Secret Admirer
By Jade
Pulling a sheet from the drawer, she placed it neatly on the desktop. Taking a deep breath, she
held the pen in her hand, trying to think of what to write. The pen flowed effortlessly over the
white paper, forming eloquent words not to be taken lightly. Soon, this letter would find the
writer's true love, in the hopes that he would possibly return the feelings.
Her eyes looked it over, each delicate word showing a little bit of herself. Once she was satisfied,
she signed it simply with x's and o's. Smiling faintly, she folded it and placed it in an envelope,
signing the name Jareth across the front. Her heart fluttering in her chest, she knew it was
something she had to do. She had to tell him, she had to let him know that after all these years,
she had fallen in love with him.
Slipping it into a book, she sighed softly, knowing that she had to get ready for the party. Getting
to her feet, she began making herself ready; all the while her mind was on him and the letter.
**********
"Are you ready?" he asked, waiting for her reply. It amazed him that as time passed, he and Sarah
had become good friends. She had seen him through good times and bad, and he knew she would
always be there.
"Just a sec," she replied, fastening a small purse shut. Getting to her feet, she smiled at him as he
took her hand. A moment later, she was in the middle of a party.
"Go mingle, Sarah. There are many eligible men here this evening," he whispered in her ear, while
eying another guest. "I'll see you later."
"Okay," she replied, as she watched him go. She couldn't help but wonder who had his attention
this time. No sooner did she wonder, than she saw him sidle up to a voluptuous blonde.
"Figures," she grinned, then turned around to find anyone that she might know.
"Sarah!" the voice cut through the confusion. "It's about time you got here," Toni said, smiling at
her friend.
"Hey Toni, how's the party?" Sarah asked.
"Great, and Jareth even let me bring Mike," she replied happily. As if on cue, muscled arms
encircled her waist and a chin rested lightly on her shoulder.
"Hi Mike," Sarah said.
"Hey there Sarah, great party."
"Maybe you should tell Jareth that," she smiled.
"Yo! Jareth, cool party!" he yelled across the assembly, making Sarah cringe in embarrassment.
Jareth simply nodded and went back to his conversation. "So, Sarah, what's up?" he asked
politely.
"Not much Mike, and you?" she replied.
"Well now, isn't this a pleasure?" Jareth said, looking over the trio. His gaze landed on Toni.
"How are you this evening Toni?" he asked, smiling softly at her. Her beauty caught his eye the
first time he had met Sarah's friend.
"Fine, thanks for letting us come." she replied.
"Nonsense, a friend of Sarah's is a friend of mine. Enjoy the party," he retorted, taking her hand
as grazing it with his lips.
"Okay, enough of that." Mike stated, pulling her hand away possessively.
Jareth smiled and walked away. The rest of the evening was filled with song, dance and laughter
as the guests enjoyed their surroundings. Jareth watched Toni most of the evening. How odd
that such a creature could escape his notice for so long. As the party began to dissipate, Jareth
said his goodbyes then found solace in the silence.
Jareth went to his throne and sat down, wanting to rest for just a bit before having to deal with
anything else. Feeling something beneath him, he reached underneath himself and pulled out an
envelope. Looking at it with interest, he noticed his name written on the front. Pulling out the
paper inside, he stared at the writing as he read the words.
---I don't know how to tell you what I want to tell you, so I'm writing it down. I'll never find the
nerve to give you this letter anyway. When I look at you, I can't take my eyes off of you. I long
to have your arms around me and feel your body against mine. Oh god, I'm such a jerk. I know
you don't fell like I do, which is why I don't have the courage to sign this. But I just love you
more than words can say.
XXXOOOXXX------
Jareth lowered the letter, his eyes taking in the form of a goblin before him. His mind wandered
trying to decipher the letter. Who could have left it for him? There were so many guests, how
would he know which one? He knew who he wanted it to be, Toni.
"Yer highness?" the goblin said, attracting Jareth's attention.
"What?" he asked, his mind still on the letter in his hand. He looked at the goblin. "What do you
think? Do you think she sent me the letter?" he stated, not really caring one way or another.
"Letter?" the goblin asked, confused already.
"Yes. A, shall we say, love letter," he stated, his expression serious.
"Well why not yer majesty? You's a good lookin' fella. Any woman would surely fall for the likes
of you," the goblin replied.
"Quite right," he replied, getting to his feet. "There is a party tomorrow, I know she'll be there,"
he plotted; already having his mind set that it was her. "I shall have her."
"Yes yer majesty," the goblin replied, before the King left the room. "Hope he knows wha he
doin'," he muttered softly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next evening Jareth stood among the crowded room. Now out of his normal environment, he
felt a bit conspicuous. Searching the crowd for Toni, he finally spotted her standing with Mike.
That no good, rotten excuse for a man has finally met his match. Jareth smiled when he notice
Mike walk away from her. "Time to make my move," he said quietly.
Making his way through the crowd, he finally reached her standing by a set of stairs. Smiling, he
stopped right in front of her, his eyes drinking in her form, beautiful as always.
"Jareth, what are you doing here?" she asked, in shock that he would leave his castle.
"I got a letter yesterday," he whispered softly.
"A letter? How nice for you, now will you please go away?" she asked, worried by his strange
behavior.
"When I look at you," he began, spouting off various phrases of the letter he had memorized word
for word.
