Chapter Three

Disclaimer/Author's note: I don't own a thing, alright? Wow guys! You've been so helpful, you really have! I'm so glad for my wonderful readers! Thank you guys! My goblins are finally helping out a bit, though they still aren't doing the best of jobs. So here's chapter three!

Sarah sighed, what choice had she got? Well, as helpful as THAT information was, she still had this nagging feeling that Jareth was hiding something from her. She figured, really, why would she call on Jareth? Had she been THAT desperate? Or maybe... no.

Now only seventeen Sarah still felt that soft spot for Jareth. Even though he'd stolen her brother, and made her solve the Labyrinth... and tossed her in the oubliette. Not to mention that whole peach thing... well, alright so maybe he'd done a lot to her. But for some odd reason, every time she saw him she just completely melted. She found herself short of breath, wanting to completely disappear from sight, and got this dizzy feeling like she'd been spinning for a good half an hour.

And what about Jonathan? It had seemed to be going so well, with him before they went to his house. After she walked in the door, she couldn't remember a thing. What had happened? And why did she trust Jonathan enough to go into his room? Did she go into his room? She couldn't remember. She sighed in frustration and pounded her fist on her leg. Pain jolted her from her thoughts. She rolled up her pants and there was a very large green and black bruise.

In fact, there was a few, like finger tips. She put her hand over them and they matched perfectly with Jonathans almost freakishly small hands. Well, they were for a guy. Normally, almost every guy she knew had hands bigger than her, but not Jonathan. She muttered a complaint under her breath and pulled her jeans back down.

A knock came at the door and Sarah's gaze shot up and she looked to the halfway cracked door.

"Missy?" the rough voice asked full of concern "you being alright?"

"Hoggle?" Sarah asked in excitement, completely forgetting the bruises and everything else that was bothering her "is that you!?"

"Well of course it's me," he exclaimed and rushed into the room, meeting Sarah halfway and her scooping him up in her arms. She needed this, someone to talk to. Letting go of the embrace Hoggle smiled shyly and sat with Sarah on the bed. "Sarah," he said quietly "are you holding up alright?"

"Well considering I can't remember a thing," she muttered "actually yes."

"Jareth says you.. er.. reparsed the memory of what happened," Hoggle said, mixing the words up.

"Its repressed Hoggle," Sarah corrected "and I don't know. I don't completely trust him."

"Yeah," Hoggle said slowly, looking around the room. Sarah tilted her head slightly and raised an eyebrow, he was acting like something was wrong. Like he was being... watched maybe? Hoggle noticed that Sarah was wondering why he was looking around so worriedly and quickly stopped, giving her his full attention. But it was too late, Sarah already knew.

"Why are you spying on me?" she asked aloud and but there was only silence.

"What are you talking about Sar-"

"You're a bad liar Hoggle," Sarah informed "and apparently not good at being secretive because your very obvious."

"He was just making sure you didn't say anything..." Jareth paused as he faded into the room "stupid." Sarah glared. Jareth was wearing a white poet shirt and gray tights, and of course, those boots.

"You have no right to spy on me," she said standing up and pointing her finger at him "how dare you."

"How dare I?" he asked, jolting back in surprise "how dare I?"

"Yes," she said "how dare you, you have NO right."

"How dare I," he said again, tossing the word within his mouth, as if he'd never heard it used before. "Well Sarah, glad to inform you that no one had ever said that to me before."

"Well goody for me," she spat and Jareth's happy demeanor quickly changed.

"And how can you tell me that?" he asked dramatically throwing his hands in the air as he started pacing the room. Hoggle quickly dashed out, leaving both Sarah and Jareth alone, making Sarah slightly uncomfortable. "This is MY castle, this is MY world and your telling me I have no right to spy on you?"

"Umm, yes," she said like it was obvious "doesn't matter who's world it is, or who's home. You have no right to spy whatsoever!"

"I have plenty of right," he said, raising his voice "I own you."

"WHAT?!"

"I," he said pointing to himself "own" and then he grabbed Sarah's arm "you."

"No you don't," she spat, pulling out of his grasp "no one owns me."

"Last night," he started but she cut him off.

"Last night?" she asked "I can't even REMEMBER last night. And even if you DID save me fro Jonathan, and everything you say is true, you STILL don't own me. I belong to no one, especially YOU! And... And once these three days of hell are over, I'm gone!"

"Sarah," he stared calmly, but she kept rambling.

"No Jareth," she said, now on the verge of tears "just go back to your room and play the big bad Goblin king alright? Go and kidnap some poor little children and find yourself someone ELSE to harass! Because I'm not dealing you with anymore. You completely fucked up my life, and for what Jareth, what did you do it for!?"

"You wished it," he said sternly through gritted teeth. He was trying to keep himself calm but... it wasn't working.

"And as I've said before, again and again," she sighed loudly "I didn't mean it."

"And as I've said," he retorted "what's said is said."

"And I'm sure you couldn't have broken the rules one damn time," she muttered "you say that you reordered time and turned the world upside-down for me, yet you weren't willing to let me go home."

"And what was I going to say Sarah?" he lost it "that I love you and wanted you to stay with me? And you would have left either way. At least I bought some time for God's sake. I tried to explain myself Sarah, the best way I knew how, but perhaps you were to young to understand."

"Love me, HA!" she spat "you tormented me all through the Labyrinth, even later on when I got home and you talk about caring for me? Your not capable of love Jareth. Your heart is black and hard as stone. Your nothing to me."

Jareth's eyes blazed with anger and he raised a hand, wanting to slap the girl who had, once again, taken his offer of love and spat in his face. Sarah cringed and Jareth put his hand down, and stormed out of the room. Sarah waited a moment. He hadn't hit her. Her eyes filled with tears, she was sorry. She was sorry for going off like that.

She was angry that he hadn't stopped her, that he didn't tell her earlier that he loved her. How was she to know at the age of fifteen that he (a king of all things) loved her so desperately that he'd go to any means to keep her. She thought a moment... he HAD. Damnit. He'd told her plenty of times. In the ball room, in the Ester room, two minutes ago.

He had offered himself time after time and she kept refusing him. Why? Though Sarah didn't want to admit, she loved Jareth. That's the reason she wouldn't date anyone, she couldn't bear being with anyone else than him. Sarah sighed and wiped tears from her face. She stood to her feet and exited her room, searching for someone who might possibly never speak to her again.

Author's note: I am the author, and this happens to be my note. Well, I figured they needed to get all the tension out... don't you think? Two years of it bottled up really needed to come out. I'm so glad you guys have been reviewing! And for those who have added me to Favorite Author, I'm flattered. The goblins say they're happy too... though it could be all those pickles they ate. Anyways, thanks very much for reviewing and PLEASE keep it up! And I'm sorry my other stories have taken so long for me to update on! But I worked really hard last night (stayed up until 3 for you guys!) so, you can check them out too.

Much love,

Amber and the pickle eating Goblins