her dreams were any indication). 

Switching shoes on her feet to find the perfect pair, Sarah did not see Hoggle appear in front of her mirror, as he and the rest of her Labyrinth friends had a habit of doing from time to time.  They liked to check in on her, and Hoggle thought he had heard a wish.  When he saw how down Sarah looked, he was tempted to talk to her. But then, Sarah turned around and smiled at him, before waving good-bye and heading out the door as the doorbell rang. 

“Wish me luck, Hoggle.”

“Good luck, Sarah.”

Sarah was gone, and Hoggle stood in darkness.  He went back to the Underground, ready to go talk to Jareth, who had no doubt heard what Sarah said.  He would not like what Hoggle had to say, as Jareth had been keeping tabs on Sarah’s life through verbal reports, and this only confirmed what Jareth had been suspecting for some time now, that Sarah was losing herself.

But Jareth was patient, and he was good at responding to wishes.

Sarah opened her door to find four people on her doorstep.  Three men and one woman stepped in, and Sarah took their coats as they said their pleasantries and sat down.  Snacks were consumed, and compliments were paid to Sarah on how nice her place looked, and how good the food smelled. 

The group was just getting into business matters when a motorcycle could be heard revving its engine just outside Sarah’s house.  Sarah was confused, as she knew no one on her street who owned one.  When the sound died, Sarah put it down to neighborhood kids and placed it out of her mind. 

That was when her doorbell rang again, followed by a loud knock on her door.

All of her associates looked at Sarah, curiosity and prying eyes just begging her to go and open the door.

“I’m not sure who that is at the door, but I’ll go look and see before we settle down for dinner.  Excuse me,” she said, going to the door.

Who was at the door? What did that door lead to - danger or delight?

When Sarah looked through the peephole, Sarah jumped slightly at the sight of pale, spiky hair, blue eyes, and lots of leather.  Jareth was not supposed to be here, especially right now.  Should she let him in, or not? If she did not, would he just barge in to make his presence known? And was it possible to send him away quickly if she did let him in, if only briefly?  She did not want him making a scene, so she went with the idea of damage control and opened the door, as she had made a wish.

“Jareth! Well, this is a surprise.”

Jareth grinned at Sarah before leaning in and kissing her. 

“Lucky for you, Sarah, I got done with work early, so I actually could make it to your little gathering tonight.  Are you going to let me in, or not?”

While Sarah debated internally with herself over doing that and sending him packing, the others in her place soon made their presence known.  Of course, the woman spoke first.

“Sarah, who is this charming man on your porch? You’ve never mentioned him before.”

“I’m sure she has not, as she knows I don’t like all this business bureaucracy stuff that she deals with on a regular basis.  But I’m Jareth King, Sarah’s boyfriend of several years.  It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said as he smiled at the woman and waltzed past Sarah. 

Sarah closed the door and resigned herself to getting rid of him at the soonest possible interval.

“What brings you here tonight, Jareth? This was meant to be a private gathering among coworkers,” said one of the men, looking accusingly at Sarah.  Sarah felt bad, even if she knew the only reason he said that was because he liked being the best looking guy at work, possessing an ego that could almost match Jareth’s. 

“As I’m sure you know, this night is important to Sarah, and I wanted to be here to support her.  That’s what couples do, after all, stand by one another’s side through thick and thin.”

Sarah thought that Jareth was laying it on a little thick, so she decided to find out Jareth’s real reason quickly.

“Jareth, would you help me with some snacks in the kitchen really fast? I’d appreciate it so much.”

“You know I would, Precious.”

Jareth seemed ready to linger with the others, so Sarah grabbed his wrist and led him into the kitchen, closing the door as both entered.  Now she just had to keep her voice to a whisper when speaking.

“Jareth, what are you doing here?”

“Why do you think I’m here, Sarah? For you.”

“I didn’t ask for you.”

“You asked Hoggle to wish you luck.  Why can’t I as well?”

“Because you haven’t spoken to me in fifteen years.  Why start now?”

“What makes you think I stopped?”

Sarah did not want to consider what his question implied, and they were getting off-topic. 

“Ugh, Jareth, this is not the place for you.  If you wanted to do something like this, then you should have appeared in a mirror, just like Hoggle did.”

“And get ignored the same way you do him and the rest of your so-called friends, getting small snippets now and then?”

“Jareth, this is so not the time.”

“There’s no time like the present.”

“Jareth, you need to go.  Now.”

“Or what, Sarah? Saying I have no power over you won’t help you here.”

