A bit of a time skip, we're assuming Jareth and Sarah have bonded more and that he heals fast. Here's a free week later!

Two weeks since Sarah's arrival

Sarah had mentioned to her friends that she didn't get to have a birthday dinner with her family before she left. It made her sad, knowing that she wasn't even able to have a photo of them. She hoped that they were okay, wondering what they were doing.

At this, Hoggle decided that she should get her birthday dinner. Heck, forget a plain old dinner. She deserved a party!

Since Sarah was being busy in the library, he thought it was a good time to make it a surprise. Sir Didymus had the job of distracting her, which was easy enough as he loved to talk and tell stories. Evie was also with them, following Sarah around like an adoring little sister.

Hoggle decided to host the party at his home in his own gardens. Sarah liked to be by nature and that way, Ludo wouldn't have to crouch down so low in his house.

He walked outside, holding the cake on a plate and screamed.

The goblins had ruined EVERYTHING.

All the decorations were torn. Everything was a mess and the chairs and mats were out of place!

"THE LOT OF YA!" Hoggle grabbed a broom and hit the nearest goblin, making the little guy giggle. Now he understood why Jareth kicked goblins sometimes. "YA RUINED EVERYTHING!"

"But, party!" One goblin said.

"There ain't no party if you idiots keep on ruinin' every little thing!" He threw his hands in the air once he set the cake back down in his house. "I canna trust ANYONE to do a SIMPLE thing like NOT ruining Sarah's party!"

"RAAAAAAAWR!"

"Eh?" Hoggle turned around at the sound. He went to the back door and gasped.

Ludo was being tied upside down, much like how he was when Sarah first met him. All the goblins were laughing and poking at him.

"HEY!" Hoggle smacked them with his broom. He had a mind to get his fairy spray on them. "WHAT ARE YA DOIN'? UNHAND LUDO!"

The goblins snickered. Hoggle realized that there were way more of them than him.

Uh oh.

"AHHH!" Hoggle ran as fast as he could away from the goblins. "STAY AWAY YA STINKIN' DEVILS!"

He ran so fast that he collided into something.

Or rather, someone.

He landed on his butt and looked forward to see a pair of shiny, black boots.

Crap.

Jareth raised an eyebrow at the dwarf, hands on his hips. Just as he was about to ask, a horde of goblins caught up to them.

He looked at his goblins. "Care to tell me why Hamburger-"

"Hoggle." Hoggle muttered.

"-crashed into me and is currently sitting in a patch of dirt on his behind?" Jareth crossed his arms.

The goblins looked unsure of what to say.

"Well?" Jareth said louder. "I haven't got all day, you know."

"We was chasing him." One of them said.

"Why?"

"For fun?" Another offered hopefully.

The Goblin King pinched the bridge of his nose. "I should have known better than to ask you. Higdle, why were you running?"

Hoggle got up and brushed the dirt off of his bottom. "They was chasin' me, Yer Majesty."

"Oh? Why?"

"Because I gots mad at them!" He turned to the goblins. "Ya'll better let down Ludo right now! And clean up the mess ya'll made! I was planning a perfect surprise party for Sarah."

"Party?" Jareth looked interested in this bit of information. "For what?"

Hoggle looked nervous. He knew that Jareth was being nice to Sarah, and that she was a pretty lady who caught his eye but considering how ornery he could be, he wasn't sure what Jareth would think.

"I'm waiting." Jareth prompted him.

"For her birthday." Hoggle said quietly. "I was makin' a cake and some food for her. Maybe we could play games if she wants ta. She says she was sad that she couldn't be with her family because they was gonna have a dinner for her and she never got to have that."

Jareth got quiet. He turned around. He wondered why she never told him that. Then again, why would she? Who would want to really associate themselves with him with things of their heart?

Of course, as Goblin King, he knew the desires of the Runners. But not because he wanted to or because they wanted to. No one wanted to be close to him. And that was just as well.

With a swish of his cape, he turned back around and started to walk to Hoggle's house.

"Where are ya goin'?" Hoggle ran to catch up to him, sputtering when Jareth's cape flapped in his face.

"To help you clean up. You have a party to prepare for and Ludo to save, don't you?"

"What are you guys planning?" Sarah laughed, blind folded and being lead by Ludo.

"My Lady, patience is a virtue!" Sir Didymus reminded her.

