Disclaimer: I only own what is in my imagination. Anything that is recognizable belongs to Henson.
A/N: Thank you to my beta BowieQueen thank you for putting up with me through this.
Next thank you to those of you that were with me through this wild ride. I appreciate the encouragement you gave me through the ongoing reviews and those that favorited and followed.
Guest 2021: Sarah would be appreciative that you think she can handle the goblins well.
Well, here we are at the end. I am a little sad to be updating this one for the last time. This chapter is a bit of a wrap-up. For those of you that were less than happy about Sarah using the poor Goblin King as a doormat, let's see if it has evolved after their "mini-vacation" together. Not much else to say. Thank you for reading and please review the goblins and I am grateful.
Sarah woke and groaned. She knew that after lunch they would be leaving, and she had put off packing. Oh well, no reason to dwell on past bad choices. Getting up she decided to get some breakfast in hope that it would distract her from thoughts of future bad choices with a certain glittery monarch that was invading her thoughts. Bad Sarah, she admonished herself.
Sarah's dad had gone out and gotten doughnuts for the morning meal since Karen had already closed down the kitchen, and had forbidden anyone from touching anything in it. She slid into her place and smiled at her family.
"Good morning princess," her dad greeted her. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.
Sarah groaned. "I need to finish packing. We weren't planning on leaving until after lunch right? I have time. You didn't have plans except for closing down the house, right?"
"No, but I want to make sure that we have everything packed up in time. You know your old dad." He smiled at her. "Did you have a good time pumpkin?" he asked.
"Surprisingly, yes," Sarah answered. "I love you all, but I am glad that it is not more than a week. I miss my own space," Sarah admitted. "But this was definitely more enjoyable than I thought it would be when you brought it up."
"Maybe next time you will have someone to bring with you," Karen said pointedly.
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Karen I would like to find someone for more than just a couple of dates, but I don't think I am old enough to lower my standards to just anyone," Sarah said.
"Oh no, dear, I did not mean that. I just want to see you happy…and not alone," she patted Sarah's hand. "Who was that nice young man that called after you the other night?" she asked innocently.
Sarah didn't have to wonder who the "nice young man" was, but she did have a hard time not snorting at the description of Jareth as nice or young. "He is just someone I met a long time ago. We have talked over the years, but I haven't seen him in person in years. He just happened to be here on vacation too, and we ran into each other on the beach." Sarah was proud that she could stick to the truth…mostly.
"Do you think you will see him again?" Karen asked hopefully.
"Karen," Robert Williams said with a warning in his voice.
"Robert. I am not pushing her. I was just wondering. It has been so long since Sarah has had someone special in her life. I just worry about her being alone. That is all," Karen replied.
Sarah's eyes went between them talking about her love life like she was watching a tennis match. "Enough," she said. Both of her parents turned toward her. Toby used this time to escape to his room with a bag of doughnut holes unseen.
"Karen, I appreciate that you are worried about me. I know that my luck with guys has not been the best lately." At her stepmother's look, she added. "Ok, the last couple of years. I just don't want to settle." Karen opened her mouth, but a look from her husband stopped her. "As for that guy that you met"—Sarah was still not comfortable saying his name, especially around her family—"He lives abroad and travels a lot. I don't think that he is the best prospect for a long-term relationship, since it would have to be long-distance." Really long-distance, Sarah added to herself.
"There is no rush. Anyone would be lucky to have you. You are right not to lower your standards." Her father put an end to this line of questioning much to Sarah's relief.
Sarah excused herself and ran to her room. On the way, she detoured to her brother's room. She walked into the goblins fighting over the last of the doughnut holes, and Toby trying to keep them from killing each other. Sarah observed the scene for about two seconds then decided to channel Jareth.
"Stop that this minute." Her voice rang in the room. All movement stopped. Toby had Squib by an arm and his other hand around Scoots' middle holding him above the ground. Zot tried to look at her with the doughnut hole bag on his head. Moxie stopped trying to get the bag from Zot that must have held the last of the doughnut holes.
Sarah walked over and took the bag off of Zot. She took the final doughnut hole and ate it herself. The goblins and Toby all looked at her with their mouths open. This week gave her a new appreciation for what Jareth had to deal with daily. If she had the bog available as a punishment, she may have used it a few times this week. And as for kicking them, while not her first instinct, did look appealing at this moment in time.
"Toby, I am heading home straight from here so you are riding back with your parents. Since there is no way the goblins should be in the sedan with Dad and Karen, and I am not hosting them in my tiny apartment, I am going to call his Majesty to pick them up once we are all packed."