Sarah stopped short on the steps, hidden by the wall. Jareth, here?' she thought, wondering what
he was up to now.
"What are you doing Jareth? Are you drunk?" Toni asked, trying to get away from him any way
she could.
"Only with love for..." Jareth broke off abruptly. "Mike, how are you?" he asked.
"What are doing here Jareth?" Mike asked, eying him suspiciously.
"Jareth, there you are. I have been looking all over for you," Sarah stated, poking her head
around the corner.
"Did you bring him Sarah?" Mike asked, looking from one to the other.
"Yeah, he's a great dancer. Jareth, care to dance?" she said, grasping his arm and pulling him into
the crowd.
Moving to a secluded corner, Jareth stopped suddenly. "I better be going before I ruin your
evening more than I already have."
"Don't be silly," she replied, a faint smile lighting up her features.
"Goodbye Sarah," he uttered as he disappeared in front of her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that evening, Sarah sat in her room, thinking about everything that had transpired over the
night. A faint tapping on her window caught her attention. Opening it, Jareth stood on the other
side. "What are you doing here? Are you crazy?" she asked, her voice soft.
"Would you like to go somewhere?" he asked, really needing a friend who understood him.
"Now?" she asked, noting the time.
"Oh come on Sarah," he replied, looking at her and giving her a smile he knew she wouldn't resist.
He watched her turn around and grab her jacket.
"Shh... You'll wake my dad," she whispered as he helped her out the window.
Setting her down on her feet beside him, he grinned. "Shh... you'll wake your dad." he mocked.
Pulling the window down softly, they walked off through the night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sitting beside Jareth, she listened intently to him go on and on about her friend. How beautiful
she was, almost perfection. Then the next thing really caught her attention and she found herself
staring back at him.
"What letter?" she asked, intrigued with this new subject.
"A silly letter I should not have paid so much attention to," Jareth stated, stretching out on his
back on the ground. "Perhaps it isn't even real. I bet it is just a joke. Hedgewart, I'll kill him."
Sarah looked at him, stretched out beside him, thinking of what to say. "Ow, this isn't that
comfortable," she stated.
"Oh, here," he offered, stretching his arm beneath her head. "Better?" he mused.
"Yes, thanks. Maybe the letter is real," she said.
"Perhaps, but I doubt Toni would have given it to me. I just wish I knew what I found so
intoxicating about her," he muttered softly. Jareth turned to look at Sarah beside him. "Thanks
for helping me out tonight. Could have been quite a messy situation," he said, running his finger
down the side of her face lightly. "I better get you back."
Getting to his feet, he grasped her hands and pulled her up easily. Walking her back, he went
through the whole chain of events that led him to believe that Toni might have written it. Oh how
he wished she would have.
"If you really like her all that much Jareth, why don't call her and tell her? You can use my
phone," she offered.
"I can't do that. Not after what I did tonight," he stated.
"Then write her a letter."
"Oh sure, then she will rip it up as soon as she notices who it is from. Wonderful plan Sarah," he
smiled.
"Don't sign it. Have someone else give it to her, and if she doesn't like it, then she won't know
who it's from. Then you'll have nothing to worry about," Sarah offered.
"That's a good idea, why didn't I think of that?" he mumbled to himself. "I could write her a
letter, and you could give it to her," he said then changed his mind. "No, you have already done
enough for me."
"I have?" she asked.
"Yes. You're a good friend Sarah," he said, kissing her cheek lightly then disappearing.
Sarah stared at the empty space then headed home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning, while Jareth slept, a lone goblin made his way into his bedchamber. Sneaking
quietly toward the closet, it noticed a paper lying solely on the top of Jareth's dresser. Slinking
closer, the goblin picked it up and glanced down at the words. He, being one of Jareth's smarter
goblins, smiled as he looked down through the same black writing.
Jareth stirred, causing the goblin to jump. Remembering his task, he grabbed what laundry he
could find, and made his way out the door, the letter still in his grubby little hands. Dropping the
laundry off, he failed to notice the letter laying amongst the bundle of clothes.
"There ye be," he said, grinning at the young goblin that took notice to his being there.
"Is that all?" one of the older females asked, glancing his way briefly.
"Yep," he replied, then left as quickly as he came.
Walking over to the bundle, she picked up the paper and tossed it aside onto another bundle of
clothes. She had no use for paper. She couldn't have read it anyway.
Another goblin made his way through, picking up the bundles already done. "This Hoggle's?" he
asked, looking down at the clothes in front of him.
"Yep, said I'd do em, so I did," she replied, and shooed him away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hoggle opened his door to find his clothes on the doorstep. Bringing them inside, he started
putting them away and came across a paper that caught his eye. Looking it over, his cheeks
flushed with color as he wondered who would send him such a letter. Looking out the window,
he could see many he knew and yet none capable of such a feat. Sighing in resignation, a knock
at the door startled him.
"Comin', comin'" he called, making his way to the door and pulling it open. A small fairy floated
in his eyesight. Reaching for his can of spray, he raised it, poised to spray the no good fairy, but
stopped himself. Looking at her, he smiled. "Well li'l lady, what cans I do fer ya?" he asked
politely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sarah sat looking at her watch. He said he'd be here by eight, she thought to herself. Glancing
up, she saw Jareth walking towards her, a big smile on his face. Sliding into the booth, he grinned
at her and flopped an envelope down in front of her.
