Disclaimer: I own nothing except Amelia.

AN: This chapter mentions child abuse and self harm, nothing graphic but I thought I should warn people.

Chapter 16: Reliving bad memories

Jareth appeared before Sarah in the gardens once more.

"So how'd it go?" She asked.

He sat beside her and sighed.

"That well huh?"

"I just can't understand her Sarah, she really didn't care. I lost my temper, told her that she never deserved Toby and that if she ever did have another child, that she wouldn't get to keep them."

Sarah looked shocked at this, " Do you really mean that Jareth?"

"I don't know. If she were to have another baby and the child were mistreated then yes, I would take action. No child deserves to be neglected. I only ever keep children that are truly unwanted. A child doesn't deserve to be neglected or abused in any way."

"I know Jareth. I know all too well. Now I think that you should go and have some fun with Toby and Amelia before you send Mel home."

"I think you're right love, Are you coming?"

"No I'm going to stay here, maybe have a bit of a wander."

"Alright then love. I'll see you soon." He kissed her cheek before rising and heading off in the direction of the two children.

Sarah walked through the gardens of the Goblin King until the sound of laughter in the distance could no longer be heard.

By this stage she had wandered to a more open part of the garden with a small stream running though it, Sarah sat down beside the stream and finally gave into the memories of her childhood that she had been suppressing while Jareth spoke of abused and neglected children.

"Sarah I already told you to clean up your toys. Now go and do it before I get mad."

"But I did clean up."

"Don't lie Sarah. You don't want your mommy finding out that you lied now do you?"

The frightened six year old Sarah had cowered before her step father.

"No, I don't want mommy thinking I'm a bad girl."

"Then you know what I have to do Sarah, I have to punish you.. ."

Sarah sat by the stream remembering the beatings she had suffered through as a child at the hands of her stepfather. Her mother never did anything to help or to stop it. Finally when she was ten her father had gone for custody of her. He had won. The beatings had stopped but two years later when had father had married Karen Sarah began to be ignored. Then once Toby was born she was used by her stepmother and her father as a babysitter and she was always being put down by Karen. Sometimes she wondered if she wouldn't have been better off staying with her mother and her stepfather Jeremy. At least there she wasn't ignored.

When she was fourteen Sarah began to cut herself. Not for attention no, but because everyone else abused and mistreated her, so she did it to herself so she was at least in control of the pain. At least that way she was in control over one part of her life. Nobody ever noticed anyway, so she didn't see any reason to stop.

Sarah stared now at the scars littering her arms and wished they would go away. The most recent addition was scabbing over but was still a little red. She didn't even realize she was crying until the tears dropped onto her arm.

Jareth had just finished singing to Toby and Amelia as well as the goblins present when Amelia tugged Jareth's hand to get his attention.

"Um Jareth? Where's Sarah?"

"I'm not sure dear, why do you ask?"

"I just wondered."

"Alright then Amelia, I think I might go and find her anyway, it's nearly time for you to go. So go and have some more fun while I see where Sarah's disappeared to."

Jareth followed the same path as Sarah and soon enough he found her. She was sitting beside a stream, in one of his favourite places in the garden. She had her back turned to him so he walked up to her expecting her to turn to him.

When she didn't he thought that perhaps she just hadn't noticed him. He came up behind her and that was when he noticed that she was looking down at something. It wasn't until he was looking over her shoulder that he saw what it was she was looking at.

AN: Well that's it for now, next chapter will be up sometime soon. Thanks for the reviews, leave me a present on your way out.