Sarah wanted to stomp her foot in irritation.  Why did Jareth make her feel this way? Would she always be perpetually fifteen around him?

Instead, Sarah settled for grabbing the snacks she had come for, and started to walk past him.  That was when Jareth moved in front of the door.

“Sarah, I’m not going away any time soon.  Talk to me.  Don’t make me go out there.”

“Then stay in here, for all I care.  Or just go.”

Jareth’s gloved hands were now gripping Sarah’s shoulders tightly as he leaned in. 

“Sarah, you made a wish.  I’m not leaving until that wish is satisfied.  Now, are you going to work with me, or against me?”

Sarah tried to pull away from Jareth, breaking eye contact with him lest she pay attention and get distracted from what was outside the door.  She had guests. 

Before Sarah could get further, Jareth flicked his fingers, and the bowl of snacks flew out of Sarah’s hand and landed on the counter.  Sarah opened her mouth to speak, and Jareth kissed her before she could.  Sarah found all thought leave her as she melted into the kiss and enjoyed what she had always dreamed about.

When he released her, Jareth gave her a smug grin. 

“Now was that so hard, Sarah?”

“Jareth, that is not helping! Not everything is about you!”

Snatching the bowl back, Sarah stormed back into the living room, Jareth trailing behind her with a smile.  Her coworkers looked baffled, as they had never seen her truly upset before. 

“Here’s more snacks.  The food will be ready in ten minutes.”

“Sarah, is everything-“

The eldest male in the group looked concerned on Sarah’s behalf, and Sarah was about to respond kindly in reply, but Jareth jumped in before she could say anything polite.

“Sarah’s just fine.  She’s always just fine.  Nothing could make her feel or say differently, right, Sarah?”

“Jareth, if I wanted your smart comments, I would ask for them.  In the meantime, be useful if you want to support me.”

“Is that sarcasm I hear, Sarah dear?”

“What do you think, Jareth? Am I hugging you, smiling, and putting on a good show for these people?”

“You do it so much; I wondered if you knew any other way of communicating with them sometimes.”

“What I do at work is none of your business, Jareth.”

“It becomes my business when it affects your general well-being, Sarah! Not to mention the way you treat your friends.”

“Then we should discuss it, later.  Not here.  I’d prefer not to air my dirty laundry in front of these good people, if you don’t mind.”

“So, when’s dinner?” piped in the smallest guy of the group.  He was thin and always hungry somehow, and he had almost single-handedly finished off one bowl of snacks all by himself.

Sarah smiled at him before responding, “By now, the food should be ready.  Let’s go eat and discuss other matters, shall we?”

Sarah made quick work of finding another setting for Jareth and making space for him.  Naturally, he sat across from her, so that there would be no personal conversations during dinner.

“So, Sarah, you know that the retirement is coming-“

“Of course she knows that guy is retiring.  Who doesn’t know is the better question,” said Jareth.

“Anyways, with his retirement almost here, we’ve been thinking about who would be best to take his place-“

“And Sarah would be an excellent choice, of course.  As she would have been for the three other promotions that she was passed up for in recent years.”

“That is neither here nor there-“

“But it’s still information to consider.  Why even consider her for this one when you have ignored her every other time? Is it because the guy had no life and dedicated himself to his job at the company? Is it because he’s a boring individual who kept the status quo, and Sarah would fit that well in your mind?”

“Jareth! Think about what you’re saying!”

“I am, Sarah.  You’re none of those things.  You deserve better.  Far better, in fact.  You deserve much better treatment from these people after all the good service and hours of your life you’ve dedicated to them.  You also should be able to speak your mind about what kinds of changes you’d like to see at the company.”

“Jareth, this is not the time-“

“Sarah, do you have ideas to improve the company? That is something we wanted to discuss with you tonight while we were here.  We wanted to know what your vision for this company was.”

Sarah was quiet as she looked at the knowing grin on Jareth’s face.  How did he know all about her past promotion opportunities? The only ones that knew beside her family were her Labyrinth friends.  But they would not tell him, right? And hopefully they would not tell him about her book idea.  That would be a disaster.  In the meantime, she might as well make herself look better in front of the group.

Sarah got out all of her ideas for improvement, and then the others asked her questions about implementation.  Their company was the second most famous publishing group, and they were always trying to figure out how to compete and be first.  After ten minutes of questions, Jareth interrupted again, his mischief nowhere near being done.

“But do you really want to change the company? You’ve had the same policies for over fifty years, and the other group has not changed much either.  You talk a lot about it, but you don’t strike me as the sorts to change just like that.  There’s just too much paperwork and overhead.  How are you going to deal with that?”