"Didn't think I would do it, did you?" he asked, looking around.
"What's this?" she asked, indicating the envelope as she picked it up.
"The letter. You suggested it, remember?" he asked.
"I remember," she muttered, tossing it down on the table and grabbing her drink.
"So, when are you going to give it to her? Tonight?" he prodded impatiently.
"I don't know, will you just calm down?" she stated, smiling at his boyish charm.
"I can't calm down until I know what comes of it."
"If you don't calm down, I'll " she started picking up the letter and holding it in her hands.
"What?" he glanced up. "Sarah, don't," he warned.
"Or what?" she chuckled as she threatened ripping the letter in two.
"Come on Sarah," he soothed.
Sarah smiled and laid it on the table. "You know I wouldn't have done it, don't you?" she grinned.
"Yes, I know," he replied, a grin crossing his face.
"I'll give it to her tomorrow. Look Jareth, if it's meant to happen between two people it'll happen.
You can't push it."
"Thanks," he replied. "What's this?" he asked, picking up a brochure. "School afloat?"
Sarah took it from his hand. "Yeah."
"Why didn't you tell me you were going to do this? We're friends Sarah, why didn't you even
mention it?" he asked, a hurt tone in his voice.
"I just did it," she replied softly, shrugging her shoulders. Jareth just stared at her, not wanting to
think about losing his friend. He watched blindly as she got to her feet. "I have to go. I'll talk to
you later Jareth." Sarah walked out the door leaving a very stunned Jareth behind her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Walking into her room, she turned on the lights, illuminating a picture beside her lamp. Tossing
down her keys and the envelope on her desk, an odd thought struck her. What would he write to
someone he thought to be in love with? Looking at the envelope, an idea flitted through her
mind. Gently picking it up, she held it to the light, not sure of what she was doing.
"No, this is wrong," she mumbled, dropping it back down to the desk. "He's my friend, and I just
can't do things like that," she rationalized to herself.
Picking it up once again, she left her room and walked into the kitchen. Putting a kettle of water
on the stove, she stared at the envelope. The same envelope that took all her hopes and dreams
away with just one swipe of the pen. The kettle whistled as the steam flowed freely.
Sarah got to her feet, and held the letter in her hand over the steam. Within a few seconds, the
envelope opened easily, and she pulled out the paper within. Looking at it, she began to read:
"*My dearest darling, Love is the flower of time and every petal that falls is an eternal moment
without you.* Oh Jareth, this is dog doo." she muttered, folding it up again. A thought struck
her. Wadding up the paper, she made her way back to her room. Pulling out a sheet of paper,
she placed it in front of her on the desk and began write, speaking the words aloud as she did so.
"I have finally found the courage to write you a letter. You may never know who I am, but that
hasn't stopped you from giving me the greatest gift I've ever known." She paused to look at his
picture in front of her. "Idiot," she smirked, then returned to the letter. "If for just one brief
moment I could feel your lips against mine, I would die a happy man."
Sarah folded the paper and put it in the envelope. Her heart heavy with sadness, she turned off
the light and fell asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"This is so great! You have to tell me who wrote this," Toni said, clutching the letter in her hand.
"I can't Toni, I promised I wouldn't," Sarah replied, looking at a magazine left on Toni's kitchen
table.
"I think I'm in love," Toni replied.
"How do you know that? You don't even know who wrote it," Sarah retorted.
"Where is everyone?" a voice called from the living room.
"In here mom," Toni called back.
The door swung open revealing a woman smiling back at them. "Hello Sarah. Where's your
father Toni?"
"Sleeping," she replied.
"Great! The one night I don't work and he pulls the nightshift. Splendid," she replied, setting her
things on the table and walking back through the door.
"Now tell me who wrote the letter!" Toni demanded.
"No can do Toni, I promised. Anyhow, what about Mike?" Sarah asked walking to the door.
"What about Mike? He's the same as any other jock," Toni responded.
Sarah pulled the door open to find Mike on the other side, ready to knock. "Hi Mike," she said
with a smile, ducking under his arm on her way out.
"Later Sarah," he called after her. "Hey gorgeous, how's about a little kiss?" he asked, stepping
closer to Toni.
Toni hid the letter behind her back. "Come and get it," she teased, walking backwards toward the
table. Feeling around for her mother's purse, she stuffed her letter inside to keep it away from
Mike. The door burst open suddenly and the two jump apart.
"Hello there sweet pea," the deep voice said, as his eyes took in the form of the dreaded
boyfriend.
"Hi daddy," Toni replied.
"Hello Lieutenant sir," Mike said politely.
He looked Mike up and down, while grabbing his wife's purse. "Uh-huh. Just you keep in mind
Mikey my boy, you get her pregnant, and I doubt anyone will miss you," he stated, patting his
pistol in its holster.
"Daddy!" Toni exclaimed as her father walked away. "Oh god, I think I want to die."
Putting the purse on the shelf, he pulled out everything just to get the wallet. Putting everything
back inside, he found a folded paper lying amongst the clutter. Unfolding it, he read the words,
anger flowing through his veins at the thought of another man trying to get the attention of his
wife. Hearing her enter the room with her soft humming, he crammed it back into her purse, and
turned around to smile at her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sarah, walking down her street, jumped when Jareth suddenly appeared in front of her. Regaining
her senses, she shook her head and kept walking.
"You shouldn't do that to people Jareth," she said, knowing he was not far behind.
