AN/ thanks to all who read and reviewed my last chapter! you are all so special um well, this is kinda angsty kinda not, it depends how you look at it... but anyway the usual disclaimer applies and this as usual has not been beta'd so if you have any problams let me know... actually just tell me what you think anyway!

Chapter 14 – Denial

"You know what you need to do." Allera had been getting tired of saying that phrase to a distraught princess, but this situation was different. The transformation had taken place again and Mecrinda's silver eyes glinted with inner darkness. Allera was now talking to captive audience, completely dedicated to her path.

Mecrinda was now ready to fulfill the plans.

Sitting the Faerie Princess down gently Allera, for once completely dressed in a beautiful gauze dress of passionate red, reached over her and grabbed hold of a long thin wooden box. Sliding the top off Mecrinda caught sight of a beautiful crafted knife resting on midnight velvet next to its black sheath. Diamonds glinted in the hilt and the blade was pure silver curved slightly at the tip. There was no guard, the hilt connected to the blade seamlessly in one even line.

It was worthy of a King, and fitting in the hands of a Princess, and of a courtesan. Jareth had given it to Allera when he had departed from her bed. It was the perfect weapon to execute her revenge. Allera cast a sly side-glance at Mecrinda and was satisfied to see a glint of maliciousness in her eyes when she put her hand on the blade's jeweled hilt. Letting Mecrinda take the blade out of the box she ran the princess's hand gently over the cold metal. Mecrinda shivered and her eyes half closed leaving a sliver of silver visible. Taking the blade out of her hand Allera sheathed it and handed it back to her letting her hand linger.

"Go Princess, make you dreams," and mine, she thought, "come true."

Mecrinda got up as if in a daze clutching the sheathedknife to her chest in a loving embrace. She paused at the door and looked back clear-eyed.

"Thank you Allera, for you help." Then turned and glided out of the door.

"No, no princess thank you."

The smile that crossed Allera's face was one of triumphant anticipation.

"I hope you hurt Jareth, I hope you feel extreme pain…"

0000

"Jareth!"

Lounging in the dark throne room of the Castle beyond the Goblin City, far away from Sarah's room, Jareth heard her scream his name. He didn't need a crystal to hear it, it resounded in his mind and pounded in his heart. Without a thought he disappeared to Aboveground, to Sarah.

Jareth reappeared with no glitter, without even a sound into Sarah's dark bedroom. Standing against her bedroom door he watched the figure lie on the bed her head buried in a pillow crying. He felt his heart wrench at the sight of her distress, but it was quickly smothered by suspicion, why would Sarah call him? Hadn't she taken enough already? Was she still in the mood to tease and destroy every shattered piece she had left of his heart? He would not let her, if this were a ploy to break his heart again then he would ever forgive her. Point of fact, he was still smarting from the defeat. How dare she be crying her eyes out when it was he that had been ripped to shreds!

There was a low murmuring coming from Sarah. She was talking deep into her pillow. He moved closer, still on silent feet, and leant over her to hear the words. His cold mask molded into a recognizable emotion; shock.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, so so sorry. I'm sorry, sorry, so sorry."

What the? Does she feel remorse? Is she upset that she beat me?

He wondered as he leant over her breathing in the scent of her, it was intoxicating. Then she moved and he vanished quickly, to reappear behind her. She was now lying on her side staring at through the window at the swaying trees she whispered so softly that Jareth had to strain to hear it.

"I've killed the only man I will ever love."

She loves me? The thought went around his incredulous mind along with her words. He had to know, moving forward he materialized behind her on the bed and brushed a strand of her chocolate silk hair away from her forehead. At the touch of cool leather on her forehead Sarah turned, startled, her eyes widening at seeing Jareth. It seemed for just the flicker of an eyelash she leant into his touch. Then she launched herself backward to the edge of the bed with a frightened whimper. For a touch and go moment she almost fell, but she regained her balance and sat there staring at him wide eyes.

Her whimper hurt, but Jareth would die before he admitted it. He removed his hand from where it had stayed up when Sarah had pushed herself away and materialized back to the bedroom door in self-exile. Sarah sat disheveled and confused on the bed, I…I didn't kill him… he isn't dead, he's alive and he's here! The thought sent ripples of happiness through her until another thought plowed into the other. Why is he here? Is he here for revenge? Is he going to take Toby again or me? Will he hurt any of us? Will he hurt… me? He had said it himself, he was cruel, he could be so cruel as to do all that and secretly she wouldn't blame him. He had turned the world upside down for her and she had thrown it back into his face.

But he was lying and he will not take me in like that again!

"Why are you here Goblin King?" she lifted an eyebrow cruelly unaffected, "no one said the words to call you."

The Goblin Kings cold mask faltered for a second, he was a little hurt by her reaction and cold cruelty, then slid neatly into place again. No wonder she was able to defeat me, he thought, she is a beautiful actress. Had I not heard the words she spoke not 5 minutes ago I would think she really hated me.

Had he not heard the words he would have left without a second thought, however now that he knew she loved him he was, embarrassingly enough, unsure how to continue this conversation. The look on Sarah face wasn't helping, it was a mask of fear and hatred. Had Jareth been able to read beyond it he would have seen and felt her heart doing Riverdance on silent feet. However it didn't matter, he couldn't see what was behind her cold mask so he would have to do what he did best; fight fire with fire. Or in this case, ice with ice. Sarah was not the only good actor here.