“Sarah, how much do you talk to him about your work?”

“More than enough, apparently.”

“I’d disagree, Sarah, but I suppose you don’t want to hear that right now.”

“You’d be correct, Jareth.  There’s a time and place to speak up.”

“Which you don’t do nearly enough of at work, Sarah.  Honestly, you don’t.  You just agree and do as you’re told.  That’s not the willful and defiant lady I know and love.”

The executives were exchanging looks with one another at Jareth’s mention of Sarah’s defiant tendencies, and Sarah was ready to reach across the table and do something to Jareth, preferably violent.

“Jareth, if I’m willful and defiant with you, it’s because you have a large ego and have a bad habit of acting like a King at all times.  Someone has to keep you in check.  You need more of that.”

“You do it well, Sarah.  It’s never boring with you.  So why not do it more at work?”

“That is not the place for it, and you know it.  If I truly disagreed, I’d say something.”

“That’s the problem, though, Sarah.  You’re not passionate enough and show enough concern to say when something is wrong.  You just go along with it.”

“It’s not my place.”

“It’s always your place! You are a strong woman with a good head on your shoulders.  You should want to tell them more of what’s wrong.  If not, then maybe you don’t care enough about it and should move on and find something else to do with your life.”

“Jareth,” she ground out, “if you say anything more along those lines-“

“I’m not leaving, Sarah.  You need to hear it from someone.  Where’s the fire you had when you first started working there? Did it die, along with your dreams?”

“Jareth, what is this? An intervention?”

“You could call it that, I suppose.  I prefer to think of it as a healthy reminder that there are better people and things in the world.”

“Better than you? Of course.”

“Now, now, Sarah, is that anything to say to your boyfriend? I think we’re plenty honest with one another, and you need me just as much as I need you.  I think we’d also agree that we want one another, but that needs to be discussed when we’re alone.”

“Such as most of what you’ve said tonight?”

“Nonsense.  You need to hear it, and these people might as well hear it, too.  Why don’t we have dessert-“

“No, we’re not ready for dessert.  We’re going to sit and enjoy our dinner, and talk about other things.”

“But Sarah-“

“No buts.  Can’t you see that some are still eating? You can wait.”

Sarah sighed and turned to the others, while Jareth smiled to himself.  She had not found all of her spark yet, but she was well on her way with responses like that.  All of the others seemed to realize that she was acting different, too.  Good.

“We can move on to dessert if that’s what he really wants-“

“Don’t listen to him.  He’s just trying to be annoying and take control of the conversation.  He’s far too used to it at work as it is.  He’ll survive.”

“You two seem to know each other well.”

“Far better than we ought to,” Sarah said with a little shake of her head.

“Sarah, are you as passionate about your job as you are about your boyfriend?”

Sarah wanted to scream at the thought that she appeared to be so into Jareth.  She had been yelling at him almost the entire time.  How was this what they got out of it? It did not help that Jareth was practically preening at such words, smug one that he was.  He needed to be much less attractive and not be such a good kisser, but that was not going to happen any time soon.  Back to damage control.

Sarah turned to the eldest man who had asked the question.  He seemed genuine in his question, no sarcasm or anything else tinting it after all that had been said recently, which was amazing.  It was one reason she liked him so much, for being such a chill older guy.

“I am passionate about my job.  I enjoy my job and helping others find the opportunity to get published and getting to know them along the way.”

All of that was true, yes.  She did not feel as strongly about it as she used to, but it could come back if she was in a new place.

“You wouldn’t be doing that as much in your new position.  You’d have to make a lot of managerial decisions, still dealing with people, but in a different way.”

“I’m good with people.”

“Sure, Sarah.  You either agree with them or defy them at every turn, even if all they’re trying to do is help you.”

“Jareth, you are not a part of this conversation.  Stop talking.”

“Good luck with that, Sarah.  There’s about as much a chance of that happening as there is of you telling them all to leave because they all have sticks up their butts and don’t care about anyone but themselves and getting free food.”

“Jareth, really?”

“How about dessert?” said the hungry guy who had just finished off all of the food on the table.

“That sounds like a lovely idea.  Don’t you agree, Sarah?”

Sarah got up from the table to bring out the pie and ice cream, serving all but Jareth.  She placed it next to her, forcing him to get up if he wanted it.

“My, aren’t we acting like a teenager tonight?”

“Jareth, if you want it, come and get it.”

“I will, thank you,” he said, coming over to her before whispering, “I’m winning.”