"Do what?" he asked innocently.
"Pop in on someone just to do it. You shouldn't use your magic for everything, you know."
"Hmm? Yes, yes I will try to keep that in mind. So?" he asked, barely able to contain his
excitement.
"So what?" she asked, not slowing her pace.
"Did she like it?" he asked.
"Yes, Jareth, she liked it," she answered, looking straight ahead.
Grabbing her arm, he stopped her and turned her around. "But she said she really liked it, right?"
he asked again.
"Yes, she really liked it, now let go." Sarah replied, yanking her arm away.
"I think I should write her another one, what do you think Sarah?" he asked.
Sarah, exasperated by everything, threw her hands up in the air and walked away. Jareth stood
and watched her go before disappearing himself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jareth sat on his throne, writing diligently. His hand moved swiftly as the words crossed the
paper. When he finished, he read over what he had written. "Oh, what crap!" he exclaimed,
wondering how the first letter ever made such an impact. "So I can't write letters as eloquently as
I should like. So? At least I have an excellent voice," he smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sarah stood in her kitchen once again looking over Jareth's letter of affection. "Oh good grief
Jareth, this won't do. What crap!" she stated, crumpling up the paper once again, then proceeded
to fix the situation once again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day, Sarah handed Toni the letter, then sat down and rummaged through magazines
once again. Looking at Toni's image in the mirror, she could tell already that Jareth's letter had
made quite an impression.
"Oh my," Toni breathed, hardly able to think straight. "You have to tell me who wrote these,
please?" she begged, clutching the letter in her hands with a content smile upon her face.
Sarah dropped the magazine she had been holding. "Alright," she said, catching Toni's happy
expression in the mirror. "You want to meet him tonight?" she asked casually.
Toni shook her head, already losing the basic function of speech.
Sarah picked up the phone and dialed her number; she had told Jareth to wait there for her call.
"Do you want to meet her tonight?" she asked, not believing that she was setting up her two best
friends.
"Does she know who I am?" Jareth's voice flowed across the line.
"No, that's why she wants to meet. Be at the park at eight tonight," she stated.
"Wait a minute, what should I wear?" he asked, wanting to make a good impression.
"A paper bag over your head," Sarah replied sarcastically. Hanging up the phone, she looked at
Toni. "It's all set," she stated with a small smile.
"Thank you Sarah," Toni replied, then looked perplexed.
"What's the matter?" Sarah asked.
"What on Earth should I wear?" she replied, heading for her closet full of clothes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that same evening, Toni's mother Sue, went to class as usual. Only this time, her husband
Rick was following her. Still upset about the letter he found, he was intent on finding out who the
threat to his marriage was.
Walking into the classroom, Sue walked to her desk at the front and sat down. Being the teacher,
she looked across the room, seeing many of her friends that she had known for years, who was
now taking night school to better their education. As the night progressed, she handed out a quiz
for her students to fill out.
Using this quiet time, she looked over papers, making notes here and there, until finally her pen
ran out of ink. Tossing it in the garbage, she reached into her purse for another only to find a
paper that had not been there before. Pulling it out, she unfolded it and read the writing. Feeling
a sense of awkwardness, she glanced across the room, her mind wondering who would put such a
letter in her purse.
Letting her eyes drift across the different faces, she stopped abruptly at one. Sarah's father had
been taking her class, and she knew him for many years. Was it possible he had such feeling for
her? At that precise time, he looked up and smiled a friendly smile. That's it, he must have done
it', she thought to herself, offering a small smile in return.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Toni walked through the park to where Sarah had told her to wait. Sitting down on the nearest
bench, she kept a watchful eye for her secret admirer. With nervousness creeping up on her, she
didn't notice Jareth standing behind her. As he laid a hand upon her shoulder, Toni jumped,
turning quickly to see Jareth smiling back at her.
"Hi Toni," he said politely.
"Jareth, what are you doing here?" she asked, surprise filling her voice. Still glancing around, she
did not want to miss her chance to meet the one she was waiting for.
"How are you?" he asked pleasantly.
"Look Jareth, I'd love to shoot the breeze, but I am waiting for someone," she stated bluntly. "So
if you wouldn't mind..." she said, motioning him along.
"You are waiting for me," he replied, sitting down beside her.
"I am really not in the mood for this," she retorted, wishing he would just go away.
"I wrote the letters," Jareth offered, seeing her hesitancy in believing him.
"Huh?" she muttered, her attention drawn to what he was saying.
"The letters Sarah gave you, I wrote them," he stated, a pleased smile upon his lips.
"You?" she asked in shock. He was the last one she would have ever thought of.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When the class ended, Sue watched the students begin to file out. Feeling as though she would
miss the chance to know if he was the one to write the letter, she called out to Sarah's father.
"Robert, do you have a second?" she asked, casually glancing at the book in front of her.
"Sure Sue, what is it?" he replied politely, coming back to stand in front of her desk.
"I was just wondering if you would like to go for a cup of coffee? Talk about the course, among
other things." she said.
"Sure Sue, why not? I don't think my wife will mind," he replied, a grin on his face.
"Good," she replied, smiling wider. Picking up her things, she walked out to the parking garage
with him, all the while not knowing that her husband was watching her from a distance.
