I'm sorry it took so long to update this story, but I had a family emergency. & as much as I love writing, family comes first. So, forgive me? )

and thanks to all of my reviewers, JAyda Reed, Nugrey, dawn1, and ladykurama1.

It had been two hours since Jareth left Sarah alone in her room, but it felt more like two days to him. He had been sitting in the throne room hoping she would emerge from her solitude. She hadn't, and he was getting more and more restless. Just have her brought out, his mind said. But he knew he couldn't do that. He had promised to leave her alone, and he was a man of his word.

Just as these thoughts faded away, he heard the sound of footsteps entering his now empty throne room.

He had changed out of his clothing worn at the masquerade and now wore his normal type of outfit. As Sarah walked into his line of sight, he realized he had never told her that there was a closet in her room filled with clothes made especially for her, for she was still in her ballroom gown.

She stared down at her feet as she came before him. "Sir, may I please ask where there are some clothes for me to change into that are a bit more... casual?" she asked. No mean remarks, no mocking tone. She was here, whether she liked it or not, and she didn't want to make the situation any worse than it was.

Jareth stood up from his throne and made his way down the hall with her closely following.

"I suppose I did forget to tell you, didn't I?" he mused. "Here is your closet. The clothes you will find in here should fit you perfectly. And, please, don't stay locked in here. It would be terribly boring."

It didn't take her very long to change into her outfit. A long white skirt with a gray tank top seemed casual enough to be comfortable in, but not too casual. Taking one final glimpse of herself, she wandered back into the throne room.

But Jareth wasn't there.

Sarah gasped as something tugged on her skirt. "Miss, the King told me to lead you to the sitting room. Follow me, please." The little goblin lady wore rags, except for a shiny, diamond ring on her finger. Sarah eyed it in awe. "Oh, yes. The King gave this to me for being such a loyal servant. You can't tell it, but he really does have a heart."

She stopped in front of a large wooden door. "Here we are, young miss. My name is Isabelle, if you ever need anything."

Sarah opened the door and peeked in, searching the room. Jareth stood in front of the fireplace, which was in the center of the outer wall, in between two windows. His back was to her, but he knew that she had entered the room.

"Please, sit down." he said, still not turning to face her. After she sat down on the crimson-colored love seat, he continued. "I know that you are upset with me. You are angry, and I understand that. But you must understand my position. I wanted to keep my kingdom alive." By this time, he had finally turned to face her.

She stood up and stared him directly in the eyes. "What do you mean, keep it alive?"

"You silly child. This place was never real. Or, at least, it wasn't until you believed it was."

Sarah cocked her head to the side. "I always wanted to believe it was real, but I never did. Until you showed up. Then I was--"

"You were forced to believe, yes. When I appeared in your home and Toby disappeared, you had to believe it because it was right there in front of you. You made us real, Sarah. The second you stepped into this Labyrinth, you made our history real. Our world, our reality, was always there. We've lived our lives for thousands of years. But only in the imaginations of children."

"I'm sure I wasn't the only person to actually wish someone away."

He smiled. "You were the only one who said the right words."

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Okay, I know. It's not the best writing in the world. But, I'm trying.

Honestly, I'm not sure exactly where this story is going. I know it will be a JS romance, and I know of a few things I'm planning on making happen. I'm just going with the flow on this one, so bear with me. I'll make it an enjoyable ride for us all!

muchos love.