notwritten: Thank you for reviewing! I hope you continue reading!

AmericanWoman: I'll try to limit the amount of cliffhangers I use! Jareth can't hear how she is calling him. He only knows that he is being called. Thank you for reviewing and please keep reading!

Sarah's bottom lip trembled and she couldn't stop the tears that glided down her pale cheeks. Maybe Jareth really didn't exist, she told herself. Maybe it really was a dream and she woke up when she heard Emmy. But the blood on her fingers…it didn't make sense. Unless she was sleeping walking. Or maybe she was going crazy and he really was there, but just in her mind.

Her thoughts became scrambled and she couldn't think straight. Stop it, Sarah said to herself. I'm about to die.

No, Sarah argued with herself, she wasn't going to die. She wasn't going to be a victim. Images of Emmy's unconscious body flashed through her mind, she didn't even know if her friend was still alive. An intensity she never felt before started to build up in her stomach.

Without thinking twice, Sarah bent her head down and bit into the strange man's neck until she tasted his blood. It was possibly the most disgusting thing she had ever done but she had every intention of leaving the bar alive and healthy.

The man wailed in pain and grabbed her around the neck. Her arms were free now so she dug her nails into the side of his face, scratching as deep as she could. Blood and skin gathered underneath her finger nails as he tightened his hands around her neck.

From the corner of her eye, Sarah saw movement.

The restroom door opened swiftly and Claire stuck her head in. Her eyes widened in horror as she gazed over Emmy's motionless body and the man from the bar attacking Emmy. Her first instinct was to run in and attempt to save them both but her eyes met Sarah's and her eyes pleaded for her not to enter the restroom.

Claire stepped back, she was going to call for help.

The man noticed Sarah's wide eyed gaze and he snapped his head back to see the restroom door close. Sarah used the opportunity to reach above her head and grab a bobby pin from her hair. When the man turned back to Sarah, she jammed the bobby pin into his eye and he reached for his eyes and yelled loud enough to make Sarah want to cover her ears.

The man stumbled back, unable to see out of his left eye and clutched his face in pain. Sarah ran forward and knocked him over so he tumbled on the ground. He let Sarah tackle him because of a moment of weakness but he was over it as quickly as he landed on the floor.

Sarah tried running away but he grasped his hand around her ankle firmly and yanked her leg so she tripped and landed on the floor next to him. Sarah placed her hands on the floor and pushed herself up. She wasn't going to let him win.

The man got on his knees and pushed her back down. Looking at her with one eye open, he turned her on her back and placed his legs on either side of her. He straddled her and held her arms above her head. Sarah flinched as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pocketknife. He held the cold silver metal to her throat and made an incision. Sarah shrieked and her body shook uncontrollably.

Finally, she heard approaching footsteps and listened as the restroom door was thrown open. Someone heaved the man off her and pulled him to his feet. Sarah heard the sounds of men grunting and fists connecting with flesh. The fight above her pounded loudly in her ears and she felt frozen. She was going into shock.

Claire raced into the restroom and sank to her knees beside Emmy. Sirens roared in the distanced and Sarah sat up. Her vision was hazy and the room spun around her. Her eyes finally focused and she watched as two men from the bar restrained her attacker. Then her eyes flickered to Emmy and Claire. Claire removed the loose belt from around Emmy's neck and put her ear to Emmy's mouth.

"She's breathing!" Claire shouted. "But barely."

Right on time, the paramedics rushed into the crowded restroom and began working on Emmy. Police officers followed close behind and roughly handcuffed the attacker.

Sarah tried to absorb everything going on around her but it was too much for her mind to handle.

She could barely comprehend the fact that she had just been attacked in a public restroom by a man she saw strangling her best friend. How often did events like that happen?

Her thoughts returned to Jareth. He never appeared! Either her wasn't real or…or he didn't care, Sarah realized. Maybe that was it. Perhaps he knew what was happening and didn't want to get involved! Or maybe he wanted the man to kill her. After all, hadn't Jareth attempted to kill her with the Cleaners?

Sarah jumped as she felt a gloved hand touch her. She half expected to see Jareth but she looked up into the eyes of a paramedic. He said something to her but she couldn't make it out.

Everything seemed so surreal. The light blinded her eyes, she felt like she was in a dream and everyone was moving in slow motion. What was happening?

Sarah felt herself being lifted by two arms and she rose slowly. It didn't feel real. She was so dizzy and nauseated.

Suddenly, she was surrounded by darkness. She passed out.

Sarah woke to find herself lying in a hospital bed. She was in a large room with curtains separating the patients lying in their beds. A needle was stuck in her arm, she glanced up and noticed the IV. A thin blonde haired woman leaned over her.

"Sarah?" Asked a familiar voice.

Claire. It was Claire.

"What," Sarah began and noticed her voice was harsh and raspy, "what is…Emmy. Where…Emmy?"