"Williams, I'm gonna kill him." Rick muttered, the anger seeping through his blood at the sight of
his wife with another man.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Jade
Pulling a sheet from the drawer, she placed it neatly on the desktop. Taking a deep breath, she
held the pen in her hand, trying to think of what to write. The pen flowed effortlessly over the
white paper, forming eloquent words not to be taken lightly. Soon, this letter would find the
writer's true love, in the hopes that he would possibly return the feelings.
Her eyes looked it over, each delicate word showing a little bit of herself. Once she was satisfied,
she signed it simply with x's and o's. Smiling faintly, she folded it and placed it in an envelope,
signing the name Jareth across the front. Her heart fluttering in her chest, she knew it was
something she had to do. She had to tell him, she had to let him know that after all these years,
she had fallen in love with him.
Slipping it into a book, she sighed softly, knowing that she had to get ready for the party. Getting
to her feet, she began making herself ready; all the while her mind was on him and the letter.
**********
"Are you ready?" he asked, waiting for her reply. It amazed him that as time passed, he and Sarah
had become good friends. She had seen him through good times and bad, and he knew she would
always be there.
"Just a sec," she replied, fastening a small purse shut. Getting to her feet, she smiled at him as he
took her hand. A moment later, she was in the middle of a party.
"Go mingle, Sarah. There are many eligible men here this evening," he whispered in her ear, while
eying another guest. "I'll see you later."
"Okay," she replied, as she watched him go. She couldn't help but wonder who had his attention
this time. No sooner did she wonder, than she saw him sidle up to a voluptuous blonde.
"Figures," she grinned, then turned around to find anyone that she might know.
"Sarah!" the voice cut through the confusion. "It's about time you got here," Toni said, smiling at
her friend.
"Hey Toni, how's the party?" Sarah asked.
"Great, and Jareth even let me bring Mike," she replied happily. As if on cue, muscled arms
encircled her waist and a chin rested lightly on her shoulder.
"Hi Mike," Sarah said.
"Hey there Sarah, great party."
"Maybe you should tell Jareth that," she smiled.
"Yo! Jareth, cool party!" he yelled across the assembly, making Sarah cringe in embarrassment.
Jareth simply nodded and went back to his conversation. "So, Sarah, what's up?" he asked
politely.
"Not much Mike, and you?" she replied.
"Well now, isn't this a pleasure?" Jareth said, looking over the trio. His gaze landed on Toni.
"How are you this evening Toni?" he asked, smiling softly at her. Her beauty caught his eye the
first time he had met Sarah's friend.
"Fine, thanks for letting us come." she replied.
"Nonsense, a friend of Sarah's is a friend of mine. Enjoy the party," he retorted, taking her hand
as grazing it with his lips.
"Okay, enough of that." Mike stated, pulling her hand away possessively.
Jareth smiled and walked away. The rest of the evening was filled with song, dance and laughter
as the guests enjoyed their surroundings. Jareth watched Toni most of the evening. How odd
that such a creature could escape his notice for so long. As the party began to dissipate, Jareth
said his goodbyes then found solace in the silence.
Jareth went to his throne and sat down, wanting to rest for just a bit before having to deal with
anything else. Feeling something beneath him, he reached underneath himself and pulled out an
envelope. Looking at it with interest, he noticed his name written on the front. Pulling out the
paper inside, he stared at the writing as he read the words.
---I don't know how to tell you what I want to tell you, so I'm writing it down. I'll never find the
nerve to give you this letter anyway. When I look at you, I can't take my eyes off of you. I long
to have your arms around me and feel your body against mine. Oh god, I'm such a jerk. I know
you don't fell like I do, which is why I don't have the courage to sign this. But I just love you
more than words can say.
XXXOOOXXX------
Jareth lowered the letter, his eyes taking in the form of a goblin before him. His mind wandered
trying to decipher the letter. Who could have left it for him? There were so many guests, how
would he know which one? He knew who he wanted it to be, Toni.
"Yer highness?" the goblin said, attracting Jareth's attention.
"What?" he asked, his mind still on the letter in his hand. He looked at the goblin. "What do you
think? Do you think she sent me the letter?" he stated, not really caring one way or another.
"Letter?" the goblin asked, confused already.
"Yes. A, shall we say, love letter," he stated, his expression serious.
"Well why not yer majesty? You's a good lookin' fella. Any woman would surely fall for the likes
of you," the goblin replied.
"Quite right," he replied, getting to his feet. "There is a party tomorrow, I know she'll be there,"
he plotted; already having his mind set that it was her. "I shall have her."
"Yes yer majesty," the goblin replied, before the King left the room. "Hope he knows wha he
doin'," he muttered softly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next evening Jareth stood among the crowded room. Now out of his normal environment, he
felt a bit conspicuous. Searching the crowd for Toni, he finally spotted her standing with Mike.
That no good, rotten excuse for a man has finally met his match. Jareth smiled when he notice
Mike walk away from her. "Time to make my move," he said quietly.
Making his way through the crowd, he finally reached her standing by a set of stairs. Smiling, he
stopped right in front of her, his eyes drinking in her form, beautiful as always.
"Jareth, what are you doing here?" she asked, in shock that he would leave his castle.
"I got a letter yesterday," he whispered softly.
"A letter? How nice for you, now will you please go away?" she asked, worried by his strange
behavior.
"When I look at you," he began, spouting off various phrases of the letter he had memorized word
for word.