Sarah opened her mouth to argue with him, but Jareth kissed her before she could say anything, again.  Sarah was still without words after he got all of his dessert and sat down.  Cursed fae and their ability to kiss. 

Sarah took to staring daggers at him, and he shot them right back at her.  Sometime along the way, Jareth’s face took on a softer, more loving tone, and Sarah found herself confused by such a face on Jareth.  He could not have feelings for her, as it was not possible after all this time.  They did not even speak to one another, except through mutual friends. 

As the two continued to stare at one another, the executives had seen all that they needed.  There was far more to Sarah than they had realized, if her actions around her boyfriend were any indication.  She would be a good boss, too, as she cared about her job.  Now it was just getting away from the couple who clearly wanted to be alone.

“Well, the pie was delicious, but I’m afraid that I’m going to have to cut off our little gathering earlier than I had wanted to,” said the woman getting up to see Sarah.

“Indeed.  And I have to go, too.  It’s late, and my wife is probably looking for me,” said the small guy.

“The night is young; I should go, too.”

“Thank you for coming.  I appreciate you coming to visit.”

“It’s our pleasure.  You’re an excellent cook.”

Soon it was just Sarah, Jareth, and the eldest executive.  He smiled warmly at Sarah before getting up and taking all the dirty dishes into the kitchen.  When he returned, he spoke.

“I had my eyes opened tonight, Sarah.  I’m glad your boyfriend could make it.  He’s good to you and for you.  Don’t lose him.  I’ll see you on Monday.  I hope you lovebirds have plans.”

“Believe me, sir, I do,” said Jareth, winking.

“Excellent.  It was good to meet you, Jareth.  Until next time.”

With the last guest gone, Sarah and Jareth stood awkwardly until Jareth clapped his hands.

“Well, Sarah, you heard the man.  Let’s go out and spend some quality time together.”

“Jareth.  You are not and never will be my boyfriend.”

“Never is a long time, Sarah.  Are you so certain? Your responses to those kisses say otherwise.”

“I haven’t been on a date in a while.  I would have responded that way to any man who kissed me suddenly.”

“I disagree.  It’s me and only me.  There’s a reason you haven’t dated anyone in a while.”

“Whatever it is, it doesn’t involve you.”

Jareth guffawed at the preposterous thought before turning back to Sarah.

“Just keep deluding yourself, Sarah love.”

“You should go, Jareth.”

“Not yet.  Come on, there’s all kinds of things we could do together.  We could do it at your place or mine-“

“Jareth, no.”

“You’re no fun, Sarah.  What’s wrong? Afraid that you might enjoy yourself with me?”

“Not at all.”

“Good.  Then go out with me.  It doesn’t have to be as a couple, just to have fun.  You need to go out more.  I dare you.”

Sarah wanted to say no and just go to her room to relax after such a stressful party, but she did not want to back down from a challenge from Jareth.  She would never hear the end of it.  In the end, her defiant side won.  How bad could one night be?

“Fine, I’ll go.  But I choose the place.”

“Then get dressed, Sarah.  I’ve got transportation outside.”

Sarah went upstairs to change her skirt, and then they went to a karaoke bar and dance club.  The place started off as having a live band until a certain hour, and then karaoke started.  Sarah enjoyed it there, and she knew some work friends who went there from time to time. 

Sarah was not surprised that it was Jareth who had come in on a motorcycle.  It was just another way to make an entrance.  Climbing behind him and having to grip tightly to his chest was not what she wanted to do, but riding on the motorcycle was fun.

The club was busy by the time they got there, but with a snap of Jareth’s fingers, they found themselves at the top of the list to get in.  Sarah rolled her eyes at Jareth.  Inside, the band was playing something jazzy, and Sarah had to restrain Jareth from taking her straight out onto the dance floor.

After they had a table, the two made their way to dance.  They met coworkers of Sarah’s, who seemed shocked that she had a boyfriend.  They were even more shocked that Sarah talked back at him every time he mentioned something about work to keep him from talking.  That was not at all the Sarah they were used to, but she seemed much happier and more relaxed there.

Soon, Jareth dragged Sarah away, and they danced.  It did not matter what was played, as Jareth knew it.   A little jazz, some swing, and lots of Latin music mixed in for color.  Jareth kept one hand on Sarah at all times, marking her as his, his eyes daring any man to try to cut in.  Sarah did not know whether she should be pleased that he cared so much and kept the creeps away, or upset that he insisted upon keeping her to himself.

