Chasing Dreams

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Author's Note:

Let me start by saying that I am so sorry that this update took so freakishly long for those of you who may have been wondering what happens next. I had not forgotten, but rather had a wee bit of writer's block and a very busy non-fanfiction-writing schedule. I actually have this whole story outlined, but the words just didn't want to arrange themselves in a way that didn't make me cringe. So, sorry. I'm kind of a slow writer anyway, because I agonize, and I'm in the middle of writing my thesis (strangely enough, needing to write fan fiction is not an adequate excuse for not writing a thesis), so I can't promise quick updates, but I'll try to do better.

This chapter is actually part 1 of what I originally planned for this chapter. However, since it had been so long, and there was a stopping point, I thought I'd split it so I could at least post something rather than waiting another week or so before posting the whole thing. I do actually have most of part 2, now Chapter 5, written, so that update should be along shortly, perhaps in the next week sometime.

Thanks so much to all of you who took the time to review! It is so much appreciated! It really does mean a lot when you review, so thank you. I try to respond to everyone that doesn't have PM disabled, just to let you know that I do appreciate it.

And many thanks to my beta, BreathofNocte!

Anyway, enough rambling from me and on to the story...

-o0O0o-

Chapter 4: Someplace Familiar

As it turned out, she didn't have to wait long.

It was early afternoon the next day. Sarah had been sitting at her desk answering e-mails and reviewing orders that needed to be shipped. She batted at the drifting specks meandering in their single-minded goal to coat everything within reach in a fine sheen of sparkle. It reminded her vaguely of animals spraying to mark their territory.

She blew at her keyboard with an irritated huff in a vain attempt to clear the glitter that had already settled before glancing over her shoulder at the perpetrator. He was dressed more formally than the day before, resplendent in a shimmering russet coat with a high imposing collar. Ruffles spilled out from the sleeves and neckline, tempered by a jeweled clasp at his throat. She wondered if there was any particular reason for his varying degrees of extravagance, or if it was purely based on whim.

She looked down at her own rather plain garb, which effectively refocused her attention on her current annoyance rather than his curious wardrobe choices as she frantically brushed copious amounts of glitter from her jeans. "Is the glitter really necessary?"

Jareth made a noncommittal sound, acknowledging that she had spoken, but apparently not troubling himself with the actual words. He was idly perusing her bookshelf, taking out and replacing books, seemingly at random. Finding one to his liking, he flipped through a few pages before finally deigning to speak. "Sleep well?"

"Perfectly fine, thank you." It came out with only a hint of a growl; she had managed to stifle most of it - this was her territory and he was messing with her stuff! She wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea that he was back in her life, and was still a little out of sorts from their "meeting" the previous night. He was an unknown, a wild card, something that she couldn't control. And it annoyed her that he seemed to delight in it. He got under her skin a little too easily.

"Hmm." He flipped another page, scanning it before sliding it back on the shelf. "Any dreams?"

"No. I don't dream."

"Really?" He glanced up at her briefly. "Interesting." Returning to his aimless snooping, he picked up a snow globe, flipping it so that the snow began fall, watching the small flecks slowly yield to gravity with a disinterested intensity. "Perhaps you should try some of your own products."

Eyeing him warily, she turned slowly back to face her computer screen. "No need. And then there would be less to sell. I'm having a hard enough time keeping up with orders as it is." Actually, she had never tried any of her products. Not even the smallest speck had passed her lips. Her customers were glorified guinea pigs.

"I see." He had moved to stand beside her desk. He reached out to pick up a wooden frame perched in front of the lamp. It was a snapshot of her and Toby from a couple of years ago, bundled up against the cold, their afternoon's work smiling his warm charcoal smile in the background. "My, he has grown. How is the lively little chap?"

Sarah snatched the picture out of his hands, her eyes glued to the monitor, returning it face down on the desk with a decided clack. "That's none of your business."

Ignoring her sniping, Jareth merely turned to lean backwards against her desk. "Ready to go?"

"Go where?" He was very difficult to ignore, standing there beside her, smelling like Christmas Eve and flaunting the tightly packaged family jewels in direct line of sight. She typed with renewed determination.

"I believe you requested two more goblins?"

She looked up, swiveling to face him. "What? Now?"

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Yes, now. I did travel across time and space to fetch you."

She settled back in her chair, tilting her head. "Oh, that's right. How silly of me to forget how exceedingly generous you are."

"I have been generous, Sarah." He leaned forward, brushing his fingers along her jaw to cup her chin. "Now, we can stay here and debate that point ad nauseum, or...better yet," his tone dropped an octave and his fingers began a slow crawl down the column of her throat, "we can stay here and I can show you just how generous I can be."

He was all devilish charm and temptation, his low, smooth baritone sliding over her suggestively, managing to simultaneously heighten her senses while dulling their willingness to respond to the warning cries from the more rational side of her rapidly fogging brain. She held his gaze, swallowing, suddenly parched and slightly nervous. Those were dangerous thoughts…

…which was infuriating.

He had some nerve.

Pushing off with her feet, she rolled backwards out of his reach, all the while silently repeating her mantra: It's business not personal. She narrowed her eyes as the plastic wheels finally relented to the pull of the carpet coming to a reluctant stop. "I'll get my things." This time she didn't bother to hide the growl.

