Chapter 20 - Midnight Madness

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A/N - Hiya! I'm back. The concert was awesome. Landmark chapter here. Who'd have
thought I'd get to twenty. Not me that's for sure! Anyway, I thought I'd take a moment
to thank you for all the great reviews.

Lisy - Thank you for taking the time to read these and I will definitely try that editing
tip.

books mom - Aww! Thanks, that really made my day. Here's a little joke for you:

"Jareth probably isn't such a hoot but he certainly has the wit to woo!"

Geddit! Oh never mind.

Augusta - You just made me change the entire first half of this chapter to prove I'm
not that predictable. It's petty, I know...but great fun and worth thinking about.

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The door was flung open. The slam vibrated throughout the building and a dark figure
cast a shadow in the doorway while a freezing wind carried thousands of delicate
snow flakes into the cottage, banishing all warmth from the room... Hilarity jumped
with fright and nearly hit the ceiling again. The shadow advanced slowly with a great
sense of purpose. But, to their surprise it got shorter with every step until it was only
four feet high...

A young girl stepped into the room. She only looked ten years old and wore a striking
red cloak.

"Grandma?" she called, nervously. Hilarity, now recovered from the shock, stood up
inquisitively.

"Sorry kid. Wrong cottage." she said "Why don't you try number 17 down the road."
the little girl happily obliged and scurried away into the night. "Oh! Watch out for
the...." Hilarity was cut short by a blood curdling scream "....wolf." It was obviously
too late so she closed the door and went back to her place in front of the fire where she
sat next to Thomas. "Now where were we?" she said suggestively. His arms eagerly
coiled around her waist as she once again held his face in her hands. They leaned in
for another kiss...

*CRASH* Another gust of freezing wind and another sinister shadow.

"OH BLOODY HELL!!" yelled Hilarity "If your that sodding wood cutter, you've got
the wrong house!"

The figure entered the room but hit its head on the door frame and swore loudly. Hang
on a minute! That voice seemed familiar. The mysterious person in question walked
into the light and turned out to be an extremely bedraggled Goblin King, almost
frozen from walking through the blizzard.

"Jareth!"

"Hilarity!"

"I thought you were dead!"

"I thought you were dead!"

They embraced quickly. (A/N - Where Hilarity and Jareth hug it is always done in a
manly fashion. That is to say : one arm over the shoulder, one arm under, two slaps on
the back and pull away.)

"How did you get here? How did you find us?" cried Hilarity, too distracted by the
reunion to remember what had passed just moments before.

Jareth winked "Magic, luv." he said conspiringly.

"You can't do magic!"

"Oh, can't I?"

"No. You can't! That creepy little demon bloke confiscated it."

The Goblin King looked a little embarrassed "I couldn't find you, but I noticed
someone driving a cart on the other side of the river so I fashioned a crude raft by
solidifying my sleeping bag with my last can of hairspray. Happy?"

"Very!"

"Good!" he collapsed on the sofa. Now could you be a dear and thaw me out."