Summary: After returning from the Goblin Kingdom, Sarah can't get back to her old life. Sarah finds help in the most unlikely person.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not even Mr. Johnson. He's from a song.

Becoming The Helper

Mr. Johnson smiled as Sarah walked in to class, late again. "Glad you could join us, Sarah," he said, and meant it.

"I am so sorry," Sarah began. "I had to…"

"Don't worry about excuses." Mr. Johnson interrupted. "Just sit down. I have an announcement to make."

Sarah sat down at her desk as her teacher began talking, still upset that he hadn't told how he knew about Jareth. "We have a guest speaker today," Mr. Johnson smiled as a sigh of relief circled around the room. "I know, you all wanted to take your test, but I've decided to wait until next week."

The girl next to Sarah, she still couldn't remember her name, raised her hand, "Mr. Johnson, who's the guest spea-" The girl stopped and stared hard at the window.

Sarah whirled around to face the window, to find nothing but the usual dreary scene. She turned back to the girl, "What is it?"

The girl looked confused, "I thought I saw an owl." Sarah eyes darted to her teacher, and stayed there, threatening him with darts.

"You probably just imagined the whole thing." Mr. Johnson opened his mouth to try to gain control of his class, which seemed to have migrated to the window. However, before he could say anything, the door opened. A man with blond hair, neatly tied at his neck, walked in, pulling a cart with several cages in them. The cages held various birds, however, as Sarah was relieved to discover, none of them were owls.

Mr. Johnson smiled, "Class, please welcome Mr. King." The man turned around to face the class, his eyes, one blue and one green, falling to rest on a fuming Sarah. "And Sarah, please stay after class…"

"Like hell I will," Sarah said before the man could finish his sentence. All eyes in the classroom turned to face her. This was not the Sarah her classmates knew.

"…To discuss your detention." The biology teacher finished.

"That's not fair!" Sarah said, voice rising, as she stood up.

Mr. Johnson smiled, and looked over at the 'guest speaker', "You say that so often." Mr. King turned to face the teacher with a smirk on his face, and nodded. "I wonder what your basis for comparison is. "Sarah's eyes flashed. She sat down calmly, and raised her chin defiantly. "No more interruptions. Mr. King, if you would."

"Thank you, Mr. Johnson," the man responded, and turned to begin his lesson.

"Sarah," the biology teacher said, shutting the door.

"Don't talk to me!" The girl said this with such fire that the man took a step back. "You work for him don't you? You've always worked for him. I'll bet he sent you…"

"As a matter of fact," Jareth said, with warning in his voice and eyes that made Sarah falter. "Mr. Johnson decided to come Aboveground on his own. I am not the only one who finds certain things from Aboveground very…attractive."

"Besides," said the teacher, coming to stand beside the Goblin King, "I hated seeing my brother such a wreck. I had to find the girl he loved. For family reasons."

"Oh, sure," Sarah said sarcastically. "It was to help his majesty and it had nothing to do with Toby." Both men smiled.

"No," Jareth said. "It never had anything to do with Toby. Of course, it can, if you want."

"Wait a minute," Sarah said, looking at her teacher. "Did you say brother? And what do you mean, family reasons?"

"With you occupying all of Jareth's time," Mr. Johnson responded, "our sister was able to convince the courts that our brother is unable to rule, and since he has no heir, the Goblin Kingdom should go to the next in line. Which, of course, is our sister."

"She, too, has been watching you." Jareth put in. "But for different reasons. She will take Toby has her heir, unless I can produce an heir."

Sarah looked up at the men, her face showing concern for her younger brother, and disgust for what she was about to do. "How can I help?"