Sarah stopped short on the steps, hidden by the wall. Jareth, here?' she thought, wondering what
he was up to now.
"What are you doing Jareth? Are you drunk?" Toni asked, trying to get away from him any way
she could.
"Only with love for..." Jareth broke off abruptly. "Mike, how are you?" he asked.
"What are doing here Jareth?" Mike asked, eying him suspiciously.
"Jareth, there you are. I have been looking all over for you," Sarah stated, poking her head
around the corner.
"Did you bring him Sarah?" Mike asked, looking from one to the other.
"Yeah, he's a great dancer. Jareth, care to dance?" she said, grasping his arm and pulling him into
the crowd.
Moving to a secluded corner, Jareth stopped suddenly. "I better be going before I ruin your
evening more than I already have."
"Don't be silly," she replied, a faint smile lighting up her features.
"Goodbye Sarah," he uttered as he disappeared in front of her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that evening, Sarah sat in her room, thinking about everything that had transpired over the
night. A faint tapping on her window caught her attention. Opening it, Jareth stood on the other
side. "What are you doing here? Are you crazy?" she asked, her voice soft.
"Would you like to go somewhere?" he asked, really needing a friend who understood him.
"Now?" she asked, noting the time.
"Oh come on Sarah," he replied, looking at her and giving her a smile he knew she wouldn't resist.
He watched her turn around and grab her jacket.
"Shh... You'll wake my dad," she whispered as he helped her out the window.
Setting her down on her feet beside him, he grinned. "Shh... you'll wake your dad." he mocked.
Pulling the window down softly, they walked off through the night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sitting beside Jareth, she listened intently to him go on and on about her friend. How beautiful
she was, almost perfection. Then the next thing really caught her attention and she found herself
staring back at him.
"What letter?" she asked, intrigued with this new subject.
"A silly letter I should not have paid so much attention to," Jareth stated, stretching out on his
back on the ground. "Perhaps it isn't even real. I bet it is just a joke. Hedgewart, I'll kill him."
Sarah looked at him, stretched out beside him, thinking of what to say. "Ow, this isn't that
comfortable," she stated.
"Oh, here," he offered, stretching his arm beneath her head. "Better?" he mused.
"Yes, thanks. Maybe the letter is real," she said.
"Perhaps, but I doubt Toni would have given it to me. I just wish I knew what I found so
intoxicating about her," he muttered softly. Jareth turned to look at Sarah beside him. "Thanks
for helping me out tonight. Could have been quite a messy situation," he said, running his finger
down the side of her face lightly. "I better get you back."
Getting to his feet, he grasped her hands and pulled her up easily. Walking her back, he went
through the whole chain of events that led him to believe that Toni might have written it. Oh how
he wished she would have.
"If you really like her all that much Jareth, why don't call her and tell her? You can use my
phone," she offered.
"I can't do that. Not after what I did tonight," he stated.
"Then write her a letter."
"Oh sure, then she will rip it up as soon as she notices who it is from. Wonderful plan Sarah," he
smiled.
"Don't sign it. Have someone else give it to her, and if she doesn't like it, then she won't know
who it's from. Then you'll have nothing to worry about," Sarah offered.
"That's a good idea, why didn't I think of that?" he mumbled to himself. "I could write her a
letter, and you could give it to her," he said then changed his mind. "No, you have already done
enough for me."
"I have?" she asked.
"Yes. You're a good friend Sarah," he said, kissing her cheek lightly then disappearing.
Sarah stared at the empty space then headed home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning, while Jareth slept, a lone goblin made his way into his bedchamber. Sneaking
quietly toward the closet, it noticed a paper lying solely on the top of Jareth's dresser. Slinking
closer, the goblin picked it up and glanced down at the words. He, being one of Jareth's smarter
goblins, smiled as he looked down through the same black writing.
Jareth stirred, causing the goblin to jump. Remembering his task, he grabbed what laundry he
could find, and made his way out the door, the letter still in his grubby little hands. Dropping the
laundry off, he failed to notice the letter laying amongst the bundle of clothes.
"There ye be," he said, grinning at the young goblin that took notice to his being there.
"Is that all?" one of the older females asked, glancing his way briefly.
"Yep," he replied, then left as quickly as he came.
Walking over to the bundle, she picked up the paper and tossed it aside onto another bundle of
clothes. She had no use for paper. She couldn't have read it anyway.
Another goblin made his way through, picking up the bundles already done. "This Hoggle's?" he
asked, looking down at the clothes in front of him.
"Yep, said I'd do em, so I did," she replied, and shooed him away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hoggle opened his door to find his clothes on the doorstep. Bringing them inside, he started
putting them away and came across a paper that caught his eye. Looking it over, his cheeks
flushed with color as he wondered who would send him such a letter. Looking out the window,
he could see many he knew and yet none capable of such a feat. Sighing in resignation, a knock
at the door startled him.
"Comin', comin'" he called, making his way to the door and pulling it open. A small fairy floated
in his eyesight. Reaching for his can of spray, he raised it, poised to spray the no good fairy, but
stopped himself. Looking at her, he smiled. "Well li'l lady, what cans I do fer ya?" he asked
politely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sarah sat looking at her watch. He said he'd be here by eight, she thought to herself. Glancing
up, she saw Jareth walking towards her, a big smile on his face. Sliding into the booth, he grinned
at her and flopped an envelope down in front of her.
