Of course, Sarah had been right about the dangers of wishing. There is
always someone listening, waiting for the right wish to open the right
door. Jareth smiled as he twisted back into human form. He knew that given
enough time, one of the Williams would inadvertently invite him back into
their lives. Granted, Toby hadn't wished for him exactly, but that was the
beauty of wishes: they left themselves so open to interpretation.
Now, though, he was faced with another dilemma. Although he was now allowed to re-enter Sarah's life, he wasn't quite sure how. Specifically, he couldn't decide between just showing up in her bedroom or ringing the doorbell. It would be his modus operandi to just pop in wherever he wanted, but he knew Sarah was crying, and since she didn't like him too much to begin with, that probably wasn't the safest course of action. That left the doorbell. After watching her chilly reception of Mr. Jones he wasn't too thrilled about that option either. Ah well, he thought, they say the road less traveled makes all the difference.
* * *
When Sarah heard the doorbell ring a second time that night she was stunned. Seeing Richard face to face had been the final touch to a truly horrendous evening and it absolutely amazed her that the possibility of the evening getting worse actually existed. Stopping a moment by the hall mirror, she wiped her eyes on the arm of her striped flannel pajamas, her favorites, and basically confirmed what she had already suspected: she looked like crap. A glance at the clock showed it was only 8:30. Without even bothering to check through the peephole, she threw the door open to find Jareth the Goblin King standing on her front porch. She started laughing.
"You know, somehow I should have known you'd show up" she told him. She glanced over him once, and then frowned. "Whatever possessed you to ring the doorbell?"
"Hmph! Well if I recall correctly you didn't take too kindly to my arriving through your bedroom window. I thought a more conventional approach would be in order." Jareth was a bit thrown off. He had expected, and perhaps had hoped, for a little more surprise on her part. It seemed that four years hadn't made Sarah any less unpredictable, but what she did next floored him. Without any more to do, she stepped away from the threshold and said, "Well, come on in."
Now, though, he was faced with another dilemma. Although he was now allowed to re-enter Sarah's life, he wasn't quite sure how. Specifically, he couldn't decide between just showing up in her bedroom or ringing the doorbell. It would be his modus operandi to just pop in wherever he wanted, but he knew Sarah was crying, and since she didn't like him too much to begin with, that probably wasn't the safest course of action. That left the doorbell. After watching her chilly reception of Mr. Jones he wasn't too thrilled about that option either. Ah well, he thought, they say the road less traveled makes all the difference.
* * *
When Sarah heard the doorbell ring a second time that night she was stunned. Seeing Richard face to face had been the final touch to a truly horrendous evening and it absolutely amazed her that the possibility of the evening getting worse actually existed. Stopping a moment by the hall mirror, she wiped her eyes on the arm of her striped flannel pajamas, her favorites, and basically confirmed what she had already suspected: she looked like crap. A glance at the clock showed it was only 8:30. Without even bothering to check through the peephole, she threw the door open to find Jareth the Goblin King standing on her front porch. She started laughing.
"You know, somehow I should have known you'd show up" she told him. She glanced over him once, and then frowned. "Whatever possessed you to ring the doorbell?"
"Hmph! Well if I recall correctly you didn't take too kindly to my arriving through your bedroom window. I thought a more conventional approach would be in order." Jareth was a bit thrown off. He had expected, and perhaps had hoped, for a little more surprise on her part. It seemed that four years hadn't made Sarah any less unpredictable, but what she did next floored him. Without any more to do, she stepped away from the threshold and said, "Well, come on in."
