Happy Birthday to you…

The throne room was dark when Jareth arrived. It was just past 13 o'clock and the castle was fast asleep. He had been surprised to see Sarah the way he had seen her. She was almost 21, a real adult. She should've been more joyous. He conjured a crystal and held it in his hand. The mere thought of her brought her image to him. She was sobbing in her sleep. She was lost and broken.

"What happened to you Sarah?" he asked as he dropped the crystal and let it shatter into a thousand pieces.

The rain had stopped come the morning, and had been replaced with snow. Sarah loved the snow, especially in New York. The snow was so much less daunting and evil than the rain. It fell slowly and lightly and you could always tell a storm coming on. It was what she waited for all year. She would finally be able to go skating. She flicked on the television as she went to make coffee. It was Saturday and she wasn't due into the museum until tomorrow. She had a full day to enjoy the snow that had greatly accumulated overnight. Once she had a hot cup in her hand she wandered back over to the window and the warm chair that Mac had stolen. She looked outside and saw the beautiful, perfect, pure snowy street. She grinned to herself for the first time in days.

"This is Mr. G here for your forecast for the 21st of November!" Sarah jumped. The 21st? It was her birthday! It was her 21st birthday at that. Her golden birthday and she had completely forgotten. Well…it wasn't like she was going to get any presents anyways. She smiled to herself

"I think its time to go buy myself a birthday present." She picked up her cat and kissed him on the nose. He mewled and she put him back on the chair. Running quickly back to her room Sarah dressed for the day. She grabbed her coat, scarf, hat and mittens out of the closet to break them in for the real winter.

Once she was out in the snow, she couldn't take the smile off her face. She just got paid and she was going to blow it all on a shopping trip. Oh the joys of being single and carefree.

She returned to her flat late that night. It had gotten colder and the snow hadn't stopped. She had been lucky enough to catch her bus home, not that she would've minded walking in the snow. Her arms were full of bags and she had a little trouble with her keys while she was trying to get into her home. It was dark and the second she stepped inside she knew something was wrong…she could sense it. Her first instinct was to reach for the pepper spray inside her purse, but when she took another breath in the doorway to her apartment, she realized it was not only fear that overcame her senses, but magic as well. She knew immediately it was someone from the Underground. She had left them for such a long time, that maybe they had wanted to get in touch with her. She quickly turned the lights on.

The blond figure languidly lounging on her couch was not who she expected to see. He didn't look at her, but lazily played with a crystal he had in his hand.

"Hello Sarah." She stepped into the room and placed her bags on the floor. She closed the door and haughtily put her hands on her hips.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Get your bog stenched boots off my couch." He grinned, still averting his mismatched eyes from hers.

"You know very well why I'm here Sarah. And if you don't then I'm a little shocked, seeing as how many times you've read the story. King falls in love with girl, girl wins but…"

"But what? That's the end of the story. FINIS! Goblin king, Goblin king would you kindly leave me be."

"How witty you are, but still so cocky. Have a look for yourself." He held out a worn red leather book. Her hands were shaking when she grabbed it.

"Where did you get that?"

"I didn't rummage in your things like a common goblin, if that's what you mean. I summoned and it came right to me." Sarah looked at the book and slowly opened it to the page marked and read aloud.

"She stood in front of him. The staircases had crumbled to the ground and all of the labyrinth could be seen around them. The baby was nowhere to be found.

"Give me the child." She said her voice strong and confidant.

"Selene beware." The Goblin King whispered, his mane of golden locks flowing in the wind. "I have been generous up until now but I can be cruel."

"Generous? What have you done that generous." Her pains flashed before her eyes.

"Everything!" He cried out. "Everything that you wanted I have done." Although Selene would never know it; he had helped her along the way. He secretly led her path through the labyrinth. Nobody knew it, but the Goblin King had truly fallen in love with the girl. "You asked that the child be taken, I took him. You cowered before me, I was frightening. I have reordered time, I have turned the world upside down and I have done it all for you!" He paused. Selene's mind was betraying her. What if the Goblin King wasn't all that bad? She had been greedy and selfish and he had granted her wishes. "I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me…isn't that generous." Selene's eyes softened. This enchanting fae was winning her over, but she still had to get her baby brother home.

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the goblin city. For my will is as strong as yours, and."

"Stop." He murmured into her ear. "Wait." She could feel his warm breath against the sensitive skin of her neck. She shuddered, and he grinned. He made a crystal and placed it in front of her eyes. "Look Selene, look at what I'm offering you – your dreams." Selene stopped. She could see herself dancing again. Dancing with him. Her body knew what she wanted, but her mind wouldn't let her do it. She had to save Freddie.

"And my kingdom as great!" She was trying to stay strong, but her voiced wavered. She needed to get out, and soon.

"I ask for so little," The King pleaded with her, he needed to make her understand his love. "Just let me rule you and you can have everything that you want…" Selene's eyes glazed over.

"Kingdom as great…" She muttered "Damn. I can never remember that line."

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave!"

"Kingdom as great…kingdom as great…" She raised her head sadly. "You have no power over me." The King's head and heart dropped.

The world around Selene started to fall, but as she looked back at the once great King, her heart filled with sadness. She reached around her neck and yanked off the gold chain and small owl pendant. She dropped it on the floor just as she disappeared, so that he would have something to remember her by. The…"

"You may stop there." Jareth said loudly, bring Sarah out of her daydream. "There you have it. I have something of yours to return and you have something of mine."

"I have nothing of yours."

"You mean you never noticed what part of me you took when you left the labyrinth?" Jareth cackled quietly to himself. "She never even noticed…."

"What? Noticed what!" Sarah was getting fed up with Jareth and his indirect, beat around the bush ways.

"Your sickle shaped birthmark."

"So?"

"That's the sign of a fae. In leaving the gift of the necklace for me, I was obliged to give you a gift as well."

"What?" Sarah stopped. What did he mean by that? Her heart started beating quickly; she knew she was more than just a boring old museum curator.

"You took some of my powers and those of the labyrinth when you departed. You were the only one to ever defeat me. The rules have changed since you were in the Underground."

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"You need to come back with me."

"I don't NEED to do anything."

"My magic heals; I repair myself and the damages I suffer. In turn the labyrinth loses more. The more energy and more magic it loses the more wild it grows. Children are no longer wished away in hordes like they used to be. Nobody believes in magic anymore Sarah and the labyrinth is dying because of it. Soon enough the entire Underground will perish. The labyrinth is the center of the Underground's magic." Sarah lowered her eyes to the floor, a single tear escaped and landed silently on the carpet.

"Jareth, I have a life here. I'm not in love with you! I've given up my days of foolishness…I'm a grown up."

"I've not come here to offer you your dreams Sarah; I've come to save my home. You made a mistake, whether you like to admit it or not. I'm asking you to fix it." Sarah shook her head and let the tears flow freely now.

"Whatever I can do." She whispered. He stood up and held her tightly to his chest. His chin was resting on top of her head.

"Thank you." He said almost inaudibly. She just nodded her head once.

Disclaimer - I forgot one last time. I don't own much.