"Didn't think I would do it, did you?" he asked, looking around.
"What's this?" she asked, indicating the envelope as she picked it up.
"The letter. You suggested it, remember?" he asked.
"I remember," she muttered, tossing it down on the table and grabbing her drink.
"So, when are you going to give it to her? Tonight?" he prodded impatiently.
"I don't know, will you just calm down?" she stated, smiling at his boyish charm.
"I can't calm down until I know what comes of it."
"If you don't calm down, I'll " she started picking up the letter and holding it in her hands.
"What?" he glanced up. "Sarah, don't," he warned.
"Or what?" she chuckled as she threatened ripping the letter in two.
"Come on Sarah," he soothed.
Sarah smiled and laid it on the table. "You know I wouldn't have done it, don't you?" she grinned.
"Yes, I know," he replied, a grin crossing his face.
"I'll give it to her tomorrow. Look Jareth, if it's meant to happen between two people it'll happen.
You can't push it."
"Thanks," he replied. "What's this?" he asked, picking up a brochure. "School afloat?"
Sarah took it from his hand. "Yeah."
"Why didn't you tell me you were going to do this? We're friends Sarah, why didn't you even
mention it?" he asked, a hurt tone in his voice.
"I just did it," she replied softly, shrugging her shoulders. Jareth just stared at her, not wanting to
think about losing his friend. He watched blindly as she got to her feet. "I have to go. I'll talk to
you later Jareth." Sarah walked out the door leaving a very stunned Jareth behind her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Walking into her room, she turned on the lights, illuminating a picture beside her lamp. Tossing
down her keys and the envelope on her desk, an odd thought struck her. What would he write to
someone he thought to be in love with? Looking at the envelope, an idea flitted through her
mind. Gently picking it up, she held it to the light, not sure of what she was doing.
"No, this is wrong," she mumbled, dropping it back down to the desk. "He's my friend, and I just
can't do things like that," she rationalized to herself.
Picking it up once again, she left her room and walked into the kitchen. Putting a kettle of water
on the stove, she stared at the envelope. The same envelope that took all her hopes and dreams
away with just one swipe of the pen. The kettle whistled as the steam flowed freely.
Sarah got to her feet, and held the letter in her hand over the steam. Within a few seconds, the
envelope opened easily, and she pulled out the paper within. Looking at it, she began to read:
"*My dearest darling, Love is the flower of time and every petal that falls is an eternal moment
without you.* Oh Jareth, this is dog doo." she muttered, folding it up again. A thought struck
her. Wadding up the paper, she made her way back to her room. Pulling out a sheet of paper,
she placed it in front of her on the desk and began write, speaking the words aloud as she did so.
"I have finally found the courage to write you a letter. You may never know who I am, but that
hasn't stopped you from giving me the greatest gift I've ever known." She paused to look at his
picture in front of her. "Idiot," she smirked, then returned to the letter. "If for just one brief
moment I could feel your lips against mine, I would die a happy man."
Sarah folded the paper and put it in the envelope. Her heart heavy with sadness, she turned off
the light and fell asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"This is so great! You have to tell me who wrote this," Toni said, clutching the letter in her hand.
"I can't Toni, I promised I wouldn't," Sarah replied, looking at a magazine left on Toni's kitchen
table.
"I think I'm in love," Toni replied.
"How do you know that? You don't even know who wrote it," Sarah retorted.
"Where is everyone?" a voice called from the living room.
"In here mom," Toni called back.
The door swung open revealing a woman smiling back at them. "Hello Sarah. Where's your
father Toni?"
"Sleeping," she replied.
"Great! The one night I don't work and he pulls the nightshift. Splendid," she replied, setting her
things on the table and walking back through the door.
"Now tell me who wrote the letter!" Toni demanded.
"No can do Toni, I promised. Anyhow, what about Mike?" Sarah asked walking to the door.
"What about Mike? He's the same as any other jock," Toni responded.
Sarah pulled the door open to find Mike on the other side, ready to knock. "Hi Mike," she said
with a smile, ducking under his arm on her way out.
"Later Sarah," he called after her. "Hey gorgeous, how's about a little kiss?" he asked, stepping
closer to Toni.
Toni hid the letter behind her back. "Come and get it," she teased, walking backwards toward the
table. Feeling around for her mother's purse, she stuffed her letter inside to keep it away from
Mike. The door burst open suddenly and the two jump apart.
"Hello there sweet pea," the deep voice said, as his eyes took in the form of the dreaded
boyfriend.
"Hi daddy," Toni replied.
"Hello Lieutenant sir," Mike said politely.
He looked Mike up and down, while grabbing his wife's purse. "Uh-huh. Just you keep in mind
Mikey my boy, you get her pregnant, and I doubt anyone will miss you," he stated, patting his
pistol in its holster.
"Daddy!" Toni exclaimed as her father walked away. "Oh god, I think I want to die."
Putting the purse on the shelf, he pulled out everything just to get the wallet. Putting everything
back inside, he found a folded paper lying amongst the clutter. Unfolding it, he read the words,
anger flowing through his veins at the thought of another man trying to get the attention of his
wife. Hearing her enter the room with her soft humming, he crammed it back into her purse, and
turned around to smile at her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sarah, walking down her street, jumped when Jareth suddenly appeared in front of her. Regaining
her senses, she shook her head and kept walking.
"You shouldn't do that to people Jareth," she said, knowing he was not far behind.
