Disclaimer: Don't own anything 'cept for Amelia. But you already knew that.

Chapter 4

The next morning Sarah was woken by the sound of Karen banging on her bedroom door.

"Sarah! Get up!"

"I'm up Karen," she called back getting out of the warmth of her bed and opening the door.

"Sarah why are you still in bed? It's already past nine."

"So? It's Saturday morning, and I'm not working today."

"You should have been up, I had to get Toby and Amelia breakfast because you hadn't."

"Karen, Toby is your son, not mine, you're supposed to be looking after him and doing things like that. It's not my job, I get to do all of that stuff when I have my own kids."

"Sarah, it's good practice for if you have children, but for that to happen you have to start dating first and no one's ever going to want you. So until you leave home you can help look after Toby."

"Help? Karen for me to be helping you have to be doing most of the work, or even just some of it. I do it all! So don't tell me about helping you out. And by the way, it's none of your business who I go out with, or even if I go out with somebody, so mind your own damn business and leave me alone."

Sarah closed the door as Karen turned away and walked off muttering about how Sarah never did any work and that she was so good to Sarah and she didn't appreciate it.

"Oh yeah, she's so good to me, that's why her and dad are never here and I look after their son. It's no- nope, I'm not saying it."

She sat back on the bed and decided that she wasn't getting up for another hour at least.

After a few minutes she got bored of it and decided to see if Jareth had been telling the truth when he told her he would come whenever she called.

"Jareth, I need to see you."

She didn't wait long before he appeared, standing in front of her. He wasn't dressed as if he had expected to go anywhere, wearing a simple white shirt and black britches with black boots, and of course he was wearing his black leather gloves that he never seemed to be without.

"What did you want Sarah?"

"Well hello to you too."

He smiled at her, "Sorry love, hello," he sat next to her and hugged her for a moment before pulling away again. "Now, what was it you needed to see me for Sarah?"

"Um, well..." she started before trailing off. "Jareth I just wanted to see you. I had another argument with Karen and I wanted to see somebody that didn't hate me." She didn't tell him that she also didn't want to start slipping back into her depression after last night.

He looked at her with sympathy. "Oh Sarah, you shouldn't have to put up with that horrible woman. I wish you could come back with me."

Sarah looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before speaking. "Um Jareth, how would you like it if I did come back, just for today?"

"I'd love it Sarah, I wish that you could come and stay with me forever."

"Listen, could you leave and come back in about half an hour?"

"Sure Sarah. I'll be back soon sweetheart," he gave her a peck on the cheek before transforming into his owl shape and flying out the open window.

Once Jareth was gone Sarah went and had a shower and got dressed into a pair of jeans and a black long sleeved shirt. She pulled her hair back into a simple pony tail and went downstairs to speak with her step mother.

"Karen," she said, walking into the kitchen. "I'm going to go and visit a friend form work today so I'll be home later, probably late afternoon."

"Sarah since when do you have any friends at work?" Karen looked at her sceptically as she questioned.

"I actually do have a few friends and one of them asked me to go over today. I know how you think I should have a life and all of that so I didn't think you'd mind," she smiled sweetly at her stepmother while she spoke, seeing Karen starting to look more and more pissed off. Sarah knew Karen wouldn't want to look after Toby and Amelia, it was bad enough trying to get her to look after her own son let alone her niece.

Karen knew that she couldn't say no, after all she did tell Sarah that she should get out more and have some friends. There was no way out of it. "Alright Sarah, but you have to be home by six at the latest."

Sarah smiled at her scowling step mother and ran upstairs to wait for Jareth.

After a few minutes Jareth turned up and Sarah explained to him what she had done.

"Sarah, you shouldn't have lied to her."

"Well, would you prefer me not to come back with you?"

"I never said that. Of course I want you to come back with me but I just don't want you to get in any trouble."

"Jareth, don't worry about it. Now, I've got to go out the front door but I'll meet you around the side of the house in a few minutes."

"Alright Sarah, I'll be waiting." He vanished from her sight and Sarah pulled on her sneakers and went downstairs.

AN: Thanks for the reviews, another chapter soon if you want it.