Author's note: Swoot! New story guys! Now that I've had a taste of drama and angst I want to try my hand at something that ties all of that in with a little humor. This is going to be a sort of AU type of thing, out of character, but I'll add in the necessary cruelty, trickery and deception throughout the plot. Hope you all like it.

Kryhs

Chapter One: Wake up in a Whole New World.

She was dreaming. It was always the same. She was in a large room with high walls and a small circular drop in the center. The stone floor was littered with empty goblets and dirty blankets. The smell of dirt and grime permeated the room as a result of what looked like rusty weapons and smelly bodies lying on the floor against the walls and in balconies high above her head. Livestock slept in haphazard places about the slumbering bodies in the room; a chicken here, a goat there. Her nose crinkled as one of the figures snorted and passed gas in his sleep. She looked up towards the high ceiling and drew her eyebrows together in speculation. How could he live like this? Her attention turned towards the throne at the far wall, elevated slightly higher than the rest of the room with its curved horn armrests.

And she saw him. His head cradled in his hand, propped up by an elbow, as he gazed pensively out of the window into the night sky, his long legs casually tossed over the arm of the throne. His eyes were slowly roving among the stars shining brightly outside and his face washed over with a peaceful look. This was a side of him she only saw in her dreams. At first all they did was argue, she berating him for his lack of compassion and him criticizing her for her naivety. Then after a year or so they began making small talk, gradually progressing to light conversation, and then finally being genuinely inquisitive about one another. After all this was only a dream, why make it a bad one? Now days she stayed for what felt like hours on end and then left when she began yawning in her dream. But, tonight was different; she wanted to stay until she woke up on her own in the middle of it. His company was pleasant enough and there were things she needed to know as well.

Approaching him carefully, she sat at the foot of the golden seat and cleared her throat elegantly. A smile swept across his face as he turned his bright and dark eyes toward her.

"Hello, Jareth…" she said sweetly.

"Hello."

"Don't you think you should clean up a bit?" she asked turning so that her back could rest against the throne and stretching her legs out on the steps, "I mean seriously look at this place." He chuckled deeply.

"Well I would have been sleeping comfortably in my tidy bedroom had someone not begun to drag me down here every other night. Truly, Sarah, why did your visits begin to increase in frequency? At first I rarely saw you but once a month and now…" Blushing, she tilted her head trying to think of an answer.

"Well," she began, "I don't know really. I think it has something to do with our being nice to each other lately, and the fact that I'm not scared of you anymore."

He tilted his head to look at her better, "You're not?"

"No."

"Really?"

"Yes, I mean. No, I'm not scared of you. I-" She turned to look at him, a teasing smile placed firmly upon his lips, "Shut up!"

"I haven't said anything," he answered in his justification.

"Yeah, but you're thinking something."

"Ah, but have I voiced it?"

"Well, no."

"Then I can't rightfully 'shut up' now, can I?" he asked mockingly. Sarah narrowed her eyes at him and turned away.

"I hate it when you do that," she said crossing her arms over her chest in a huff.

"Do what?"

"When you get all technical and stuff and then I feel like an idiot because you always find a way to get the upper hand of the situation." He was quiet for a moment.

"Touché, dearest."

The smile that tugged at the corners of Sarah's lips betrayed her indignant reply, "Whatever, don't try and pull me down to your level. I, my good sir, am a lady, and as a lady, I deserve the respect that comes with my gender," she said regally. Jareth snorted and recovered himself quickly as Sarah spun around and glared at him.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly.

She smiled at him, "I'm glad, though."

"About what?"

"That I didn't force myself to stop dreaming about meeting you like this."

His eyes became serious, "Why is that?"

"Because, now I feel that you're not the evil person you seemed to be all those years ago."

"Quite the contrary, my dear." he smiled and looked towards the window, "You make it sound as if it has been decades since that night. It's only been five years, Sarah." He looked back at her. She had turned around so that she could face him; her head lay atop her arms, resting on the seat of the throne.

"Yeah, I know." She yawned and continued, "But, I know you feel it's been forever too. I mean, we weren't exactly nice to each other then, and now look at us: Having a civil conversation in the middle of the night as if we were the best of friends."

"If you're tired, go back. I won't keep you." He shifted his position in the large chair.

"No, I'm fine. I didn't think I would start yawning this quickly though." Her head lolled as she lifted her eyes towards his, "But, before I pass out on you, there is something that I need to know." He stared at her, urging her to go on.

"If I had stayed, if I had accepted the crystal in the end, what would have happened to me?"

"If I offered you one right now, would you take it?"

"Uh-uh, Mr. Tight-Knickers, I asked you a question first," She said stifling another yawn.

He gazed down into her eyes, "I would have given you anything you could possibly dream of." She stared silently up at him, a small feeling tugging at the base of her throat and alien warmth spread to her face, "And, you? What about my question?"

"I would take it without a moments hesitation," she said closing her eyes, "You're much nicer in my dreams anyway." She smiled and her breathing began to take on the slow, steady pattern of one who had drifted off to a deep sleep.

-x-X-x-X-x-

Jareth stared down at the dark haired woman that slept at the foot of his throne. He laid his head against the arm of the golden chair and smiled sadly to himself wishing his dreams would stop provoking him. Every other night he would dream about Sarah, and every day wake up to a cold and empty bedroom. He wondered if she dreamt of him at all. He wondered if she thought of him the way he woke up and fell asleep thinking of her. At first the dreams weren't this pleasant, they were out right vengeful. He would wake up with a sore throat from the screaming, and fall asleep hoping to see her again. He did eventually. But, like she had said, when the dreams became more enjoyable, the more they began to occur. He felt himself drifting off as well and decided it was for the best that his dreams needed to end. Other wise he might begin to think she really was visiting him at night.

Hours later when the sun began to pry the king's eyes open, he felt that something was completely wrong. His gloved hand laid on something soft and smooth, a pulse beneath his fingertips made his eyes snap open in alarm. There, curled peacefully by his throne was Sarah Williams in the flesh. His hand lay on her shoulder near her neck. Wide eyed he sat up trying in vain not to disturb her. Her eyes cracked open and she took in her surroundings. At first her eyes held those of a drunken stupor, then as the dawning realization hit her, she screamed. And, she woke everyone in the room up with her.

"What did you do?" she cried glaring at the king, a look he hoped she would never give him again.

"Would you believe me if I said nothing?" he said submissively, the enchantment from the previous night already bleeding away from their relationship. Her glare deepened indicating that her trust of him had broken into pieces. Obviously she only thought highly of him in his dreams. But, what caused her to lie in the same exact position as his dream was unfathomable to him.

"Send me back!" she said in a shrill voice causing him to wince inwardly, "Now!"

This was going to be a very long day.

Author's note: This is more of a romance I guess, but I think their playful banter is cute, don't you? Review please: compliments, criticisms, flames. All are welcome.

Kryhs