When Sarah was worn out, they went back to their table to eat something light, and her coworkers came over to talk more.  They tried to find out more about Jareth, but Sarah kept deflecting the questions, or not letting Jareth finish.  Jareth always smiled when she did that. 

Later on, one of the guys got up to get drinks, and Sarah suggested that Jareth go with him to help.  With a peck on the cheek, Jareth got up and did as he was told.  Sarah stared at Jareth’s retreating form until the girl next to her spoke.

“Sarah, you seem….different tonight.  What changed?”

“I blame Jareth.”

“He’s a good influence on you.”

“He’s crazy.  You have no idea what he’s like outside of this.”

“But it must be alright if you like him so much.”

“I do not-“

“Oh yes, you do.  I saw the way you two danced together.  You were doing everything in your power to stay close to him while dancing.  Not to mention you two argue like an old couple.”

“We, well, yes, he is a good dancer.”

“Sarah.”

“Alright, maybe I like him a little, but don’t tell him that.  It’ll go to his head.”

The girl giggled before saying, “Wherever you found him, you ought to keep him.”

“I’ll consider it.  He’s been a breath of fresh air in my life recently.”

“It seems like it.  You should act like this at work more often.”

“I don’t know,” Sarah said with uncertainty.

“You should.  It’s good for you.  It’s just more…. you.”

“Next you’ll be telling me that I should be throwing caution to the wind-“

“Which you should do as well, Precious.  It’s loads of fun.  I think you’d enjoy yourself, and I’d like to be a part of it.”

“You’ll have to convince me harder, then.”

“Gladly,” said Jareth before putting down her drink and leaning in to kiss Sarah again.

“How many more times do I need to kiss you, Sarah? I’ve got all night to try and convince you.”

“Jareth!”

The other coworkers were laughing at them as they exchanged words playfully.  A discussion started up about favorite dancing styles until the karaoke started.  Then, all turned to the stage, where people lined up.  Some were good, and some were terrible.  Either way, it was always entertaining to watch. 

After the first half hour, all were laughing at the groups that had come up so far.  A group of old ladies had come up to sing “Born to Be Wild”, complete with hand motions, and there was a group of girls from a bachelorette party singing “Single Ladies”.  The old ladies had beaten the girls easily.

As they discussed who would be good among the next group, Jareth asked if anyone was going to be brave and go up there and sing.  Most bowed out immediately, saying that they had no talent.

“Now, Sarah, I know you can sing.  You want to go sing a duet with me?”

“No thanks, Jareth.  Not with you.”

“Then how about by yourself?”

“Only if you go up there first.”

Sarah did not expect Jareth to go up there, but he did.  He made his way to the front, and stood in the short line.  Soon, it was his turn.

“Next up we have Jareth singing ‘Play the Game’ by Queen.  Is there anyone you’d like to dedicate this to tonight?”

“As a matter of fact, there is.  This goes out to Sarah Williams, my little fireball of defiance.  It’s all for you, Sarah.”

Sarah had forgotten just how good of a singer Jareth was, and she enjoyed listening to him.  Somehow, he knew exactly where she was seated, so she got to keep eye contact with him throughout.  It was a little unnerving at first, but she grew to enjoy it.  By the end of the song, all were clamoring for another song from him.

“No, it’s not my time to sing.  If anything, I want Sarah to come up here and sing something for us all.  She’s pretty good herself.  Won’t you, Sarah?”

“Yes, let’s hear it for Sarah!” said the announcer, to cheers from others there.

Sarah stood up after her coworkers encouraged her to go up.  She might as well get it done and out of the way now, even if her voice did not hold a candle to Jareth’s.

Once she got on stage, the cheering got louder.  Jareth looked pleased with himself and settled for standing in front of the stage to watch her.  Sarah paused to think about what to sing, and then she thought of one, perfect for Jareth and what he had said about her earlier.  She told the announcer, who then told everyone else.

“Let’s hear it for Sarah! She had taken the challenge and come up here by Jareth’s bidding.  Tonight, she’s going to sing ‘Fireball’ by Deep Purple for us.”

“With a few words changed, of course, for Jareth’s benefit,” Sarah added into the microphone.

Once Sarah got started, there was no stopping her.  She had grown up listening to the band, so it was easy to sing, and eerily appropriate for how she felt about Jareth.  Because there was a part of her that wanted to throttle him, but another that loved him for all the things that he had done for her that night.  And people everywhere were wondering where on earth she had found him.  But they would never know that he was in fact magical.  That would be their little secret.

When Sarah finished, she finally took her eyes off of Jareth to see and hear everyone cheering for her.  It seemed that she had not lost her touch since her musical days.

