Yes yes yes, I know. My few readers out there...I'm sorry I haven't updated. Please forgive me! :) My muse left, but she's back now, and I have many ideas for many twists and turns. Oh yeah, and disclaimer: I don't own this movie. There you go, everybody's happy.

"Okay, people, great rehearsal. Remember, call tomorrow is at 5:00 SHARP! Don't you dare be late, or I'll have your hide!" Professor Haskell stood in the center of the stage, waving around a megaphone that wasn't really needed and stamping his feet to emphasize his point. "We'll do a great job on opening night, I just know it. Now get out there and get some rest-tomorrow will be a big day!"

Sarah sighed. Even though opening night was a big deal, it signaled the ending of the production. That always tugged at her heartstrings-she always became so close to the cast. She got the feeling that she'd be glad to get this show over with, because it meant no more Jack. Sarah still hadn't decided on wether or not to forgive him, but for the sake of rehearsals going well (and staying on Haskell's good side), she had managed to relive some of the tension between them by at least being civil.

Much to the displeasure of the Goblin King, who had been steadily watching her every move since the day he rescued her from a flat tire. His eyes stayed on hers the rest of her drive back home, and the tears flowing out of her eyes were exact to the ones flowing out of his. He watched her put on fasle pretenses when she stepped through the doorway, hugs and kisses flying at her from every direction from Richard, Karen, and Toby.

"Sarah!" They all had screamed. "We're so glad to have you back!"

"Sarah, guess what! I started kindergarten, and my teacher says I'm the smartest kid in the class!"

"Sarah, darling, just tell me all about everything! We're all going to come up and watch you in your play, now when is opening night?"

"Sarah, your room is exactly how you left it, come on dear, let's go put your things away!"

Jareth could tell that she was overwhelmed with all of this commotion. He watched her trudge up the stairs to her bedroom. Richard hadn't lied, it was exactly the way she left it. Her shelves of stuffed animals had been replaced with thick, leather bound volumes of theatre history, biographies of playwrights, and entire collected works. The fantasy books of her teenage years were in a box in the back of the closet, along with her homemade costumes, and the scrapbook filled with reviews and clips from shows her mother performed in. It felt like home.

The weekend she spent with her family was like a catharsis for Sarah. Being in the house she grew up in, surrounded by good memories, purged her of all of the negative feelings that she had seemed to accumulate over the past couple of weeks. Jareth was there along side her as she purged these feelings, crying when she cried, laughing when she laughed.

She was sad when she had to leave, wanting nothing more than to crawl back into her tiny bed and sleep the years away, until she didn't have to worry anymore. Bading her family goodbye, she drove back to her seemingly dismal reality, and back into the negativity she thought she had left behind.

Getting back to campus, Sarah immediately retreated into her dormroom, where she tried to sleep her feelings off. Her efforts were in vain, because everytime she tried to close her eyes, the image of Jareth crying while laying his head on her stomach was projected on her eyelids. She was haunted by somebody that was as untouchable as a ghost, but yet as tangible as her own hands.

Lack of sleep was finally getting to Sarah as she walked across the stage towards the dressing rooms. The room was full of the female cast, chattering as loud as jackhammers, intensifying the headache she already had. She waited until it was clear, and walked in, only to find...

"Jareth."

"Hello, love. Surprised to see me?"

Relieved is more like it, she thought to herself. Maybe he can figure out why I'm feeling this way...

"Sarah? Are you alright?"

Sarah snapped back to reality. "Jareth, I don't understand what's wrong with me. Everything seems to be weighted down on my shoulders, and it isn't a very good feeling at all. Being at home made it all go away, and then I come back here, and it all floods back and...especially with the tire...and then Jack has been...I don't know if...I just don't understand anything anymore, Jareth! I used to be so put together, so what's happened?!" Her composure failing, she collapsed, Jareth barely being able to break her fall. He curled her into his chest and let her cry. When she pulled away, gasping for breath, she apologized for her semi-nervous breakdown.

"It's okay, Sarah. I completely understand."

"You couldn't." There was no way he could know what she was going through! To be falling in love with the one person that she couldn't have was tearing her apart, slowly and painfully. The supposed best feeling in life was going to be the death of her, and nobody would know it.

"Yes, I could. Believe me, I know so much more than you think."

"NO, you don't! Quit acting like you know the ins and outs of me, Jareth, because you don't. You don't now, you didn't five years ago, and you never will!"

"Calm down. There isn't any reason for you to get upset, and if you would just let me ex-"

Sarah had enough. She exploded, standing on his tiptoes and screaming in his face.

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR EXPLINATIONS! Ever since you came into my life, Jareth, you have turned it upside down, and I don't like it one bit! You think that I need you to help me get through everything, and I don't! Why won't you just leave me alone?"

Jareth stepped back, not used to being yelled at the way she was yelling at him. His pride was stung, but he tried to not let it show. His eyes were as cold as his voice as he ground out "Is that the way that you want it, Sarah?"

"Yes, Jareth. I want you just to leave me alone. I don't need you." A sob escaped from her throat as she choked out her last few words. She raised her sleeve to wipe her eyes, and when she removed it, he was gone.