He straightened, laughing softly. "I thought not." He gave her a once over with a mocking smile. "Such a pity."

She glared for a moment longer before popping out of the chair to begin gathering odd notebooks and folders and shoving them into her bag. "I feel that I need to remind you that we agreed to keep this strictly business."

"I don't believe I agreed to any such thing."

Sarah did a quick inventory of their conversations the night before. He hadn't, had he? Damn him.

She slid him a quick glance before turning back to drop a few pencils in her bag. "Well, just so you're clear, I have no intention of doing anything of that sort with you."

"Your intentions are duly noted." She felt his breath warm against her neck and whipped around to face him.

He was frighteningly close; she felt her eyes widen and her breath catch in her throat at the perceived threat. Leaning backwards slightly, she placed her hands on the table behind her to keep her balance. "I mean it, Jareth."

"Mmmm…" He smiled at her disarmingly. "Of course you do." He leaned in, only to reach behind her, grabbing her bag and slipping it over her shoulder. "All set?" He hooked his fingers under the strap, pulling her closer.

Sliding her arms up and between them, she crossed them over her chest to form the only barrier she had available under the circumstances. She really wished she had opted for the thick oversized wool sweater this morning rather than the thin cotton peasant blouse that left her feeling too exposed. Narrowing her eyes, she cleared her throat, willing her voice not to sound as shaky as she felt. "Let's get this over with, then."

-o0O0o-

Sarah didn't think she'd ever get used to Jareth's preferred mode of travel. She stumbled slightly, Jareth offering an arm to steady her, as the world slowly teetered to a stop. As soon as she had settled without fear of toppling over, he released her and stalked purposefully into the throne room directly ahead of them. At a loss for what else to do, Sarah dutifully followed.

Upon his entry, the current inhabitants let out a cacophony of cheers and whistles, the room erupting into chaos. Sarah covered her ears as Jareth punted a goblin that had fallen drunkenly into his path, sending him sailing with a rather cheerful sounding "Whoo-whoo!"

Stopping abruptly, Jareth looked around in frank distaste. "Shut up!" The room promptly fell quiet, all eyes fixed on their king. He turned to face Sarah, a small strained smile on his lips. "Well, now. Here are the more useless inhabitants of the city, doing what they do best – laying about." A small goblin to his left twittered and Jareth silenced him with a glare. He looked back up at Sarah. "Take them all, if you'd like. They could certainly use something to do," he offered with unconcealed disdain.

Sarah looked around, dumbstruck. Goblins were everywhere – lounging in every nook and cranny from floor to ceiling. Something that she assumed to be some sort of ale, flowed unheeded from an oak barrel near the doorway. She side-stepped the spreading puddle creeping towards her unprotected toes, her flip-flops sticky against the stone, only to jump back as a chicken she hadn't noticed flapped its wings in protest. The angry squawk from the affronted bird sparked a round of snickers that made its way circuitously about room. Sarah tracked the sound with her eyes to end on a largish goblin with a tiny button nose and bulbous eyes who proceeded to poke at the chicken again to keep the circle of merriment unbroken, before taking it upon himself to stopper the flowing ale by lying underneath the barrel and opening his mouth wide.

Now that the chicken was otherwise occupied, Sarah took a few steps backwards toward the exit. What had she gotten herself into?

"I'll leave you to it then." Jareth began to walk past her, back out the way they had come.

The thought of being left alone in the throne room with a horde of unruly goblins was a cold splash of reality. "Hey! Wait…" she called after him. "You're not really leaving, are you?"

He stopped, turning to face her, an eyebrow cocked in amused interest. He sauntered back towards her, his boots clicking ominously on the stone. She just stared at him as he advanced, feeling overwhelmed in the familiar, yet not entirely welcoming, setting.

He reached out a hand, tilting her head up with a finger under her chin. "As much as I enjoy our little spats, I fear I have a few things to attend to. Given your penchant for befriending the more wayward denizens of my Labyrinth, I should imagine that this will be 'a piece of cake', to quote a recklessly brave young girl I met once upon a time."

Right. A piece of cake. Sarah squared her shoulders and stepped back out of his reach. "Go. I'll be fine."

"Of course you will." He smiled as he turned to leave. It was only slightly mocking. "I'll be back shortly, precious."

Like she really wanted him to hang around. She watched him walk away until he was out of sight around a corner before turning back to face the room. Good riddance. She didn't need him looking over her shoulder, making snide comments, and making this harder than it needed to be. She scanned the room slowly, taking in all the grotesquely cute faces peering back at her curiously.

How does one interview a goblin, exactly?

It's not as if she could have them fill out job applications. As it turns out, and not surprisingly, goblins can't read or write. The four that currently popped in to help just kind of showed up one day, so she gave them something to do, easy tasks at first, and then progressively more complicated. She had come up with a system for filling orders that the goblins took to readily. It was a simple process, really. She put pictures on each of her products, with matching pictures on the mailing labels. The goblins then had to simply match the pictures and package them in a box to ship.

Which gave her an idea. Rummaging in her bag, she pulled out a couple folders.

"Hey guys – how about a game?"

-o0O0o-

Author's Note:

More actual "stuff happening" in the next chapter. I know this one was somewhat transitional, given that I split the chapter in half so I could go ahead and post something.

Thanks for reading! :) Please review and let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.