Ah, finally. It's been awhile since I've even had time to think about this story, and for that I apologize. Let's hope my story hasn't been completely forgotten.

Ain't No Sunshine When He's Gone

Sarah debated on the wisdom of taking advantage of Jareth's offerings. The coffee was one thing; even the muffin was alright, and she could pass the car thing off as being beyond her control. But every time she tried on another piece of clothing and it fit perfectly, she would catch herself grinning at her reflection and then immediately try to bite it back. It was hard to remain indifferent when you found the perfect red dress.

"This is nothing but trouble" she mumbled to herself. The salesgirl smiled at her, thinking she was referring to the pile of clothes draped over her arm.

"This must be your lucky day," the girl, Rachel according to her nametag, said.

"Someone certainly wants me to think so." Sarah answered. Rachel just smiled the smile of someone whose commission is assured for the day.

Sarah decided to drop her bags off in the car and then have lunch. She passed up the food court, overcrowded with teenagers and mothers burdened with small children, in favor of a small bistro tucked in one corner of the mall. The place had been there for as long as she could remember, offering a small sanctuary to leisurely shoppers. She took a seat closer to the back, ordered an iced tea and settled into her chair to read over the menu.

She felt him behind her before he said anything.

"I must say, the red dress was stunning."

"I thought I said this wouldn't work."

Without being invited, he sat down across from her, relieved to note she was smiling in spite of her tone. "You did say that about 3 hours ago. And now?"

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "You think I can just be won over by gifts? My that would be awfully shallow of me."

"Would you say you've been feeling stressed today Sarah? Sad?" he asked, seeming to change the subject.

"Well no, I mean, I was annoyed for awhile, but…no, I've actually had a lovely day." she paused, letting her gaze drift to the floor as she mulled over this new discovery. "Thank you." she added, meeting his gaze again.

"That's funny, considering just last night your boyfriend of three years dumped you rather cruelly, the man who killed your parents showed up on your doorstep only to be followed by the man who stole your brother. I can't imagine anyone else in your position describing their day as 'lovely' after such an evening." he remarked, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his chair.

Her eyes widened in sudden recognition. Before she could reply he leaned back in, placing one hand over hers. "Maybe I wasn't trying to win you over with trifling gifts. Maybe I was hoping to offer you some respite, the way a friend would."

The simplicity of it was touching. Who would have thought something as mindless as shopping could get her out of her head? And yet, she had to admit it was the first time she could remember being that at ease in a long time. They sat in silence for a moment until the waiter came over to take her order.

"Sir, will you be dining with the lady this afternoon?" he asked Jareth.

"Yes," Sarah answered for him without breaking eye contact.

* * *

While Sarah and Jareth enjoyed their newfound friendship over deli sandwiches, Toby and David were explaining the rules of Bounderball to their friends at school. They had grabbed the best ball as soon as Mrs. Griffin released them onto the playground and had begun throwing it at each other in accordance with the game. Thomas, a shaggy blond with a pretty powerful right arm had just smacked Toby in the back, causing the orange rubber ball to ricochet into the woods along the edges of the playground.

"You're out, Toby, so you have to get the ball!" Thomas crowed. Toby, good-naturedly, followed the ball behind a cluster of trees. He didn't hear anyone slip behind him, and by the time he felt a hand go over his mouth, the harsh chemical smell had knocked him unconscious.

"Boys, what happened to your game?" Mrs. Griffin asked, coming over to where the boys stood clustered on the playground. She smiled, doing a mental head count. Her smile faltered when she came up one short. "Where's Toby?" She glanced around, again failing to catch sight of curly blond hair.

"He was supposed to get the ball, but he's takin' forever," Thomas grumbled.

Slightly alarmed, Mrs. Griffin jogged into the woods, finding the ball immediately, but no Toby. Another look around the playground confirmed her suspicions: Toby wasn't among the other children. Mrs. Griffin wasn't one to panic; children wander off and it's usually harmless. But there had been enough tragedy in the Williams' family to make her think fate wouldn't be that kind in this instance. She herded the children back inside, asked Mrs. Ruth next door to keep an eye on her class, and then ran down to the principle's office. Fifteen minutes later, she along with 5 other teachers who had been on break came inside and called the police. That was the easy part.

"What now?" Debra, the first grade teacher, asked.

Mrs. Griffin sighed. She suddenly felt incredibly old. "I have to tell Sarah."