"You know, I've been waiting for this night all week," Jeremy said, licking his lips as he turned the cherry red Pontiac Grand Am G/T off the main highway and onto a darker street. Sarah rolled her eyes, accustomed to the nervous looks and awkward silences. She'd been on so many dates with so many men like Jeremy. They were handsome, well-off men who could have gotten easier women than Sarah, but somehow the quiet actress intrigued them to a point beyond her comprehension.

Suddenly, Jeremy slowed the car, pulling it to the curb. "Well, my dear, we've been on quite an expensive date. I took you to the best restaurant in town, we went to the movie theater, and I've even booked us a room in the finest hotel in town," he said, smiling broadly at her. Sarah's eyes grew wide as she realized what he was about to say next. "Now, you have two choices: You can agree to do as I say for the rest of the night and we'll go to the hotel, or you can get out of my car."

"Jeremy, we're in a very bad part of town! These abandoned warehouses are no place to leave a girl alone at 10 o'clock at night!" Sarah protested.

"So you'll come back to the hotel with me, then?" he retorted, grinning wider.

"Absolutely not! No matter how much money you have, how handsome you are, or what part of town you threaten to leave me in, you hold no power over me! Now take me back to my house!" she ordered.

Jeremy scowled. "No woman has EVER refused me! Now either get out or agree to my demands, you slut!" he shouted.

Sarah had had enough. Without a word, she grabbed her purse, opened the door, got out, and slammed it shut. Immediately, Jeremy rolled the window down. "Sarah, baby, don't do this! It's a dangerous part of town! I'm sorry! Look, just get back into the car and I promise to calm down!" Sarah rolled her eyes and began walking. He began following alongside her in the car. "Sarah, please. Don't do this. Look, just come back to the hotel with me."

"Jeremy, get the hell away from me! I'm sick of your bullshit and I'm sick of you! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself and I would NEVER go back to a hotel with you! Don't ever call me again!" she screamed.

"Fine. Whatever you want. Have a nice life." With that, Jeremy sped off into the night. Sarah was fuming. Of all the jerks she'd dated, Jeremy had to be the worst. They all lusted after her, offering her any number of things if only she would go to bed with them. However, there was only one man she would go to bed with. Though she'd told him years ago that he held no power over her, she had lied. No matter how many men she dated, how many men she tried desperately to fall in love with, he haunted her dreams, her thoughts, her very consciousness.

Thankfully, she reached the phone booth without incident. She deposited the coins and dialed the familiar number. "Hello?" questioned the soothing voice on the other end of the line. "Daddy? It's Sarah," she said, nearly sobbing. "I need you to come pick me up." There was a pause. She could hear little Toby in the background, asking who was on the phone. Her father sighed heavily. "Where are you, honey?" he asked. "At the abandoned warehouses on Garner Street," she said, tears spilling over onto her cheeks…

Sarah's father arrived fifteen minutes later. He parked the car on the side of the road and got out. Sarah came out of the phone booth and ran into his arms. "Sarah, honey, why are you here alone?" he asked, stroking her dark hair. Sarah began sobbing into his chest.

"Oh, Daddy! It's horrible! No matter how many men I date, they all want the same thing! Jeremy was no different! In fact, he was the worst of all!" she cried. Her father hugged her tightly for a moment, and then gently guided her to the car. On the way to his house, she explained the night's events.

As they pulled up to her childhood home, Sarah looked at her father and asked, "Why didn't you just take me back to my own home?" Her father smiled and replied, "I thought you might be safer here. I don't want that jerk finding you tonight. You'll sleep here. Your stepmother still has a couple of your old nightgowns."

The pair got out of the car and went into the house. Her father explained the situation to her stepmother as Sarah went straight to her old bedroom. Her parents kept it for her in case of nights like this one.

