Disclaimer: Hey, nobody was planning on making a sequel to this or anything, so it seems like pretty fair game as far as I'm concerned.
A/n: Shortest chapter ever. But it explains a lot to those of you who were having trouble putting the pieces together thus far.
Chapter II: An Agreement
Jareth had her pinned against the wall, gloved hands on either side of her face.
"You," Sarah gasped, trying to slip under his arm, but he pressed against her, stopping her from getting away.
"Hello, darling. Miss me?" Their faces were inches apart.
"Leave me alone!" Sarah shouted. "Y-you, you have no power over--,"
"Shut up," Jareth growled. She raised her hand to slap him, but he grabbed her wrist and leaned in until their lips met.
"No!" Sarah shoved him away.
"What do you wish for, Sarah?" he asked.
"Get out of here!"
Jareth's smile evaporated, replaced by a look so cold it had Sarah shivering in place. "For once, can't you just yield to me?"
"I won't!"
"Stop yelling, foolish girl. It seems that we'll have to do this the hard way."
"And how so is that? You've got nothing on me. What makes you think I'll go with you this time?"
"Blackmail," answered the Goblin King calmly. "What say you, Sarah, I had something you'd give anything to save? What will you do without your friends there to save you?"
Sarah faltered. "My… What are you talking about? What have you…?" Something he'd said just sunk in. "You didn't."
He was smirking again. "Didn't I?" he asked, clearly enjoying this.
"You have them," Sarah stated bluntly.
"You won't find them."
"You're evil."
Jareth's eyebrows rose in surprise and he held his hands up guiltily. "Oh no, Sarah, not evil, just good at getting what I want."
"Which is?"
"You."
"Thank you for clearing that up, your majesty," Sarah said, deciding sarcasm was the best choice right now; it was hard to sound scared-silly when one was being sarcastic.
"You will be my queen, now and forever."
"And if I don't?" she demanded, and then she thought she didn't really want to know.
"If you don't, then, so help me, Sarah, your little friends will suffer the consequences."
Okay, she definitely didn't want to know any more about that.
Sarah felt like crying. "Why me? Why couldn't you find someone else to torment? Why does it always have to be me?"
For a minute, Jareth's cruel features became soft, almost vulnerable. "Would you like me to spell it out for you?" he said quietly, stroking her face with one hand. She was surprised by the gentleness of his touch.
Oh. Oh.
"Come with me," Jareth breathed.
Slowly, Sarah closed her eyes.
Did she have a choice? Images of her friends' faces flashed through her vision. Ludo, Hoggle, Sir Didymous… she couldn't just leave them to Jareth's wrath. Who knew all that he was capable of?
He'd never give up. If it wasn't this, then it would be something else. She thought of Toby, standing in his crib just a few feet away, and of her dad and Karen, sleeping in the other room. She'd find a way to get out of this mess.
But for now there was nothing she could do, but go along with it.
"Okay," Sarah said reluctantly, taking the Goblin King by the hand. "I'll go."