"Shut yer face, Didymus. No one cares." Hoggle grumbled. "Don't need ya to be all preachy."

"Almost there!" Evie hopped alongside all of them. "Lady will love it!"

When they got to Hoggle's house, Sarah gasped at seeing the "Happy Birthday Sarah" sign hanging on the side of the house for her.

She also noticed that the letters were sparkling with glitter.

"Surprise!" The goblins shouted.

Hoggle breathed a sigh of relief that nothing was awry. Seems that Jareth telling them that he would not just dunk them in the bog but leave them there for a month was enough to scare them.

"Oh, this is wonderful!" Sarah saw the cake and was so very touched.

"Ya said that you didn't get ta have dinner with yer family." Hoggle said. "Well, we ain't yer mom, dad, stepmom, stepdad, and brother, but we can be a family too."

Sarah hugged Hoggle. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

She hugged Ludo and Sir Didymus too.

They had so much fun. They played games like tying a doughnut on the string and attempting to eat it without their hands, a bit of a scavenger hunt, making boats out of leaves, egg and spoon race, and a bunch of minute-to-win-it games.

Aside from not having her family there, it was the best birthday she ever had.

She walked back to the castle. Yes, it was an almost perfect birthday.

Almost.

Jareth was reading and snacking on some cut up fruits in the sitting room. He reached for another and realized that the plate was gone.

He looked to the side to see none other than Sarah, holding the plate. She grinned, picking one up and eating it. She sat next to him and crossed one leg over the other, relaxed.

"How rude. You know, some people would consider stealing from the king treason." He smiled.

Sarah set the plate back between them. "What kind of fruit was that? It kind of reminds me of an apple and a pear. But sweeter."

"I can get more of them if you'd like." He offered to her. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "You really have to stop assuming that anyone who comes to spend with you just wants something. You know that it is possible for people to spend time with someone else just because they want to, right? And no, not just for entertainment either."

"I beg to differ." Jareth said, a bit terse. "It's all I've known."

The room got deathly quiet. He didn't elaborate on his past, and Sarah didn't push it.

"Jareth?" She turned back to him. "Thanks for helping Hoggle with cleaning up the Goblins' messes and freeing Ludo and setting things up. But I'm wondering, why didn't you come to the party today?"

He scoffed. "So that's why you came, you did want something from me."

Sarah resisted the urge to snap at him. Why did he always have to act so cold? "No, it's because we said that we'd be friends. It was a birthday party for me, I would have liked for you to be there."

"No, you were the one who said that you were my friend. Not the other way around." He looked back at his book but he really wasn't reading it. He just needed an excuse to not look at her face.

Sarah deflated. "So, you don't consider yourself my friend then? That hurts you know."

She got up and walked to the door. She looked back at him. "I don't know why you derive pleasure out of saying these things to people. I didn't pity you before, but now I do. This is why you're alone. Because you don't let anyone get close to you. I don't know if you're scared, if you're just a natural jerk, or if you're playing hard to get. But I'm done. I don't play games, Jareth. Good night."

When she closed the door (and rather loudly), Jareth was stunned.

She didn't come crawling to him, begging. She didn't try to bash his head either. She just was honest about how she felt. She wasn't desperate for his attention, even if she wanted it.

This wasn't something that was trivial or a fantasy like she had when she was a teen. She wanted to truly know him.

Damn it. He owed her an apology.

Sarah changed into her nightgown and sat in front of her vanity. Seriously, why was he like this? All she wanted to do was to be his friend. Why did she even care? He could be kind and considerate but then he would go around and push her away again.

She grabbed her hair brush, angrily brushing out the knots. "Stupid. Me. Why. Do. I. Even. TRY?!"

She said each word with each stroke. Angry, hot tears burned her cheeks as she brushed through.

*knock knock knock* "Sarah?"

"Oh for heaven's sake!" She threw her brush down and went to the door and yanked it open.

Jareth opened his mouth but she beat him to it. "What? You need something? After all, why else would you come here?"

Jareth's eyes narrowed at hearing her mirror his words from earlier to mock him. His lips tightened and he lifted a finger up, pointing at her accusingly.

Sarah grabbed his hand and pushed it aside, surprising him. No one dared to do that to him. "Don't you dare get angry at me for that. I won't stand for hypocrisy."

He just glared at her, not saying a word.

