Crying won't do you any good. What is it that mother always said? Oh, that's it - Big girls don't cry. They get up, wipe themselves off and carry on. So what would she think of you now??

Sarah opened her eyes, wiping the tears away with her sleeves. Rattling sobs still shook her body as she tried to control herself and suddenly she realized that she was home. In her house, on her stairs.

"Michael!" She gasped, years welling again. She hadn't gotten Michael back! The owl flapped around, landing on the banister and staring down at her with wide eyes. She rushed up the stairs and into the nursery, the owl following her.

There her brother lay, sleeping soundly in his crib. Tears of relief fell down her cheeks and she reached forward, gently stroking his chubby cheek. He's really here.

He smiled at her touch, yawning slightly before his face relaxed and a soft breathing could be heard.

How long she stood over the crib watching him was lost to het. She made no move until she heard the front door opening and Elizabeth entering the room.

"Good, he's asleep." Elizabeth said, waving her hand at Sarah as if to dismiss her.

"Good night, Elizabeth." She murmured, stealing softly out of the room.

She made her way as quickly as possible down the hall to her room, desperate to avoid her father. Dealing with Elizabeth had taken so much out of her and she didn't feel up to trying to explain her mood.

Sarah flopped onto the bed, fighting back tears again. You got him back and everything is as it was. So why do I feel so empty?

"Milady." Sir Didymus' voice pierced the silence and she shot up, looking around in before finally spying him in the small mirror perched atop her dresser.

She jumped up, rushing to stand before it. "Sir Didymus, what are you doing in there?" She cried out.

"Why, I hast come to bid thee farewell, milady. You no longer need our help." He motioned with his paw and moved to the side as Ludu came into view.

"Ludo." She whispered, her lips trembling.

"Sarah, goodbye." He mumbled, his shaggy face sad and he lumbered to the side.

She couldn't force the words to come out so she simply waved as he disappeared.

Hoggle's face appeared. "If you need anything-"

"I know and I will - I promise I will!!" The last words came out as a sob.

"We're always here. Always." He reassured her. She nodded, tears flowing freely now.

"Thank you, for everything." She whispered.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jareth watched the exchange from the tree outside the window, still in his own form. And so it ends...another one slipped through my fingers.

With a flap of his wings, he flew across the lawn before landing, changing into his human form.

Farewell, Sarah. He threw the orb into the air, the area around him shimmering and distorting as the scenery changed. And once again, he was alone in his castle.

Weary, he stumbled to the throne and sunk down into it. The castle was eerily silent and he knew that the goblins must have fled to different parts to avoid the foul mood that they were well-accustomed with. That's one thing to be grateful for.

He closed his eyes, wishing for the sweet relief of a dreamless sleep. "How long must I search?" His voice sounded deafening in the silence.

"I think that maybe you should stop searching now." His eyes snapped open and he stared at the girl standing before him. How did she -

"Maybe this girl your looking for doesn't exist. At least not any more." She paused to collect her thoughts. He leaned forward in his throne, his mis-matched eyes studying her intently.

It was impossible for her to be here. No one could enter his realm, not unless he brought them here. And yet here she stood. Fascinating.

"So don't you think you should stop now?" Jareth blinked, trying to focus on what she was saying.

"Well?" Sarah asked. "Shouldn't you stop punishing yourself - as well as all the innocent Sarahs in the world?"

He tilted his head, scoffing at her. "Punishing myself? How am I punishing myself?"

Sarah's forehead wrinkled. "How are you not punishing yourself? You've lived alone in this castle with nothing but a bunch of goblins spending all that time searching for a Sarah who could, I don't know, be a replacement?"

Her chest heaved as she looked him straight in the eyes, her gaze unwavering. " Yes, a replacement for the love you lost." She stated the words firmly before her voice took a more gentle tone. "But she doesn't exist. That Sarah you loved is gone - forever."

Jareth broke her gaze, discomfort flooding his body. He wasn't use to being laid so open and bare before someone but he felt as though she was seeing him more clearly than he could see himself.

"Is that what you wanted to say to me?" His tone was short and she could only nod in response. He sighed. "I thought maybe you came to tell me that you made a mistake but I see that again I'm to be disappointed again. Just leave."

Sarah shook her head. "No." She said, lifting her chin defiantly. "I already told you once that you don't have any pow-" He jumped off the throne, clapping a gloved hand across her mouth.

"No need to say it again, I think once was more than sufficient to express that." He hissed, glaring down at her. " Agreed?"

She shook her head in agreement and he released her, moving back to his throne. "Now begone. Our game had come to an end, there's no need for you to be here anymore."

Sarah studied the Goblin King, taking in the way his eyes sagged a bit more at the corners and how his wrinkled stood out more than they had before. So saying that he has no power over me really does take some of his magic away. She felt appalled by the thought.

A sudden idea popped into her head. So would saying that he had power over me change it? Would it restore his magic?

She glanced around the room, searching as Jareth lay back against the throne,fully ignoring her. Suddenly she saw what she was looking for and she rushed down the stairs to lug an old stool up into the dais.

Setting it squarely in front of his throne, she sat and leaned forward to inspect his face more as she thought about how to say the things floating around her mind.

"If-" She began, watching his face intently. "If I were to say - to tell you that you have power over me, what would that do?"

His eyes snapped open and he studied her suspiciously. "Why do you want to know that?"

She opened her mouth but he stopped her. "A better question is how did you get here? I bet it was it was Hoggle." He sighed in disappointment. "Every time I give him something, he completely misuses it."

" It wasn't Hoggle." She looked surprised at the comment. "I saw you outside and I followed you."