Tears clouded Claire's vision and she lowered her head. "Emmy is alive." She said sadly. "But the doctors said they think she suffered severe brain damage." Claire's voice quivered slightly but she remained brave and calm for the most part. "She's still unconscious." She took a deep breath. "Actually, she's in a coma."

Sarah closed her eyes tightly. Is couldn't be happening!

"Well," Claire started. "Now that you're awake, I'll get the doctor to check on you."

Within an hour Sarah was released from the hospital. Her voice was less harsh and she desperately needed sleep. Claire volunteered to stay with Emmy while suggesting Sarah should go back to the apartment to get some rest. Sarah wanted to be with Emmy at the hospital but the doctor and Claire were against it. They urged her to go home.

Claire called a taxi for Sarah and stood with her outside until it arrived.

When the taxi finally approached, Claire wrapped her long arms around Sarah and kissed her on the forehead.

"Listen," She told Sarah. "I will call you first thing in the morning. They're going to run tests on Emmy and you should drop by before they get started."

Sarah nodded her head and Claire lead her inside the taxi. Claire gave the man the address to the apartment and handed Sarah some money to pay for the ride.

Sarah stumbled inside the apartment and closed the door behind her firmly. She leaned against the door and slumped down to her knees and whimpered.

This was all her fault, she thought, if only she hadn't allowed Emmy to go to the restroom alone. This probably never would have happened.

Sarah brushed her hair out of her face with her hand and noticed how tangled and dirty it was. She stood up and slowly moved towards the bathroom. Once inside, she examined her reflection.

Red marks were scattered all over her neck. The base of her throat was cut and had stitches. Red hand prints were along her shoulders and upper arms. Her wrists were beginning to bruise and her lips were chapped and dry. Her entire body ached and she longed to feel the steaming water pour on her skin.

She stripped off the dress she wore, which was caked in blood and dirt. And gasped as she turned and saw something from the corner of her eye. A huge, ugly black and blue bruise covered her back. It was horrendous. She reached back and attempted to touch it but she couldn't. She did, however, wince at the pain she felt when she moved her arms.

Enough of that, she thought, and stepped into the shower. She look a long, hot shower and occasionally cringed as she washed her battered her body.

She stepped out of the tub and dried herself off. She screamed inside her head as she heard a noise outside of the bathroom door. Her heart beat increased and she wrapped the towel around her weak body.

Maybe Claire came back, Sarah thought.

Slowly and very carefully, Sarah opened the door and held her breath as it squeaked loudly. Her eyes opened wide as she scanned the apartment. She couldn't see anything in the dark. She ran her hand up and down the wall next to the bathroom door and found the light switch. She flicked it up and light filtered through the room.

She didn't see any intruders so she stepped out of the bathroom and walked into the living room. She visibly relaxed.

A shift in the floor board creaked behind her and she spun around quickly. Standing against the wall, arms folded over his chest with a smug look on his face, stood the Goblin King.

He smirked and looked as though he was about to say something until he took in her appearance. Her long damp hair hung down her back and strands of dark locks matted along her neck, her arms and neck were covered in marks and forming bruises. His brows narrowed and he gazed into her eyes.

"What happened to you?" He asked, voice full of concern.

Sarah trembled and looked away. She tightened the towel wrapped around her body and walked over to the sofa. Jareth followed and stood in front of her as she sat down. She brushed the hair off of her neck and he noticed the cut with stitches.

He kneeled down in front of her and touched her gently as he looked closer to examine her injuries.

"What happened?" He whispered softly.

Sarah watched as his hands traced along the red marks on her neck and down to her shoulders. She could feel his body heat radiating off of him and suddenly became very aware of how close together they were.

His long blonde hair poured over his shoulders like sheets of satin and he trailed his hands up underneath her chin and pointed her face upward so he could get a better look at her. She was shivering and her lips quivered, he touched her lips with his thumb for several seconds before moving to sit beside her.

He left very little space between their bodies and his eyes locked with hers. She didn't care that he was the King of Goblins in another world. She needed physical contact with someone, anyone. She need to feel strong arms wrapped around her.

She sluggishly lifted her arm up to graze over his chest and snaked it over his shoulder to pull herself closer to him. Jareth draped his arms around her waist and pulled her body against his chest. She slid one leg between his and rested her head on top his shoulder and buried her face in his hair.

Jareth breathed in her scent. A strong aroma of raspberries and strawberries filled his nostrils and he tightened his hold her on her.

Sarah grimaced soundlessly. Her entire body still ached but she didn't want him to back away.

Their bodies were intertwined and they held each other silently. Sarah shifted on top of him and he snapped his eyes shut. He really wished she wouldn't squirm on top of him while he held her mostly naked body against his chest and she straddled one of his legs. He lifted her up slightly so she couldn't feel what she was doing to him. The last thing he wanted to do was frighten her. He still had no idea what happened.

Sarah lingered her lips over his neck and closed her eyes. "He tried to kill me." She spoke so quietly, it was barely a whisper.

