Oh My God please please please don't be too angry with me the people who actually read my story! My computer basically blew up and we were just able to afford a new one! Sorry Sorry Sorry!!! Gomen Nasai!!! Please enjoy!!!(and critic,hehe)

October 31st, Nikki age 10

"Jarry!" Nikki screamed, sliding on the carpet of her room as she slammed the door shut behind her. She threw her school bag to the ground as she panted from the effort of running straight from school. Jareth appeared before her with a half-worried, half-amused look at her comically panting self.

Nikki practically threw herself into his arms as he appeared, knocking the breath straight out of him, "Nikki, what in the Underground is wrong?" He asked in shock. Nikki had always been affectionate, but this was not like her. He could feel her shaking as he leaned down to hug her back. Could hear her starting to cry.

"They said Jarry'd leave!" Nikki wept, "They told Nikki now that Nikki's ten you have to leave! Don't go Jarry! Don't leave Nikki!" she begged, holding him- if possible- tighter.

Jareth stared down at her in shock. How could anyone had known...?

How could anyone had known her mother had wished him away? Surely, Sarah had not spoken of it… Suddenly, Jareth knew exactly how it had gotten out. Sarah had indeed spoken of it, gloated that she had finally made her daughters imaginary friend go away.

With a simple wish…

Jareth held her shaking body close, guilt flooding him. He did not want to leave her; he never wanted to leave her side. How could he let five years disappear into nothing?

"I would never leave you, dearest Nikki. I promise," he spoke his lie, feeling like nothing more than a lowly goblin solider. He moved his hand to the back of her head, bringing her closer to him. One spell, and her memory of him would dim, as though it was just a pleasant dream. Two spells, and she would forget him forever…

"Thank you," Nikki whispered into his chest, comforted by his arms around her. Her tears starting to subside with the relief of not losing her only friend.

"Nikki does not know what she would do without Jarry," she said as her tears died away completely.

At those words Jareth faltered, his will broken, "Nikki, I would like to take you to visit my castle," he told her, releasing her.

"Really?" Nikki asked excitedly. She had never been to the castle before.

"Yes," Jareth said with a smile, and took her hand.

So it happened that Nikki finally got to see the castle in the underground.

Jareth however… she never saw aboveground again.

Five years later

Nikki sobbed until her throat was sore and her eyes stung. She knew he had betrayed her, and that they had only met because of her mother. Yet she could not help weeping at the thought of losing her childhood friend. If it had not been for him, she would have grown up completely alone. She regretted everything she had said to him, of course she did. She had told him to die, and he was, if he were not, she would be fine. Unfortunately, it was not the case, and she was not.

While she cried, Jareth faced a dilemma of his own. For five years, he had been able to stop her tears, yet now when she needed him most, he could not even put a hand on her shoulder. What could he do for her now that he was disappearing? That was obvious, yet what would calm her in her situation? Should he sing something meant to sooth, or something to show her that he knew her, and understood that she was not her mother?

"You remind me of the babe," he said quietly, sitting Indian-style and leaning in close to her.

Nikki hesitated for a moment; she knew what he was doing. Whenever she was angry or upset, he would do exactly this to make her smile. To make her forget. She refused to forget what he had done, but she could not pass up the chance to hear her favorite song again after so long.

"What babe?" she asked, her eyes peeking out above her arms.

"The babe with the power."

"What power?"

"The power of voodoo."

"Who-do?"

"You do."

"Do what?"

"Remind me of the babe!"

She laughed on queue, but it was dry and hollow. Like she had not done it for years and had forgotten how.

"Quiet!" he hushed her, "A goblin babe!..."

Nikki could not help the smile that crossed her face, so she hid it to the very bottom of her eyes with her arms. Jareth smirked at her with a knowing smile when he had finished his song. Nikki glared at him, making him laugh.

"Well, that is a first! You've never glared at me before," he sent a smile Nikki's way as he moved to sit next to her.

"Well here's another, I hate you!" she told him, sounding much less angry than she had hoped. She sounded like a pouting schoolgirl from some stupid anime or soap opera.

He smiled at her, she could never lie to him before, and she still could not now. He leaned in closer to her, if he had been solid, he would have been leaning on her shoulder, and smiled brightly.

"Well I could never hate you, Nikolaia Angel, and I never shall."