Once she was off-stage, Jareth escorted her back to their seat, amidst many people congratulating them on the way.  Seated at last, her coworkers were still a little surprised to see that she could open up like that.  After the many times that she had come there with them, tonight was her first time going up to sing.  Jareth truly was someone special.  The couple stayed a little longer before Sarah started to feel tired, and so Jareth took her home, after her coworkers ensured that he would be coming back in the future.  Jareth gloated the whole way to the motorcycle.

“I think everyone likes me, Sarah.  Do you?”

“Jareth, drive.  I’m tired, and I want to go to sleep.”

“Are you cold? It’s gotten more chilly since we went inside.”

“Yes, a little, but I’ll be fine.”

“We’re not in a car, Sarah.  Here, take my coat.”

“Alright.  Thank you.  For the coat and tonight.”

Jareth looked a little surprised for a moment before his smile came back in full force.

“Of course.  I knew you’d like it.  I’d do it with you any time.  How about tomorrow?”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Don’t think too long.  It’s almost tomorrow.”

The drive was fast, and Sarah was almost asleep when they got home.  All of the exhaustion and stress of the day was finally hitting her, and she was ready to sleep.  Jareth led her to her bed.

“Good night, Jareth.  Thanks.”

“Good night, Sarah.  Sleep well, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.”

Jareth beamed as he headed toward the door.  Then Sarah spoke.

“I don’t get a good-night kiss?”

“Anything for you, Sarah,” he said coming back to her bedside.  With a kiss that was quite full, despite Sarah being half-asleep, Jareth left. 

In the morning, Sarah woke up in Jareth’s coat.  She was confused about why and what she was wearing until she remembered the events of the night before.  Some part of her remembered telling Jareth that she was good with seeing him tomorrow, and she frowned internally at it.  He would ask her then.  But she was more upset with herself for asking him to kiss her again.  Way to make it painfully obvious that she liked kissing him, or just liked him in general.  She probably would have agreed to see him again, just not so soon.

Sarah got up and prepared for the day.  She had no idea when to expect Jareth, or what he would want to do, so she made sure that she was wearing jeans, which could be useful anywhere.  Sometime after breakfast, she heard Jareth’s motorcycle, and Jareth was at the door, holding flowers.  They smelled wonderful.

“What’s with the flowers?”

“I need to say I’m sorry, Sarah.”

“For what, Jareth? You saw the way people responded to you.”

“It’s not that.  It’s the way I asked if you would do something today.  I could have timed that a bit better, not taken advantage of you being half-asleep.  Please forgive me.  I hope you’ll still consider spending time with me today.  I think you need it.”

“I want to, Jareth.”

Jareth’s face went through several changes in expression in moments, his happiness the most apparent.

“While the timing could have been better, I have been able to reflect upon it more while getting ready, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t do enough for myself.  You want to help.  Thank you for being persistent.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Are you ready, Sarah?”

“I think so.  Where are we going?”

“Underground, if you don’t mind.  I think there are some pretty things you’d enjoy seeing, and some people you’d like to talk to.”

The day went faster than Sarah could have imagined.  She was able to talk to her trio of friends again, and they were happy to see her.  The goblins saw her, and they insisted upon playing games with her, with much prodding from Jareth.  Why he encouraged such outrageous and potentially harmful games with the goblins she did not understand, but the goblins seemed to love them.  Who would have thought that goblins liked being goblin cannonballs, and jousting against one another in such a manner?

After they escaped the goblins, Jareth showed Sarah around the grounds before taking her into the fairy woods.  These woods were outside Goblin Kingdom territory and were on the border of the Elf lands.  Jareth knew that Sarah liked fairies, so they wandered through, looking at plant life, stopping at the lakes, and talking to fairies they came across.  Jareth wanted to play tricks on the Elves hunting illegally in the forest, so Sarah watched him do that.  After that, they had lunch on a broken log.

After lunch, Jareth took Sarah to the mountains.  They were on the border between the Elves and dwarves, with dragons being the main residents.  Jareth kept trying to find and wake up dragons so that Sarah could see one, much to her shock.  She really did not want to have to deal with an angry dragon.  Eventually, they found a dragon who was coming back from being on guard, who was tired and friendly enough with Jareth to allow Sarah to climb on top of him, even if only for a few moments.  It was something that she had only dreamed of doing.

When that was done, the two headed back to the Goblin Kingdom for dinner.  They ate outdoors in a garden, talking about their favorite parts of the day.

“What did you think, Sarah?”