Jareth pulled her head back to look at him. His eyes filled with intense anger and he tried to calm his emotions before speaking. "Who?"

A warm tear glided down her cheek and over her chin. "A man." She said. "A man at the bar we went to."

"We?" Jareth asked.

Sarah nodded. "Me and my roommates. Claire and…" She stared to sob, "Emmy."

Jareth sighed as Sarah leaned her head down on his chest and tears dropped on his shirt. Her body shook and she slid her arms around his neck. Her finger nails lightly dug into his skin. He didn't mind, in fact, he barely felt it.

"Tell me what happened, Sarah." Jareth pleaded.

Sarah leaned back and unwrapped herself around him. She removed her leg from between his and sat back against the sofa. She looked at the hardwood floors and spoke.

"I went to a bar with Claire and…Emmy. It's Emmy's 21st birthday today so we went out to celebrate." She paused briefly. "Emmy drank a bit too much and she was wasted. Claire was a little tipsy but she was okay. Emmy…Emmy saw this guy." She paused again. "He was older this us. At least in his 30's or maybe even 40's. He was sitting alone and Emmy started talking to him." Another pause and ran her hands through her wet hair. "She was teasing him and it didn't seem like he was paying attention at the time. So, I told Emmy it's time to go home but she had to use the bathroom first." Sarah looked into Jareth's eyes and she shrugged. "It was my fault." She whispered. "I let her go alone. She was completely wasted and I let her walk down a long and dark away alone. No one could even hear if she screamed." More tears spilled from her eyes and she frowned. "He followed her. I didn't even see him leave."

Jareth tensed and listened to Sarah's story.

"So," Sarah continued, "I left to check on here. I heard something when I got by the door…and…he…he was strangling her!"

Sarah couldn't control her emotions any longer. She cried loudly and Jareth cradled her in his arms.

Sarah relaxed in his arms and peered up at him. "She has severe brain damage. At least the doctors think she does. Even if she ever does wake up…" She began crying again. She cried until there was nothing left inside of her. Jareth didn't know what to say so he just held her. Sarah slumped against him and he picked her up as carefully as he could.

He carried her into her bedroom and laid her down on the bed.

"Jareth?" Sarah spoke weakly.

Jareth leaned over her and caressed his cheek.

"Can…can you get me a shirt to sleep in?" She asked and he nodded his head.

She pointed weakly at the dresser across the room, "The T-Shirts I sleep in are in the second drawer."

Jareth grabbed her an oversized white shirt and walked back towards the bed. Sarah sat up and began unwrapping her towel. Jareth stiffened and watched her. He didn't know if he was supposed to look away or not.

Sarah reached her arm out to him, she still had the towel thrown over her loosely and Jareth kneeled in front of her. He helped her put on the shirt, as soon as it grazed past her breasts, she pulled the towel off and lowered the shirt over the rest of her body.

Sarah blushed and looked into his eyes, "Umm. One more thing?"

Jareth looked back into her eyes and smiled slightly as she asked him to grab a pair of underwear. He retrieved a pair and slid them on her. Although he was touching her and helped her put on clothes, there was nothing sexual about it. He felt more like a relative taking care of a young girl.

He was also surprised that she trusted him so easily.

Jareth tucked her in the bed as if she were a child and bent to kiss her of the forehead. His lips brushed over her skin and he suddenly felt a burning desire in the pit of his stomach. He didn't want to stop after he kissed the top of her head lightly, but he did. He backed away and turned off the lights.

"Goodnight, Sarah." He whispered.

"Jareth?"

"Yes?"

"Will you stay with me?" Sarah asked, voice filled with hope.

Jareth sat down on the bed and brushed the hair off of her face. "For how long?" He asked.

"As long as you want."

Jareth smiled in the dark and laid down beside her. She lifted her head and rested it against his chest. She listened to his heart beating and he gently rubbed his fingers along her arm.

"Why didn't you come when I called you?" Sarah asked him.

Jareth looked down at her and caressed her face. "I didn't realize how serious your situation was and I was obligated to finish something." He paused. "I would have abandoned my duties if I knew what had happened, no matter the consequences."

He felt Sarah smile against his chest. "So, you didn't want me to die?"

Jareth's body went rigid and he tilt her face to look at him. "Why would you think that?"

"Well," Sarah explained, "you have tried to kill me in the past."

Jareth frowned. "I have done nothing of the sort."

"The cleaners?" Sarah reminded him.

Jareth sighed. "You were never in danger."

"I wasn't?"

"No. How do you think you escaped?" He asked, amused. "You didn't honestly think you and the dwarf pulled down the wall?"

Sarah laughed lightly. "I see."

Sarah fell asleep minutes later and Jareth listened to the soft breathing. He closed his eyes and cursed. What was he doing in bed with Sarah? Why was he even here? And more importantly, why did he care what happened to her?

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