Toby opened his mouth to protest, but it died in his throat when he saw the look on Sarah's face. He nodded and started to sort his stuff. The goblins seemed to settle down too. Sarah decided to take Scoots and Zot to her room to keep her company.
Zot and Scoots chatted and bounced on her bed while she threw things into her bag. When Sarah was sure she had all of her things in the bag, she left to shower and dress. When she returned, she packed her pajamas, stripped her bed, and grabbed her sheets and her towel. After telling the goblins to stay put, she went to Toby's room to get his towel and bedding. She knew Karen would be calling for them soon anyway. By this time she knew the drill when closing up the house. Starting the laundry, she knew she had some time to kill but had to stay close.
Toby left with his skateboard to go to the boardwalk one last time. Sarah decided to hang with the goblins and tell them some stories. She used to do this all the time and felt a little guilty about not doing it more. She herded them to her room, and they sat on her bed while she looked at the old books left on her bookshelf for something they might like. Smiling, she selected an old book of fairytales and joined the group on the bed.
For the next hour, she read to the goblins. She loved how they cuddled up, and how they hung on her words. Stopping only to move the laundry to the dryer, she had a quiet enjoyable morning with her friends. She would have to remember to have them visit her more often, but maybe only one or two at a time.
Once the house had been put to rights, and the cars had been packed with everything the family was taking back with them, Sarah and Toby took the goblins to her room. She explained to them that they would have to go back home now and that the king would have to take them since the portal mirror was in Sarah's old room. The goblins were noticeably sad at the thought of going back, but they nodded their understanding.
Sarah stood in the middle of the room. "I wish Jareth, the Goblin King would come here right now," she said into the air. She figured this would work, and was unsurprised at the poof of glitter that swirled in front of her. Jareth appeared, and Sarah had to admit he looked good.
"Sarah, dear," he purred. "Whatever has caused you to call on me today?" he asked, moving closer to her and reaching for her hand. Since he was looking down at her, he did not notice the audience on the bed.
"If you're going to try to kiss her, I'm going to barf," said Toby making a face, and the goblins on the bed with him giggled.
Jareth turned to look at Toby and the goblins. "My apologies, Sarah. I did not know you had company when you invited me to your bedroom," he turned his gaze back onto Sarah.
"Back off, Casanova." Sarah gave his chest a push to back him up physically. "You are only here because I was not going to have you show up where someone could see you. I got through this week without someone wanting to put me in a straitjacket, I'm not about to ruin my record now," she told him.
"I called you here because we are about to leave soon. Toby has to go with my parents, and I am going to my apartment," she explained.
"And this involves me how?" Jareth inquired. "Do you wish me to keep you company on your journey, Champion?" he asked with a glint in his eye.
"Not what I was going to ask. I just need you to take your subjects home. They can't go with my parents to use the portal to get back, and they can't go back to New York with me. Since you can come and go as you please, please take them with you." Sarah smiled at him.
"Not the offer I was hoping for, but very well. You know that I am as always a slave to your whims." At this point he did lean over and kiss her hand, which confused Sarah more, causing Toby to gag, and the goblins to bounce with excitement.
Sarah decided she would have to have that talk with Jareth, but not here with her brother and goblins present, and not anywhere where her parents could walk in. That was the last thing she needed.
"All right you cretins say goodbye to Sarah and Toby and let's get back." Jareth's voice suddenly turned commanding.
"Yes, kingy. Bye Lady, bye Toby," said the four clearly not happy goblins. They took turns hugging the siblings. Scoots climbed up on Sarah's shoulder and refused to leave until she took him off and set him down with another hug. "I will call you guys when I get back, OK? , I promise to be in touch more," she told them. "And I know about Toby using my mirror. As long as you don't get caught by dad or your mom you can contact the Underground as much as you want." This last part was directed at Toby. He blushed a little but smiled.
With another burst of glitter, the group was gone. Sarah sighed and looked around. She would have to get the vacuum and run it over her rug before Karen did her last walk-through. How would she explain all this sparkly stuff? Toby ran out before she recruited him to do something.
After getting as much of the glitter as she could off the floor, and Karen approving that that house was back to rights, the family gathered out by their cars. They picked a restaurant on the way to stop at. Toby decided to ride with Sarah until they rested for lunch. They got into their cars, and with one last look, they were gone.
After their stop for lunch, Toby joined his parents in their car. They said goodbye, and Sarah promised to call to let them know that she arrived home safely. Sarah continued the drive home and enjoyed the solitude. She knew that there was one last thing she needed to do, but that would wait until she was home.