Cocking an severe eyebrow, Jareth feigned nonchalance. "But Sarah dear, you did call me." He used the word dear like a weapon, cutting and forceful. Sarah wanted to wince, using an endearment as an attack that was nasty especially when she wanted him to mean it as it was intended. She blushed at where her thoughts were taking her and mentally slapped herself, Sarah DEAR, stop falling for the enemy, he is using your heart against you again. That voice was getting more and more patronizing every time it spoke. It was getting on her nerves. she instead redirected her anger and frustration back at Jareth,

"I certainly didn't, why would I call you Goblin king when you have brought me nothing but mayhem?"

there was a knowing smirk hovering around Jareth's thin lips, something she knew he knew, something that was going to backfire in her face in a few moments. A weapon, a hand hold, he held something to blackmail her with. Sarah hurriedly went back over everything she had said in the last 15 hours. She went back to the beginning and worked her way to the present moment. She got to right before he had touched her and her thought process stopped.

Shit! He heard me! How much did he hear? Enough to cripple me, he has a way to defeat me, like he always had. Except now he knows it.

Jareth watched curiously as a range of emotions passed over Sarah's usually blocked face. That was strange, fear was the most dominant emotion. What was she thinking that would make her so scared. He stepped forward unconsciously eager to comfort, to do something. She didn't notice his approach. He waited until he was a foot away before he spoke.

His voice was soft, gentle almost pleading, "Sarah, why did you call me?"

Sarah broke into rage leaping off the bed and standing definitely before him, his soft voice being more then she could stand.

"What the fuck do you want Goblin King? You took everything from me, everything. Now you want more. I never called you. I never once said the words, why do you haunt me? Do you want revenge? To take Toby again? You have come for something, but it's not for me." Tears ran down her cheeks as she screamed at the Fae king opposite her. She stopped abruptly and looked out the window again her arms wrapping around her, so she was hugging herself. Icy cold she whispered her real thoughts, her voice fading into heartbreak and Jareth had to lean forward to hear it.

"You aren't here for me, never for me."

Jareth started, she had openly admitted she wanted and needed him. He straightened slowly, his mismatched gaze never leaving her bowed head.

Almost as softly as she had spoken he replied, "But Sarah, I am here for you."

She looked up quickly, her eyes were huge, hardly daring to breathe for fear of betrayed trust, "what did you say?" Jareth stepped forward and brushed a stray strand of dark hair behind her right ear.

"It was you that summoned me, without using the words. The only words that could call me you didn't say. You reached out with your heart and mine answered. Sarah you are so precious to me."

"Wh… wha… what? You're lying!" Drunk on hope Sarah reached hard for sanity. Her jumbled thoughts dragged her down, she couldn't focus, couldn't feel. His words went around her head like an insane carnival. Precious, you are so precious to me, how you turn my world you precious thing, precious, precious to me, to me, precious to me.

Her world was going black, could it be true? Could he really love her? Spots appeared in front of her clouding her vision to the point where the Goblin king was a mere shadow. Then she started to fall.

She didn't hit the ground, the moment Jareth saw her start to fall he had caught her in his arms. Vaguely she could feel strong arms around her, lifting her. Gently so gently he was holding her cradled against his chest. Her mind was blank but for the realisation that he was holding her. Then she felt the soft of her bed and she knew he had placed her on her bed.

Jareth placed her gently on the bed, but couldn't move away. His gaze fixed on her, he watched her every breath through her parted lips, even breathing. He knew she was surfacing, her eyelids were fluttering. He placed a softlingering kiss on her lips, inhaled her intoxicating scent, and vanished.

Sarah's eyes opened and she raised a hand to her still tingling lips.

He kissed me!

A smile made its way to her lips. Maybe he did love her. With a happy sigh she fell back onto her bed, if only I had woken up sooner, then I could have kissed him back.

A sudden thought made her happiness come crashing down. How would he get here again? Would she ever see him again? Did he take her fainting as a sign she never wanted to see him again?

Oh Shit!

"Now what am I going to do? How am I going to see him again? I cant think of any way to get him here other then to wish away someone, maybe myself? Then who would run for me? No it cant be that." She closed her eyes tightly and let the thoughts whirl in silence. Eventually she brought them to one conclusion.

If Jareth loved her he would come back.

"What will be, will be. Jareth will come to me soon."

A/N: let me know what you think, personally i hate this chapter it just wouldnt come out write and it didnt matter how many times i had rewritten it. Gah! so let me know what you thought. Fun things happen in the next chapter... somebody dies. wanna know who it is? HA! sorry i wont tell you but you are free to guess.

thanks to all who reviewed last chapter: LabyLvrPhx, Fae Rain, jaz7, janine(i loved your review very funny!),robinfan652,Twilightschild, Anij, Hya-chan, Sweet-single, Diblik, Forevermore33, Solea, designer kisses, Kyaku-kun, Meow-Mix-91, LadyAlira, Ayjah.

thanks to all who voted for a sequel... im getting one in mind at the moment and just need to come up with everything etc.

Luv you all heaps

XXCassee