He took hold of her hands and there was that same topsy turvy feeling she had experienced when she arrived.

When she opened her eyes, Sarah was surprised to find that they ended up on the sidewalk outside of her apartment building.

"Jareth." she paused, looking up at the third floor where room was. "I don't have a key with me."

Jareth looked sheepish.

"I'm terribly sorry about that. I can't just show up in someone's home, I have to be invited in."

They began walking closer to the building.

"But I let you in when you tapped on my window."

"I'm afraid invitations only work on a one time basis, unless specifically stated otherwise."

The chain link door providing safety to the building looked extra steely in the dark, it's locked doorknob a deep grey. The moonlight glinted off of the leaves of the creeping vines growing up the side of the bricks and on a trellis.

"I'm also afraid it looks like you'll have to climb it."

"It's a shame the fire escape is on the other side..." Sarah took hold of the trellis and tested its strength.

When she was assured it didn't seem liable to break, she stepped up onto it.

"You'll catch me if I fall, right?"

"Of course."

She kept her focus on the open window above and tried not to think about all the small insects and spiders that were very likely touching her at this moment, disturbed from their homes by her grasping hands and prodding feet. She managed to crawl in through the window and landed in an undignified ball on her floor with a sigh. She sat up and leaned her head out the window.

"You can come in now." she called as loudly as she dared in the middle of the night.

A moment later Jareth, in owl form, flew inside and perched next to her.

Sitting on the carpet, bathed in moonlight with only the sound of the gentle breeze outside, she would have thought that nervous feeling in her stomach would have left as soon as she was out of danger of falling off the trellis. Instead, it only seemed to grow, and it took her a few minutes to remember that it was directly related to the presentation she still had to give. She put her hands on her stomach and groaned. In all of the excitement Underground she had completely forgotten it, only to now have it hit her again in full force.

"Are you alright?" Jareth, having transformed once again, looked concerned.

"I just remembered my presentation." she struggled to her feet.

Jareth cocked his head.

"Sarah... Do you really mean to tell me that you, who scarcely even two days ago stood in front of the High Court and argued a most unpopular opinion, managing to sway the hearts and minds of three score sidhe to your side, and then stood in front of an entire kingdom and as they were told the results, is afraid of sharing an idea with a handful of people sitting a at desk?"

She grabbed a pillow off a chair and threw it at him. He ducked.

"It's not the same, ok?" she ran her fingers through her hair, and began walking towards the kitchen.

"And I swear to all that is good in this dimension and the next, if all that stuff we just went through in the Underground was some scheme of yours to make me feel better about this presentation, I will scream so loudly it will wake the dead and I will lead my newfound army of the undead to your castle and overthrow your throne and name myself the new Queen of the Underground." she pulled two mugs out of a cupboard. "Do you want some tea?"

"Let the dead sleep a little longer, in that case. I assure you the timing of this was merely a happy accident - or at least, it turned out happily in our favor. My sphere of influence does not extend over the other sidhe, and you're quite aware of their feelings towards myself which I can tell you are only too real. Besides, I would never play with my kingdom so carelessly, though in hind sight the timing of these two events was remarkable. There are forces more powerful than I out there - perhaps the very Universe itself loves you as well."

Sarah blushed just a bit as she finished preparing the tea. She set one mug in front of Jareth and sat down opposite him.

Jareth took a sip of the tea and raised an eyebrow.

"Peach?"

"Yeah." she rolled her eyes. "It's a good flavor, so what?"

"I do agree."

They say in silence for a few minutes.

"Would you like to talk about why the presentation feels so different?"

Sarah leaned over the table.

"It's not that I wasn't nervous at the High Court - I was - but... When I had to talk... It wasn't for me, it was for you."

Jareth waited for her to continue.

"I didn't have to think about myself because I wasn't fighting for myself. There was no question that the goblins deserved to be free."

"And is there any question that you deserve a promotion?" he asked gently.

She frowned.

"That's just it. If the sidhe had decided against me, it would have been on them - that they couldn't see what clearly needed to be. But - if I don't get this promotion - Jareth, that's on me. If I mess up and don't get it, it's because I messed up. My bosses aren't vile, they just want what's best for the company... And what if - what if I'm not what's best?"

"Perhaps you shouldn't look at it as a personal failing, then. Not everyone is fit at every occupation. It could be your bosses would prefer to keep you in a position you already excel at then move you to one they feel you wouldn't be best at. There's no shame in that." he shrugged. "That is why I'm the goblin king, after all."

She managed a small smile.

"Not to sound like a total peasant, Your Majesty, but this promotion would include a huge raise."

"So you do your best and leave the rest to fate."

She squirmed.

"But what if I actually get the job and then they realize I can't even do it right? Being fired or demoted after getting it would be absolutely mortifying."

"Sarah, do you remember junior year of college?"

She stared.

"You were absolutely convinced that you were going to bomb on your final, that it would delay your graduation, destroy your GPA, that everyone would find out and laugh at you, and that your entire life was ruined and nothing would ever go right again. Do you remember what actually happened?"

"Yeah. I bombed. It was awful, thanks for bringing it up."

"But when the last time you thought about it?"

She thought.

"I guess not since I was in college."

"I specifically remember you flinging yourself across a couch and sobbing that you would never be able to face anyone again."

Sarah cover her hands over her face and groaned.

"I did do that, didn't I?"

"Yet the very next day you were back to hitting the books. You didn't even have to delay your graduation, and it never affected you in the least once you got past your bruised pride."

He took a long draught from the mug.

"Weigh your options carefully here." he advised. "Do you think any embarrassment coming from not getting the job is so much that you can't even bear to try? Or is the likelihood of success worth sticking out through any adverse consequences?"

He stood up.

"It's all up to you, Sarah. But if I were you - and considering your track record - I'd start thinking about what I'd buy first with that big new pay check." he winked.

She felt slightly heartened by his words.

"Thank you, Goblin King."

He stood to leave.

"Oh! Before you go -" she cleared her throat. "You are absolutely welcome here or any home of mine any time at all."

He grinned and she raised an eyebrow.

"Just don't abuse the privilege, please."

"I wouldn't dare." he chuckled.

In a flash he was gone. Sarah sighed and put the now empty mugs into the sink. She had several hours still before daylight, and just enough time to grab some winks before her alarm clock signalled the start of another workday.

She changed out of her goblin finery and into her regular pajamas and crawled into bed. Although the "what-ifs" still chattered in the back of her mind, for the first time in a long time she felt peace, and she hoped she could hold onto it.