A/N: You guys know the drill, nothing is mine (much to my chagrin).

Second Chances and Altered Endings

"What is this?"

The balcony doors crashed open, jerking Sarah roughly from her sleep. Disoriented she rolled from the bed; turning to face whatever threat awaited her. A shocked cry froze in her throat, however, when she came face to face with a man she never thought she'd ever see again.

"Jareth," she whispered, numb.

"Hello Sarah," he greeted her coolly, waving a book. "What is this?"

Blinking away sleep, Sarah focused on the title of the book he held. "How did you get a copy of that?" she whispered in horror, the blood draining from her face.

"Does it matter? What matters is I did and I read it. Now, would you like to explain what you think you're doing? You have just told the world about the Underground," he hissed angrily.

"Jareth, I'm a well-known fantasy author. No one believes what they read in my books. When I say I've been there, the readers assume it's a gag to promote my work."

"Those who have run the labyrinth will believe it."

"And how many of us are there? It's not like we're going to form a club. Victims of the Goblin King Unite!"

"Victims?" he asked, stalking towards her slowly. "I did only what you asked."

Sighing, Sarah rubbed her forehead. "We've been over this before."

"Indeed." He shifted his attention back to the book in his hands. "Why write this story, Sarah? Why give our story to the world?"

"Maybe because I needed to," she snapped. "I needed to write it down, to get it out of me so I could go on with my life."

"Then why change the ending?" The words were spoken so softly Sarah almost missed them. Unable to look at him Sarah busied herself getting a robe from her closet, refusing to answer. At her silence Jareth opened the book and started to read aloud.

"You have no power over me!"

Despair and defeat flew across the goblin king's face as the clock struck 13. He stared to disappear in a flurry of robes as the world tumbled down around them.

"No!" The girl cried and threw herself into his arms, halting his exit.

"You won," he whispered harshly. "Go home."

"No," she repeated. "I can't."

"No one's stopping you, Sarah."

"Aren't they?" she asked angrily, looking up into his face. "Toby is safe now, you swear?"

"You beat me," he enunciated slowly. "I have no power to hold him. Or to hold you."

"Good," she breathed but didn't release him.

"What do you want, Sarah?"

"Maybe I don't want the story to end yet."

At her words he stilled, staring down at her. "What do you mean?"

"Did you mean them, the words you sang to me at the ball? Were they true?"

"Yes," he hissed, as if in pain.

"Then maybe I don't want to go back yet. There is much left unsaid between you and I."

'What do you want, Sarah? I've already offered you the world."

"I want to be with you, Jareth. Forever and always."

He snapped the book shut with a loud thud. "Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, that is not the way I remember things ending, then again you always did have a vivid imagination. But you were so faithful in your retelling up till the end. Why change it?"

"Why do you care?" she asked instead, evading his question.

"I had you all but forgotten, Sarah. That took me a very long time to accomplish. And then you wrote this book and forced me to see our tale through your eyes."

"You were never meant to see that book."

"No? Your dedication says otherwise."

She winced as he once again opened the book and read, "To all my friends in the Underground... and to an arrogant goblin king. What is your wish, Jareth?"

"I didn't think you'd actually read the book," she whispered, wrapping her arms around herself.

"But I did, and here we are. Tell me why you wrote this, Sarah," he requested softly, gliding towards her.

"To see what would happen. I wrote that ending as a way of reliving the past. It was an experiment, really. I wanted to see if there had been another choice, all those years ago."

"What did you decide?"

"I don't know. Maybe we could have been together. Or maybe if I had stayed you would have ended up tricking me into something else."

"Such little trust," he murmured.

"But it doesn't matter now. As you said, what's done is done. It's over, the story is finished."

"I don't accept that," he whispered, staring into her eyes.

"Why?"

"Maybe I don't want the story to end yet," he said, using her own words.

"It's been years. You can't still…"

"What? Can't still want you? I've loved you since you were 15 years old, Sarah. Things like that don't just disappear because we want them too. Even if we wish it."

She looked up at him with shocked eyes.

"You knew that, Sarah. Now because of your book the world knows it too. I saw myself through your eyes. I know you understand what that time at the ball meant."

"Not for sure…"

"Stop playing games, Sarah. Just tell me what you want, what you wish."

Stepping closer to him she lightly touched his face, searching his eyes as if there was an answer to the riddle there. Taking a deep breath she took a chance, "I wish you were mine."

A smile curved his lips. "That can be arranged," he agreed pulling her into his arms.

"Take me with you," she asked softly. "Take me back to the Underground. Not forever, but for a little while."

"As always, my dearest Sarah," he replied, lifting her face to meet his eyes, "your wish is my command."

Holding each other tightly the couple faded from the room.

The End