Chapter 11- Mandy's Birthday

Mandy's birthday party took place in the ballroom like all birthdays in the underground did. Her parents were there, her family from the above, and Mandy's friends from all over the underground came to celebrate her birthday with her.

Mandy looked at the table with all the presents on it, and her eyes got wide. Her mother walked over to her, "Sweetie, are you having fun?"

Mandy looked at her mother smiling, "Did you see all the presents?"

"Yes, baby I did," she said.

Mandy went up to her mother and rubbed her very pregnant belly, "When is my baby brother coming out so I can play with him?"

"Not for a while I'm afraid," Sarah told her.

Mandy pouted and then walked away to play with her friends. The only people missing were Toby and Stacey, and they didn't come because Jareth didn't know if the trip would kill the baby or not. That was why he never allowed Sarah to travel being pregnant with Mandy and not now, either, since she was pregnant again.

Everyone danced while the kids Mandy's age ran around playing chase. Some of the adults had to stop them every so often to have them calm down afraid they might fall and get hurt.

Hours later

The party started to die down and Mandy was getting tired, so Jareth and Sarah took her up to bed.

Sarah dressed Mandy and laid her down. Mandy looked at them with a smile. "Did you have a nice birthday?" her mother asked.

"Yes I did," Mandy replied.

"Would you like me to read you a story?" Sarah asked as she sat on the bed next to Mandy; Jareth sat down next to her.

"Yes," Mandy said smiling.

"What story would you like to hear?" Jareth asked.

"How you and mommy met," she said.

"You know that story baby," Sarah said

"Not that story, the story how you and daddy got back together" Mandy says.

"Oh, that one," Sarah said.

Jareth smiled. "Only you would know this story, precious."

Sarah began the story, "This started when I was eighteen years old."

Sarah was sitting at the kitchen table across from Karen; not eating just moving the waffles around her plate and Karen looked at her worriedly.

"Sarah you seem depressed lately. Is something wrong?"

Sarah looked up at her step-mother and replied, "Have you ever done something you regret?"

Karen smiled sadly at her. "Everyone has regrets but we learn from them because they help us grow."

"Yes, but do you have any?" Sarah asked.

"Probably losing my virginity as a teenager in the back of a car," she told Sarah seriously.

Sarah laughed; she never knew that about that. Karen looked at her worriedly once more. "What is it you regret Sarah?"

"I hurt someone years ago and I am not sure I could make it right or if he will even accept my apology."

"You won't know until you try"

Sarah stood up smiled and hugged Karen then ran to her room.

Sarah stood in the middle of her room and said out loud. "I wish to speak to the goblin king. Right now!"

A couple of minutes later, Jareth stood in front of her, but he didn't look happy to see her.

"What do you want Sarah?" his tone sounded angry.

"I wanted to tell you I am sorry if I hurt you," she told him.

"You called me here just to apologize" he said.

"Yes," she told him.

Jareth didn't say anything but laugh and disappear leaving behind a confused Sarah.

Everyday Sarah called him to apologize waiting for him to say he accepts, but every day he did the same thing. Until one day she called Hoggle for help asking him to bring her back to the underground so she could confront Jareth.

Hoggle at first declined. Then after Sarah begging and cried, Hoggle gave in and took her to the castle, all the while complaining that Jareth would send him to the dungeon or to the bog for this. Sarah reassured him by telling him that she won't let Jareth do anything to him.

Sarah walked into the throne room and Hoggle quickly ran outside. Jareth and the goblins looked up at her.

"What is it you want now?" Jareth asked, walking towards her.

"I need you to know that I am sorry. I can't eat and sleep until I know you do," Sarah told him.

"Fine, I accept," Jareth said as he walked away from her.

Sarah could tell by the tone of his voice that he was just saying that so she would leave.

"I am not leaving until you truly accept my apology," Sarah said.

"Why is this so important?" Jareth asked.

"Because I hurt knowing that I hurt you," Sarah said

Jareth smiled. "So you are doing this to make yourself feel better."

Sarah shook her head. "No, I am only doing this for you!"

Jareth looked at Sarah as if he didn't believe her. Then he smiled wickedly at her. "You do realize you are stuck here."

Sarah nodded her head. "Yes, I know that."

"That doesn't bother you?" Jareth asked curiously.

"No, because I need you to know how sorry I am, and if I have to be stuck here to prove it, then so be it," Sarah replied.

Jareth moved closer to her and said, "I will make you a deal."

Sarah looked at him afraid and asked, "What's the deal?"

"I will accept your apology, but only if you become my queen," Jareth explained.

Sarah looked at him shocked, wondering if she heard him right. "You want me to be your queen?"

Jareth didn't say anything, he just nodded his head.

"Why would you want that?" she asked

"You know why," he said

"Because what no one knew was that the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl," Sarah whispered.

"Correct you are," Jareth said.

"Do you love me?"

"Yes."

Sarah looked up at him and smiled. "I love you too so yes I will be your queen."

Jareth smiled. "I accept your apology and you as my queen."

Jareth wrapped his arms around Sarah's waist ready to kiss her, when Sarah moved back slightly.

"Did you plan this?"

"No, but I did know you would return someday," he told her as he was going closer to kiss her.

Sarah moved back, and Jareth pouted at her. "What about my family? Can I see them?"

"Of course you can. Anytime you want to, I am not a monster, Sarah," he said as he smiled at her.

She smiled back at him. "Okay. Now you can kiss me."

Jareth started to kiss Sarah and happily she kissed him back the same.

"And they all lived happily ever after," Sarah said to her daughter.

Mandy pouted at her. "I know that is not the ending, what happened after you two kissed?"

Sarah looked at Jareth then back at Mandy, "I will tell you when you're older."

"I am older, I'm three," Mandy said sadly.

"You need to be older than three," Sarah told her.

"Older like Toby older?" Mandy asked.

"Yes sweetie, older like Toby," Sarah said.

"Now go to sleep, princess," Jareth said as he bent over and kissed and hugged her goodnight.

Sarah hugged and kissed her goodnight too, and then she and Jareth stood in the doorway.

"Happy Birthday," they both said and closed the door behind them.

Sarah and Jareth went to the bedroom to get ready for bed, once they were dressed, in bed and in each other's arms Jareth said, "I don't understand something."

"What?" Sarah asked as she laid on Jareth's bare chest running her fingers over him.

"You let me make love to you the first night you came here, but you wouldn't let me marry you until two years later… why?"

"Because I wasn't ready for marriage yet and to be queen, so I wanted to wait until I was," Sarah said.

"I am glad you decided to stay, you made me happy and you gave a beautiful daughter and now we have a son on the way," Jareth said as he rubbed her bulging stomach.

Sarah placed her hand over his, they kissed and fell asleep.