Sarah hauled her bags to her bedroom and called her father to let him know she was home and in one piece. For a minute she considered pouring herself a drink, but decided against it, choosing to keep a clear head. She stood in the middle of the living room and took a breath slowly letting it out to get some courage.
"Jareth!" she simply said and waited for him to show up. She had been careful not to use his name because she thought that that was all it would take to summon him. She was not surprised It did not take long, in a few moments she was standing in front of her.
"Well, this is a surprise, Sarah," he said in his velvety voice. "What can I possibly do for you? Did my idiot subjects do something that you have just been made aware of?"
"What?" she asked, taken aback. "Oh the goblins," she laughed. "No, they didn't do anything…" Sarah trailed off.
"Well if it is not them, then what? Surely no one has done something that has offended you already, you could not have arrived back from your trip that long ago." Jareth looked at her slightly puzzled.
"I don't only call on you when I want to complain about something. Do I?" Sarah thought about it for a minute. "Oops I guess I do use you to bitch, don't I? I'm sorry about that. I honestly never realized that. It is just too easy to complain when someone has to stay and listen." She felt slightly ashamed. "I promise I will do better, and not just use you to complain about all the crap in my life," Sarah said looking down at the ground.
"No apologies needed, Sarah, but I am curious. If you are not here to complain about something, what is it you require from me?" Jareth kept looking at her wondering why she was fidgeting, and why she wasn't using a mirror—that was how they usually talked.
"Oh um, I just wanted to talk to you about something. I mean if you have time and aren't busy or anything. Oh, hell do you want to sit?" She hated feeling so nervous. This was Jareth. They have talked for years and she never had this problem.
"Certainly." Jareth made a gesture for her to sit first. She dropped onto the couch and he sat on the other side and looked at her expectantly.
"Well, Jareth, seeing you at the shore this week, it was unexpected," Sarah started.
"I'm sorry if I barged in on your holiday." Jareth assumed she was upset that he joined her with her friends.
"No, no, it was unexpected, but I had a good time," she replied quickly.
"I enjoyed those times as well." Jareth was still trying to figure out where this was going. "What are you trying to say? Sarah, forgive me but I am confused."
Sarah took a breath and asked the question all at once so as not to lose her nerve. "Iwantedtoknowifmaybeyouwouldwanttodosomethinglikethatagainsometime?" She looked at him and hoped that she did not look like an over-eager puppy. She was twenty-seven, damn it. Why did he make her feel like a teenager again?
A smile crossed Jareth's face. "I would be happy to join you when you and your friends gather for a night out," he said quickly. "But this seems a rather odd way to ask that, unless, of course, you are going somewhere now."
"No Jareth… crap." Sarah turned away from him. "I was wondering if you would maybe want to go out sometime. You know…with me. I thought maybe there was a thing between us at the shore." Sarah was staring at her hands, she felt so stupid.
"Sarah, are you asking me out on a date? That is unexpected." Jareth was taken aback. This week spending time with her had made him think about possibly courting the Champion, but he had no idea that she had similar feelings.
"I know it's dumb, I mean you don't think of me like that, I mean you even said I only call you to complain…" She was in the middle of her ramble when Jareth leaned over and kissed her.
The kiss was short and completely chaste. Jareth honestly just wanted to stop her from talking. "Sarah, I admit that until recently this was not something I had considered. But I too enjoyed my time spent with you and wished to have more time with you. Preferably alone."
Sarah was happy. She knew she was grinning like an idiot. "I hate to say that I called you with no real plan. I knew if I did not talk to you now I would lose my nerve. I don't know what we do now. I mean I just got back. Would you like to order in and hang out here?" She blushed, feeling uncomfortable.
"I would like to, Sarah, but with being away, and dealing with my goblin escapees I find that tonight is not ideal. An appropriate first date in the above would still be dinner at a restaurant, yes?"
Sarah nodded.
"Well then, if you have no other plans, I would like to take you to dinner tomorrow night. Would you be free?" he asked.
Sarah could only nod again.
"Well, then, Precious, I will pick you up tomorrow at seven." He stood and she followed. He took her hands and leaned down for another brief kiss. "Till tomorrow night, Precious," he said and disappeared in a rush of glitter.
Sarah looked around the empty apartment and smiled. Her family trip to the shore was not what she expected, but she would not have had it any other way—stowaways and all.
A/N: In the words of Porky Pig: "That's All Folks!" Hope you enjoyed it. Please read and review.