Sarah opened her arms and let them fall at her sides. "Fine."

She didn't close the door but went back to her vanity, continuing to brush her hair. She told herself that she didn't close the door because she wanted to spite him by letting him see her brush her hair and ignoring him. The truth was, she wanted him to be there. To apologize. To be her friend.

She was just too proud to say so.

Jareth took a step in, no longer glaring. He saw tears down her cheeks and felt his heart break at seeing them. They were all his fault. He had caused her to be so hurt. And on a day where she was supposed to feel happy.

He sat down next to her, a package in his hand.

Sarah couldn't take it anymore. She put the brush down and folded her arms. "What?"

Jareth hated apologizing. But, if he was going to be on the path to be better, just as Sarah had said that she had when she wished Toby away, then he needed to take responsibility. "You were right. I was pushing you away. And I shouldn't have. Or to be as unkind and ungentlemanly as I had been. I'm sorry."

He took another deep breath. "I didn't go to the party because I had assumed that no one wanted me there. Including yourself. And so, when you asked why I wasn't there, I didn't want you to pity me. To pity my loneliness and self isolation."

Sarah softened. She wanted nothing more than to give him a hug.

"I know now that you didn't pity me. That you are real and true. And for that, I am most grateful." He pushed the little package to her. "I wasn't sure what to give you, considering how I told you that really, anything in the castle you are free to use or to explore. That I will provide anything you need or want. But I thought that you may want this."

Sarah looked at the mostly plain package. It had traces of glitter on it, making her smile at seeing Jareth's personal touch on it.

She opened it and saw two things. A book and a little monster doll.

She looked at the book. It looked very old but in very good condition. "Oh, Jareth…"

"A first edition of Jane Eyre." He loved her beautiful smile. It made him feel like everything he did was worth it. She had told him that it was one of her favorite books.

She gently touched the cover. "It's beautiful. Thank you." She picked up the monster doll, not quite understanding why she had it.

He chuckled. "No, I do not think that you are a child. I am very much aware that you have become a grown woman. And a very beautiful one at that."

Sarah blushed. After all, he was a grown man. And a very handsome one at that.

And his tight pants absolutely confirmed that he was indeed a grown man.

He touched the little doll, his eyes glazed in memory. "When you first came here, I took care of your brother. I don't get very many runners especially as of late. So he was special to me, a sweet boy. I gave him this doll while he was in my care. I thought that you may want a piece of him with you."

Sarah looked at the doll, holding it to her chest and even pressing her lips to it, tears in her eyes. Oh how she missed Toby so much.

Jareth was surprised when she threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you. I can't tell you how much that means to me." She buried her face in his neck, still crying.

Jareth slowly brought his hands up to hold around her. Good lord, it had been so long since anyone held him. It just felt so nice to sit like this. He brought his hand up and rubbed her back. No one ever held him when he cried since he was a small child and he never held anyone who cried either. "You're very welcome, Precious."

He didn't let go until she did. She wiped her tears. "Precious?"

"Well, you are." He said, the corner of his mouth tilting up.

Sarah couldn't take it. She looked to the side and blushed, her cheeks heating up. "Thanks. I like that, actually."

Jareth beamed. "Then I shall keep calling you that."

She laughed and rubbed her eyes a bit.

Jareth took that as his cue. "I will retire now. I thank you for your patience with me, and also your truthfulness for whenever I act less than kind."

Sarah nodded, feeling optimistic about where their friendship was going. "Yeah, I should sleep too. Goodnight, Jareth."

"Good night, Precious."

I thought a bit of non-hostile interaction between Jareth and Hoggle was overdue. We're assuming he and Sarah had many, many talks as he was healing. You'd be surprised how well you get to know someone just by talking after ONE DAY, imagine many days! And he's already shown a path in being able to apologize and such. It was important for me to show Sarah as someone, who, again, has made enough of her own mistakes to be able to give someone else a chance but to also not take crap from them. She wants to be friends? yes, and she won't play hard to get. she will tell you she wants it but the moment you're a jerk she knows she doesn't have to put up with you so she doesn't. And I wanted to show Jareth giving her a thoughtful present rather than just any necklace or pretty things.

i know there's a question of her family and Toby, that will be revealed later.

i hope you're still enjoying this story, it's a simple one I know so I'm glad you're taking a chance on it. please leave a review as always!