Forever and Always

Chapter One: For The Love of the Goblin King

Jareth had never been bested at his own game. Never had there been a runner who completed the labyrinth in enough time to get the child back that they had wished away. Never had a runner been able to refuse his offers, nor his seductions; no one except her. Sarah was a different breed of human. She knew what she wanted and she knew how to get it. She wanted her brother Toby back that much was certain, but she also wanted to be free from her step-mother. She stood in front of the Goblin King, Jareth and listened to his plea. "Just let me rule you  and you can have everything that you want..." He started to back away slowly, fearing that she would continue. "My kingdom as great... Kingdom as great... Damn. I can never remember that line." She mumbled "Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave." He plead with tears brimming his eyes. "W-What?" She stopped her thinking about defeating him and began thinking of a future with him. She saw their wedding, of course it would be an extravagant matter, being that he was royalty after all. She saw flashes of a happy marriage, their children, she adjusting to the life of the Goblin Queen. She saw it all and she wanted it.

"Please Sarah. I love you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I will make you happy. I promise you this and anything your heart desires." He got on his knees and bowed at Sarah's feet. He extended his arm so that the crystal was in her reach. "Yes." She took the crystal from his hand and he looked up at her with confused eyes. "What did you just say?" He breathed "I said, yes. I will be with you. I choose you and I choose freedom." She smiles at his sweet face as he begins to cry tears of joy. He stands at that moment and kisses her hand, moving up her arm, neck, and finally her face. She blinks and they are back in her parents room, Toby laying in the crib once more. "How did we get here?" She whispered "I told you that I'd give you whatever you wanted, so I gave you your brother back and brought you home." He stated plainly "I said that I wanted you, not to be brought home. I hate it here." She sighed angrily

 "I know Love, but you have to stay for a little while. You have to grow and become independent. You have to make them believe that you're only moving away, so that they can easily let you go. You want them to remember you, not just forget you once we leave." He explains calmly "When we leave? Are you staying until I'm able to move out?" She asks "Well, I do have to run the labyrinth, take care of the goblins and such, but I am staying here mostly. Going to try to understand you and your parents more and to spend more time with little Toby." He smiled brilliantly "Oh. I understand. So are you going to stay the night or are you going back Underground?" She looked away and just then, "We're home! Sarah? Are you home?" Her father called from downstairs. "Yes, I'm home!" She called back "I'm sad to say that I have to leave for the night. I don't think your father will quite like it if I was here in the morning, but don't you worry. I will be back tomorrow morning. We will go for a walk." He kissed her cheek and turned to fly out the window as an owl. "Sarah, you okay? How was Toby? I hope he didn't give you too hard of a time." Her father walked in to see Sarah looking at Toby in his crib. "Yeah, I'm fine. He was a little difficult for a while, but he went to bed just fine." She smiled and turned to leave the room. "I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning Dad." She kissed his cheek and walked to her room.

Jareth paced around the labyrinth for hours trying to find a way to bring Sarah down earlier then originally planned. The Labyrinth had been beat and needed to heal. She was weak from trying to detour the latest runner who had only entered after her king had returned without the champion. "I'm trying to understand why that girl isn't here. Jareth, I know that you want to make her happy and letting her say goodbye is a good way to do so, but My King, she belongs here. You need her and so do I." The Labyrinth spoke to Jareth as he walked through it. "My dear Labyrinth, Sarah needs time to leave her family. I want her here as much as you do, but we must be understanding. She wants to be here as much as we want her to be. She will return as soon as she can. I'm trying to figure out a way to get her here sooner then planned."He continued to pace the Labyrinth and think about his love in the Aboveground.