"Do what?" he asked innocently.
"Pop in on someone just to do it. You shouldn't use your magic for everything, you know."
"Hmm? Yes, yes I will try to keep that in mind. So?" he asked, barely able to contain his
excitement.
"So what?" she asked, not slowing her pace.
"Did she like it?" he asked.
"Yes, Jareth, she liked it," she answered, looking straight ahead.
Grabbing her arm, he stopped her and turned her around. "But she said she really liked it, right?"
he asked again.
"Yes, she really liked it, now let go." Sarah replied, yanking her arm away.
"I think I should write her another one, what do you think Sarah?" he asked.
Sarah, exasperated by everything, threw her hands up in the air and walked away. Jareth stood
and watched her go before disappearing himself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jareth sat on his throne, writing diligently. His hand moved swiftly as the words crossed the
paper. When he finished, he read over what he had written. "Oh, what crap!" he exclaimed,
wondering how the first letter ever made such an impact. "So I can't write letters as eloquently as
I should like. So? At least I have an excellent voice," he smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sarah stood in her kitchen once again looking over Jareth's letter of affection. "Oh good grief
Jareth, this won't do. What crap!" she stated, crumpling up the paper once again, then proceeded
to fix the situation once again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day, Sarah handed Toni the letter, then sat down and rummaged through magazines
once again. Looking at Toni's image in the mirror, she could tell already that Jareth's letter had
made quite an impression.
"Oh my," Toni breathed, hardly able to think straight. "You have to tell me who wrote these,
please?" she begged, clutching the letter in her hands with a content smile upon her face.
Sarah dropped the magazine she had been holding. "Alright," she said, catching Toni's happy
expression in the mirror. "You want to meet him tonight?" she asked casually.
Toni shook her head, already losing the basic function of speech.
Sarah picked up the phone and dialed her number; she had told Jareth to wait there for her call.
"Do you want to meet her tonight?" she asked, not believing that she was setting up her two best
friends.
"Does she know who I am?" Jareth's voice flowed across the line.
"No, that's why she wants to meet. Be at the park at eight tonight," she stated.
"Wait a minute, what should I wear?" he asked, wanting to make a good impression.
"A paper bag over your head," Sarah replied sarcastically. Hanging up the phone, she looked at
Toni. "It's all set," she stated with a small smile.
"Thank you Sarah," Toni replied, then looked perplexed.
"What's the matter?" Sarah asked.
"What on Earth should I wear?" she replied, heading for her closet full of clothes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that same evening, Toni's mother Sue, went to class as usual. Only this time, her husband
Rick was following her. Still upset about the letter he found, he was intent on finding out who the
threat to his marriage was.
Walking into the classroom, Sue walked to her desk at the front and sat down. Being the teacher,
she looked across the room, seeing many of her friends that she had known for years, who was
now taking night school to better their education. As the night progressed, she handed out a quiz
for her students to fill out.
Using this quiet time, she looked over papers, making notes here and there, until finally her pen
ran out of ink. Tossing it in the garbage, she reached into her purse for another only to find a
paper that had not been there before. Pulling it out, she unfolded it and read the writing. Feeling
a sense of awkwardness, she glanced across the room, her mind wondering who would put such a
letter in her purse.
Letting her eyes drift across the different faces, she stopped abruptly at one. Sarah's father had
been taking her class, and she knew him for many years. Was it possible he had such feeling for
her? At that precise time, he looked up and smiled a friendly smile. That's it, he must have done
it', she thought to herself, offering a small smile in return.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Toni walked through the park to where Sarah had told her to wait. Sitting down on the nearest
bench, she kept a watchful eye for her secret admirer. With nervousness creeping up on her, she
didn't notice Jareth standing behind her. As he laid a hand upon her shoulder, Toni jumped,
turning quickly to see Jareth smiling back at her.
"Hi Toni," he said politely.
"Jareth, what are you doing here?" she asked, surprise filling her voice. Still glancing around, she
did not want to miss her chance to meet the one she was waiting for.
"How are you?" he asked pleasantly.
"Look Jareth, I'd love to shoot the breeze, but I am waiting for someone," she stated bluntly. "So
if you wouldn't mind..." she said, motioning him along.
"You are waiting for me," he replied, sitting down beside her.
"I am really not in the mood for this," she retorted, wishing he would just go away.
"I wrote the letters," Jareth offered, seeing her hesitancy in believing him.
"Huh?" she muttered, her attention drawn to what he was saying.
"The letters Sarah gave you, I wrote them," he stated, a pleased smile upon his lips.
"You?" she asked in shock. He was the last one she would have ever thought of.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When the class ended, Sue watched the students begin to file out. Feeling as though she would
miss the chance to know if he was the one to write the letter, she called out to Sarah's father.
"Robert, do you have a second?" she asked, casually glancing at the book in front of her.
"Sure Sue, what is it?" he replied politely, coming back to stand in front of her desk.
"I was just wondering if you would like to go for a cup of coffee? Talk about the course, among
other things." she said.
"Sure Sue, why not? I don't think my wife will mind," he replied, a grin on his face.
"Good," she replied, smiling wider. Picking up her things, she walked out to the parking garage
with him, all the while not knowing that her husband was watching her from a distance.
"Williams, I'm gonna kill him." Rick muttered, the anger seeping through his blood at the sight of
his wife with another man.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~