Nikki's eyes widened as she watched him stand up. She felt her heart suddenly beat three times as fast as if should. Felt herself start to blush, and buried her head once more into her arms. What the Hell was happening? Why was she blushing? She could not answer herself, or rather, would not, and instead took to singing his lyrics in her head.

"Nikki dearest, do hurry, we must find a way out before sunset," Jareth told her looking behind her. He was a bit shocked at seeing her still hiding herself in her arms and asked, "Are you ill?"

'Yes!' Nikki screamed in her head as she raised her newly paled face towards him. She was blushing like some peasant before a king at Jarry! Jarry, who could never make her even dance for him, had her blushing with one sentence! Nikki thought for a moment, and realized she really was just a peasant to him. He was the Goblin King.

Exactly! She suddenly realized how different they really were and it was affecting her being. Her whole being felt unworthy and so it reacted as it did!

'That's all,' she lied to hersef firmly.

Instead of voicing her thoughts though, (as if she would), she pushed herself up and said, "I'm fine, let's go," and followed him down the shadowed hallway.

They had been walking for a long time. Nikki's feet had begun to ache and she desperately needed a drink. As she began to reach for her water bottle, she started to ask Jarry if he wanted some.

She suddenly realized Jarry could not drink if he was intangible, and cut her sentence after, "Hey, Jar-," not wanting to hurt his feelings. It would not be kind to remind him he was disappearing, so she let her bag drop back and continued without a drink.

'Why should I be nice to him? He doesn't deserve it!' She thought before realizing Jarry had stopped walking. She could not stop herself in time and ended up halfway through him. She gasped and jumped backwards, tripping (once again) over nothing and landing on her bottom. At least her feet did not hurt anymore…

Jareth stared at her with a raised devil eyebrow, "Still as clumsy as ever, I take it you never became a dancer?" he inquired, not even bothering to bend. He could not help her anyway.

Nikki made an insensible remark under her breath, before picking herself up and wiping off her butt, again.

"Of course I never became a dancer!" She huffed, re-slinging her bag over her shoulder and marching past him briskly.

He caught up without a problem, his legs almost double in length to hers. He watched her sadly, knowing her mother had bluntly told her she was not suited for dancing and should stick to acting, something she was good at, instead of trying to better herself with dancing. Jareth had been quite shocked to hear Sarah be so cruel, especially to her daughter. After that, Jareth had made every attempt to get Nikki to dance that he could. He had even gone so far as to bring the Fiery Gang to dance with her in her room.

It had not worked, and Nikki had refused to dance since. If there was anything at all he could say he disliked about Sarah, it would be that she killed Nikki's spirit without even meaning too.

"You kn-"

"Why did you come?" Nikki broke Jareth off before he could even really begin.

"Pardon?" Jareth asked, with a sudden feeling of dread.

"Why did you come to me? Why didn't you go straight to mom?" Nikki said quietly. She did not realize she had moved closer to Jareth's ghost-like form as the shadows of the oubliette grew deeper.

Jareth did not answer. There was so much Nikki did not understand about everything that had transpired between him and Sarah that he did not know where to begin. Moreover, even if he did know where to start, he would never tell her his real reason for befriending her.

Never.

Jareth realize there was nothing he could say that would not hurt her. Absolutely nothing at all, so he said the only lie that would not hurt her the most.

"I was tired of her; I wanted to find someone new."

Nikki's eyes narrowed in suspicion, what he was saying made no sense.

"You were tired of Sarah, so you went to her clone?" Nikki asked him, disbelieving.

"I was tired of Sarah, so I went to someone completely different. You may be her daughter, but you are not Sarah," Jareth told her firmly.

Nikki scoffed openly, and Jareth's eyes narrowed, "Nikolaia Angel, if you do not stop this senseless pouting, I will be forced to leave you in the darkness!"

Nikki's eyes widened if fear, "You wouldn't," she squeaked out, looking up at him pleadingly. How dare he pray on her like this!

Jareth had forgotten just how much the darkness affected her in their time away from each other. He saw the fear fill her eyes, felt it suddenly thick in the air. He regretted his words instantly.

"No, I would never leave you alone, I promise" he told her, stopping and looking straight into her eyes. She did not seem comforted, she seemed ready to cry.

Nikki felt herself growing weaker and weaker as his words crashed over her. He was so arrogant, stupid, and idiotic! It took her a moment to fight off the tears, and she managed to speak, low and slow.

"You left me alone for five years, Jareth. And you promised not to leave me then, too…"