Disclaimer of P I applies here too.

Sometimes it seems if I just dream, somehow you might be here.

Sarah went through her day feeling as if something was missing.

However, her performance lacked nothing. "Raoul" protested afterwards that he felt like a heel for stealing her from "Erik".

"She's just a good actress," Sean smiled. "For she knows that my heart belongs to Mary."

"I- was just - reliving a dream," Sarah said so softly not even she was sure if she'd said it.

Her mysterious admirer did not send a gift this night though, and she did not get home until late, "Meg" and a few other girls persuaded her to come along to a celebration they'd scheduled for the second night of the performance so that when they celebrated they'd be sure of it actually being something worth celebrating, without the opening night glamor.

"You look totally exhausted," Therese (Meg) noted after an hour or two. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have bugged you into coming along. I just didn't want you to feel left you, Sarah. You always seem so- alone."

"Thanks, Terry," Sarah smiled. "You won't think I'm antisocial for taking off?"

"No, sweetie. Though I should kill you for leaving me here with 'Carlotta'." The two girls grinned. Carlotta, really, Katherine, that seemed ironic in light of what Sarah now knew; was as much of a pain off stage as she was in character.

"Well, I'll see if I can find an oubliette to toss her in," Sarah promised.

"A what?" Therese blinked.

"Somewhere you put people to forget them," Sarah replied.

"Ooh, you're lady justice tonight."

Both knew that Katty as they had dubbed her would absolutely die if she was forgotten; she was a vampire for attention.

Sarah grinned and shrugged.

"You did invite her..."

"It was a cast party, and she is part of it, unfortunately. "

"Least she doesn't have to act much, " Sarah smiled ruefully, then left.

Going home, she thought about the diary. Something about the real Erik seemed so familiar. It wasn't because he was the prototype of the character she worked with and other incarnations of that same character. If anything, he was very little like how the cinema and theater had portrayed the Phantom.

A fallen prince, not a wild boy kept caged in a sideshow.

A man who was healing, not scarred since birth.

An enigma and proud, yes, both were.

One content with the role of teacher and mentor, subliminating whatever love he had until some later date.

Not a madman driven by passion that both must and must not be denied.

A bird beneath the mask.

The owl watching her perform in the park.

The masked ball in her dreams.

So lost was she in thought that only a miracle kept Sarah from being in a wreck on the way home.

No surprises, only bills waited for her when she reached her door.

Life seemed so mundane just then.

"It's your own fault," Sarah chided herself. "He did offer you your dreams."

Until now, she thought she had them, but if so, that was entirely too sad. Christine surely felt that way too. Some Raoul's came off better than others, but rarely did he not seem to be a dandified wannabe, who had some great lines to sing.

Yet - in fiction, even that was a wiser choice than a psychotic genius who killed at will.

In reality, it was a poor choice, a bland nobleman over a tormented ... king.

Why did she keep imposing Jareth's face upon Erik's in her mind?

Why did that seem so natural and right? Surely Jareth was not alive over a century ago.

But Erik had implied he would live for a long, long time.

It's only forever, not long at all.

"I'm going insane," Sarah sighed. "Or just too tired. "

Not to mention disappointed that there was no rose from a phantom or king.

Not even in her dreams. All she dreamed of was being in La Femme Nikita with La Croix from Forever Knight trying to kill her with exploding apple pies while the irritating little boy from her sixth grade math class hid her in the library during a thunderstorm.

The only relation that had to the man of her dreams was his song that said "Makes no sense at all... makes no sense at all."

During the middle of the next night's performance, life got in the way of fiction. Between Masquerade and Don Juan, Sean's beeper went off. Normally, beepers were not allowed backstage, but his wife was pregant with twins- nine months, though Mary was sure it was ten. When it went off, that meant the twins had finally decided to make an appearance.

"I've got to go! The kids- they're on the way, finally. " The cool, dispassionately passionate phantom was gone, replaced by a worried dad to be in heavy make-up and silk.

"Don't worry," Mr. Matthews, the stage manager assured the cast. "We have a backup plan. Go take care of your wife."

Sarah was pretty sure he meant the understudy, Chuck. His voice was not as strong, and he did have his own role, but shuffling could be done, though intermission might need to last a bit longer than anticipated.

So, "Christine" did not have to fake surprise when "Don Juan" was replaced by a stranger to sing Point of No Return. Yet, she did not know who it was. Chuck Welles, Sean's understudy, looked enough like him to be his brother, this man was not him. Though she could see him, there almost seemed to be a veil that kept her from really being able to SEE him.

Professioanlism and haunting memories kept her on course though as she was abducted and taken...

Underground...