Sarah dropped her purse onto the bed, kicked her heels off, and went straight to the bathroom to wash off her makeup. As she was finishing up, her stepmother opened the door. "Sarah, I laid a nightgown on the bed for you. Are you okay, honey?" she asked, noticing Sarah's red eyes. Sarah smiled and led her stepmother to her bedroom. Her stepmother took a seat on the bed as Sarah closed the door.

"I'm so tired of dating jerks. I just wish that for once I could meet a guy who loved me for who I was and not what I could offer him!" Sarah exclaimed, sitting next to her stepmother and sobbing. Her stepmother wrapped her in a hug and said, "Oh, honey, it'll be okay! You'll meet a nice guy some day and he'll sweep you off your feet. Look, I'm really tired right now, but why don't we take tomorrow as a girls' day out? We'll go shopping, get our nails done, and go to that little ice cream shop you like. It'll take your mind off of things."

Sarah sat up and sniffed. "Okay. It sounds like a good plan," she said, wiping her eyes. "Goodnight, sweetie," her stepmother said as she left the room. "Goodnight!" Sarah called after her. She stood up and began to take the knee-length, spaghetti-strap black dress off. She then unhooked her strapless black bra and tossed it aside. As she pulled on the white cotton nightgown, she caught a glimpse of her favorite book, Labyrinth…

Jareth sat on his throne, watching Sarah through his crystal. He always watched her. He saw every date she went on, and every tear she cried afterwards. Those men did not love her as he loved her. They did not offer her the world. They did not offer her what she wanted—no, needed. Jareth watched even now as she changed into the simple white nightgown. No matter how many outfits or how much makeup she wore, this nightgown was his favorite. It showed off her natural beauty, a beauty that only he could see.

Through the crystal, Jareth watched as Sarah picked up the old book that she loved so much. He watched as she thumbed through the pages, searching for her favorite passage. She stood up again and began speaking the words aloud. As she neared the end, her voice faltered. She couldn't even say the last line, a line that only a few years ago she'd spoken directly to his face. A line that he knew was nothing more…

Sarah paced the floor of her bedroom, reciting the ending passage from the book. "Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child that you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great..." Her voice faltered. "Damn. I can never get that last line out. I couldn't as a teenager and I can't now."

"Because it's a lie, Sarah," came a familiar voice. Sarah whipped her head around, looking for the speaker. She saw him standing in front of the window. Jareth, the Goblin King, had returned to her.

"I've watched you," he said, walking forward. "I've watched you try to forget me. All those men you've dated…Tsk tsk, Sarah." Sarah stared at him and backed away. "I don't know what you're talking about. Dating is a common human phenomenon. It happens every day. Why shouldn't I date? I am human, after all," she said, sitting abruptly on her bed.

Jareth laughed. Suddenly, Sarah was no longer in her room. Instead, she found herself in a strange room, albeit a richly furnished room. The bed she sat on was covered in the finest black silk. Candles were the only light source. Jareth loomed over her.

"You…you hold no…no power over me." Sarah struggled to get the words out. Jareth laughed again, then said, "My dear, you know as well as I do that those words are mere words. They have no truth behind them. They never did and they never will."

"That's not true! They worked those years ago when I stood before you to get Toby back!" Sarah retorted.

"No, my dear, they did not," Jareth said. "I did not let you go because I held no power over you. I let you go because I knew what it would take to win you over. I did everything for you. I took the baby when you asked, I reordered time itself, and I even turned the world upside down for you. Don't you know I move the stars for no one? I've certainly offered you more than those louts could ever dream of offering you. All I asked was that you love me, that you give yourself to me, and in return I would be your slave. Was that not enough?"

Sarah dropped her head. "It's true," she said, almost inaudibly. Jareth smiled, knowing that his years of patience had paid off. "I gave you the thing you desired most that day—your freedom," he finished quietly. Ever so gently, her shoulders began to shake and soft sobs escaped her throat. It nearly rent Jareth in half to see her sobbing in his presence. Soon he would make sure that he put a stop to the countless tears she shed.