“Today was different, in the best kind of way.  I never knew moss could be so comfortable, or that goblins would love to be thrown at one another for sport.”

“The goblins are special.  That’s all that needs to be said.  Did you like meeting the dragon?”

“Yes, I did.  It was unforgettable.  They’re even bigger in person.”

“They always are, love.”

“What was your favorite part of today, Jareth?”

“Watching you pale as I snuck up behind those hunters.”

“Jareth!”

“Your face tells many things, including concern.  You were worried about me, even if unnecessarily in that situation.”

“So there was nothing else new for you, Jareth?”

“Everything is new when I do it with you for the first time.”

Both were quiet for a few moments as they chewed and thought.  Finally, Sarah spoke.

“I always imagined so much in my head, but it’s better in person.  Thank you for doing this.  I lived on the edge for the first time in a while.  I’d just rather not try to wake up dragons again, if you don’t mind.”

Jareth laughed before answering.

“We can wait on the dragons, sure.  But the other things we can do whenever you want.  You need only say the word, and I can bring you here for a time.  I’m sure your friends would like to see you more, too.”

“I want to as well.”

“Good.  Then it’s settled: you’ll come and visit at least once a week.”

“I don’t know about that quite yet, but more frequently.”

“I’ll keep pushing for more.”

“I know, Jareth.”

“Are you ready to go home?”

Sarah yawned in response.

“Then let’s get you home.”

Jareth dropped Sarah off at her home, and he kissed her one more time.  Sarah asked him to come visit her the next day.  He agreed before disappearing.  Sarah was talking out loud as she prepared for bed.

“For the first time in a long, long time, I feel alive.  I felt it somewhat last night, but today was better.  What am I missing?”

Sarah went to bed with such thoughts plaguing her mind, and she tried to figure out how to capture those feelings more so, so that Jareth would not have to be around all the time. 

When Sarah woke up, she felt refreshed, with a smile on her face.  She decided to take the time to make a proper breakfast, just like her step-mother liked doing, with pancakes, eggs, and sausage.  She knew that Toby was probably sleeping in, but on the off-chance that he was not, she called him.  She had not seen him in a while, and while he was not expecting her call, he came over at once, ready to enjoy a good breakfast. 

The two ended up talking for a while as they cleaned up after breakfast, and then Toby had to go.  He had other engagements that day, and his parents had to take him there since they knew how to get there.  But, they were able to talk enough, and when Toby got picked up, Sarah had a smile and hug for both picking up Toby.  They encouraged her to come by some time for dinner.

When Sarah was alone again, she went for a walk and relaxed.  She read for enjoyment for the first time in a long, long time, and she was ready to call the day perfect, until she realized that Jareth had not come.  But, not long after cooking dinner, she heard a knock at her door, showing Jareth in all his glory.

“Hello, Precious.  Did you have a pleasant day?”

“I did.  Please come in.”

“Matters at court needed my attention longer than I anticipated, but I wanted to make sure that I saw you for a little while today.  Learn anything about today?”

“It felt good to do things for myself.  I don’t do that enough.”

“Right indeed, Sarah.  You’re far too good at thinking of others.”

“I didn’t do that enough growing up.”

“True, but everyone has that stage.  You’ve learned, and that’s what matters.”

“Would you like something to eat, Jareth? I just finished some pasta.”

“I’d like that.  Shall we?”

The two talked amicably over chicken carbonara, and then they went to the living room after finishing eating.  Jareth was not done asking hard questions.

“What did you read, Sarah?”

“Oh, a fantasy novel I bought a while back.  I’ve read all of her stuff in the past, and this is her newest.”

“Did you finish it?”

“No, I’m about halfway.  Her books are too long to be done in one day, if I want to have good eyesight after reading.”

Chuckling upon hearing such a thought, Jareth went in for the last big question.

“What of your own novel?”

“What of it? How much did my friends tell you?”

“I know that it exists, and that you’ve been working on it for at least ten years, without ever publishing it.  That’s a long time to sit on something.  You’re an editor for a living, Sarah.  How hard is it to edit your own work?”

“It’s been done for some time now.  I just don’t feel right asking people to read it.”

“You should.  If they’re truly your friends, then you shouldn’t feel bad doing so.”

“Well, that’s the thing-“

“Yes, that is a problem for you, isn’t it? Do you have any real friends there, Sarah? Do you even like it there anymore?”

“Jareth, that is not-“

“Don’t tell me it’s not my concern, Sarah, because it is.  I may not be Hogwash or that silly knight, but I care just as much about you, if not more.”