To the true point of no return..

"Beautiful creature of darkness... God grant me the courage to show you that you are not alone!" Sarah sang, meaning it as she never had before as she kissed this stranger, tears running down her face. His eyes closed before she could really look at them, but for a moment, she could see them..

Really see.

His voice had been so familiar as well.

But he was gone immediately after curtain calls finished.

When Sarah reached her home again, a decision had been reached. Too many things demanded her attention and acknowledgement. As a great man once said, when all that is not true is eliminated, what remains is the truth, no matter how improbable.

"Goblin King, Goblin king, where ever you may be," she whispered in the darkness.

Suddenly, the light came on around her.

"Sarah."

She whirled. "It's you- you're the Phantom of the Opera."

His majesty lolled across one of her scant chairs as if it was his throne. ''Well, you did need a rescue. I think one of the children will be named for you, partly. Sean and his Mary are quite fond of you. Sarah Theresa I think is their intention."

"That was you then," Sarah affirmed, sitting down slowly on the nearest chair, which was unfortunately, a bean bag chair, so she kept on sinking far lower than she intended.

"I think it might have been one of the finest performances of that musical ever," Jareth agreed. His modesty had not suffered to increase in the last decade or so obviously. "You are either an excellent actress or good kisser, my dear."

"Why not both?"

"I'm willing to test the theory," he smiled impishly.

"Are you the Phantom?" she asked.

"I was tonight, for part of the show, I haven't decided if I will fill in for your 'Erik' until he returns or let Mr. Welles take over."

Slapping the beanbag, a most unsatisfactory exercise, Sarah sighed, "That is not what I meant, and this you know. Did you know Christine Daae- my great- great- I'm not sure exactly how many greats, grandmother? I know that Erik was not the true name of the Phantom, just one that Madame Giry gave him."

"So, Christine wrote down the truth?" Jareth asked by way of answer. "Tell me, does that mean you read the full story? Did you read what the Phantom promised Miss Daae before sending her off to forget him- which she obviously did not do?''

Sarah's eyes dropped, answering for her.

"Does that frighten you?"

"No, " she lied.

"Really? How foolish. "

"Why is that foolish?"

"Because such love demands your life."

"You don't even know me, your majesty," Sarah stated, daring to look at him. "How can you say you love me?"

"I said so before you were born, little girl," he said icily. "And no- anger does not negate my love. We are given one vision in our lives- the Fey are. To see our destiny, and our destiny is to love. It was you who I saw, and tracing the silver line of fate lead back to your great several times over granmere. So, when I lost a duel and had to flee, it was to her I ran. The ways are as ordained as the ends, you see. The world needed Christine and Erik's tale, even distorted. Especially distorted, actually." He allowed himself a smile at that.

"You created the gossip."

Surprised at her percipience, Jareth nodded. "Yes. It was useful. In many dimensions."

Sarah was silent then until she asked, "So, who'd you lose to? And how'd you get back home?"

It was some progress. Therefore, he seized on it. My father set up rivalries between his sons, it was the worst between my older brother and myself. We wanted the same realm, and fought for it. I lost, which resulted in exile."

"But you went back- didn't you? I mean, you are the Goblin King..."

"I have never returned to the fey realms. My mother's dowry lands were still hers to grant, it was hardly her fault that as the youngest daughter she had the worst lands. None of my siblings wanted the goblin realm. It was largely untamed. Completely wild, more so than when you were there. When I had healed enough to master it, she sent for me, finished the healing, in defiance of my brother who had killed my father by then, and ceded the land to me, in return for her safety. " He paused for a grim moment, then gently added. "The children who are taken are the joy of her life. She has, however, been pestering me incessantly for a century to have one of my own."

"What about your brother? Does he still want to kill you?" Sarah asked in concern.

"Possibly, but if he did, he would be obligated to take the goblins over, and live there part of the year. Something he does not wish to do." Morose amusement flitted across Jareth's face.

"Did you love her?" Sarah asked.

"She was a shadow," Jareth replied, turning his face away from her.

"A shadow?"

"Of you. You could only exist if I allowed her love for that idiot to flourish. Even though I'd have gladly tossed him and Katerina into the Bog."

"He is my ancestor," Sarah reminded in amusement.

"We all have faults; I would hope you'd not judge me by my brother."

"I don't know you well enough to judge you, by any standard," she sighed. "Much less marry you, destiny or not."

Jareth turned, protest written on his face, but then, seeing the determination in her face, backed off. "Very well. "

"You're giving up?"

Why did that disappoint her?

"Oh, no. I grant you are correct; I know you, but the reverse is untrue. So, you will get to know me, then I'll marry you."