"Are you ready to give up your place in the human world and reign as my queen, Sarah?" he asked, as she finally lifted her head to gaze up at him. He gently wiped the tears from her face with his right thumb. "Those men offer you nothing in comparison to what I've already given you. Be my queen and I will be your slave. You will hold every power over me."

"But what of my parents? What of Toby? What will happen if I never return?" Sarah suddenly questioned. Jareth turned away from her, thinking of how he could convince her to leave her family. "You could tell them you're moving to a foreign country. I won't keep you from them, as long as they live. You may visit them as you like," he said finally. It was her turn to think on his words. "No, not a foreign country. I think moving to another state may be enough," she replied.

"Then you'll agree to be my queen?" he asked excitedly. Sarah gave him a nervous grin. The Goblin King swept her off the bed and waltzed her around the room, careful to avoid the gilded furniture.

Giving her one last twirl, Jareth kissed her deeply and passionately. He then proclaimed, "We'll have the ceremony tomorrow! I've already made the arrangements. And once the ceremony's complete, you'll be my eternal queen." He kissed her again, quelling any forthcoming protests.

Sarah was so overcome with joy that she didn't take note of Jareth guiding her back to the bed until he had laid her back on it. He knelt over her, eyes gleaming with mischief. "My beautiful queen," he whispered, desire etching deeply across his timeless features.

His fingers nimbly undid the three pearl buttons at the neckline of Sarah's nightgown, exposing her tender flesh. He slid the material down so that he could place warm, loving kisses on her collar bone. The brunette tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and moaned in satisfaction. "Does this please you, my queen?" the Goblin King asked, looking up at her with dark, lust-laden eyes. She looked back at him and pressed her lips to his.

As they kissed, Jareth slid his hands down Sarah's body slowly, only to slide them under the hem of her nightgown and back up. They broke their kiss reluctantly so that he could slide the garment over her head and discard it beside the bed. He sat back, admiring her flawless body. "My God, you are exquisite, Sarah," Jareth remarked. She giggled and blushed in reply before reaching up and unbuttoning the simple silk shirt her king had been wearing. His pants came next.

The two now sat in their underwear, admiring each other's exposed flesh. Overcome by a primal need, Jareth pushed Sarah back onto the bed and immediately enveloped her mouth with his. His hand slid down her side slowly, leaving a trail of gooseflesh. Finally he reached the top of her black silk panties and hooked his index finger over the top. In one quick, fluid motion, he ripped the garment from her body, rending a loud gasp from his queen.

"Jareth! We're not married yet!" Sarah exclaimed. The Goblin King chuckled and replied, "Sarah, my dear, that ceremony is just a formality. Tonight will be our true wedding." With another quick movement, Jareth removed his underwear, exposing his fully-erect member. He planted his lips firmly over Sarah's again and slowly began inserting himself into her velvet sheath. Suddenly she gasped and Jareth stopped to look up at her pain-stricken face.

"I'm sorry, my beautiful queen!" Jareth exclaimed. "I-it's fine," Sarah said slowly. "Just…Just let me get used to you." The Goblin King did as she requested, focusing all of his attention on her luscious lips. Soon, under his ministrations, Sarah was able to forget the pain in her sheath and Jareth began moving. He thrust in again and again, driving them both to the brink of immense pleasure. With one final thrust, the two cried out in ecstasy as they climaxed.

Jareth collapsed on top of Sarah, out of breath, but smiling for all the world like an idiot. Sarah, also out of breath, ran her fingers lovingly through his hair. "That was amazing," the dark-haired girl whispered…

The next day, a wondrous and splendid ceremony took place, uniting the Goblin King with his beautiful new queen for all eternity. She would later phone her family to inform them that she had moved to England to pursue a more serious stage career. However, she and her king both knew that she actually had moved to castle beyond the Goblin City to rule for all eternity beside the Goblin King.