Sarah had been wondering just how much he cared for her after he had not corrected the goblins when they called her “Queenie”.  She had thought that he had forgotten about her, but that seemed to not be the case.  Part of her was curious how much he had truly kept tabs on her, but the bigger part of her knew that he did not pry or force.  He knew enough to be dangerous, and he cared.  He would not be here otherwise. 

“Why are you telling me this right now? Why not sooner?” she asked.

“Because I had no opening into your life for the longest time.  Your vague wishes were not enough to let me in.  For the longest time, I could not see you, only receive reports from your friends.  I’ve missed you ever since you left fifteen years ago.”

“Even then?”

“Yes, even then, Sarah.  Fae don’t always fall in love, but when they do, it’s for good.  Your run did that for me.”

Both were quiet again, as Jareth could see that Sarah needed a moment to process.  When she looked at him again, he began his questions again.

“But back to the topic at hand.  What about your novel? What about your current job? Is this truly all that you want in life?”

“No, that’s not all that I want in life.  But once I have this new job, I can-“

“Sarah, how are you happy there if you don’t have any friends? They’re boring, corporate-type people who aren’t worth your time.”

“You barely know-“

“I met enough of them on Friday night.  It’s always work, work, work.  That, or gossip.  There’s more to life, and a lot more people out there.  You deserve better.”

“I know what I want.”

“And what is it that you want, Sarah? Because I’m curious to know.”

“You.”

Sarah blushed at the word that immediately came to mind.  Jareth’s eyebrows rose before a sense of contentment seemed to flow out of him, his limbs relaxing as he leaned toward a blushing Sarah.

“Is that so, Sarah? After all that I’ve put you through in the past couple days?”

“I honestly don’t know what I want in life.  I want to publish my book one day, yes.  I want to spend more time with my family.  High on my list is also going back to the Underground, but none of those things would be complete without you.”

“What about your job?”

“I don’t know.  I need to think more.”

“I’ll take it.  So does this mean we can start dating officially?”

Sarah paused to consider his question seriously.  Maybe never was too long a time.

“Yes, I think so.  I’d like that, Jareth.”

“Good, so do I.  You won’t regret it.”

“I very much doubt I will.  You’ve turned my world upside down the last couple days, and I need it.”

“That’s because you need me in general.”

“Don’t push your luck, Jareth.  We just started dating, you know.”

Jareth laughed before pulling Sarah in for a kiss.  Sarah did not feel so bad about giving in to the feelings that he caused when kissing.

The two continued to talk until Sarah had to go to bed to get ready for work.  Jareth would come around Wednesday to see how she was, and perhaps eat out if Sarah did not feel like cooking.  He personally wanted to go back to the dance club again.

When Wednesday came around, Jareth was back at the door, and Sarah had a large smile on her face.

“Someone’s in a good mood.  Tell me what happened, Sarah.”

“They offered me the job at work.”

“And what did you say?”

“I told them I quit.”

“When was this?”

“Monday.”

“You’re still smiling.  What else happened, love?”

“I got a call Tuesday from the rival publishing company.  They wanted to offer me a job.”

“Is that so? What did you say?”

“I went in and visited the place.  I liked it.  I agreed to join them today.  They also asked me if I had ever considered writing.  They liked my choices in the past and thought that I’d have potential.”

“Now this should be interesting.  Did you tell them about your novel?”

“I did, and they’re looking at it now.”

“That’s my girl.  I think this calls for a celebration.”

“Thank you, Jareth.  I couldn’t have done it without you.  Where shall we go?”

“How about the dance club again?”

“Are you crazy, Jareth? I just quit there.”

“So? Let them eat their hearts out.  It’s good to flaunt it a little.  You’ll see.”

“I still think you’re crazy.”

“That may well be, and yet, you’re still with me.”

Sarah shrugged her shoulders before going upstairs to change.  The motorcycle was used again, and Jareth agreed to let Sarah learn how to drive it.

At the club, the two had a good time dancing.  When it was time for karaoke, Jareth went up again to sing another song, much to everyone’s delight.

“Lookee here, folks! We got someone coming back for another performance after Friday’s tour de force.  Here’s Jareth King again, this time singing ‘You May Be Right’ by Billy Joel.  Is this dedicated to Sarah again?”

“You betcha.  Everything I do, I do for her.  To Sarah!”

Sarah laughed as Jareth sang.  Yet again, she was struck by how true those words were for them.  Maybe, just maybe, she did need someone like Jareth in her life.  He was here now, and she was not going to fight that.  But she was definitely right about Jareth being crazy.