Sorry it took me a few days to upload this! I'm still editing the next few chapters or so. as always, leave a review!

Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus, and Evie watched from above as the King and the Champion walked side by side to the balcony.

"That went very well!" Sir Didymus said with pride. "His Majesty has been on his best behavior and the best gentleman for our Lady Sarah."

"King nice. Sarah pretty." Ludo agreed with a big smile.

"I wonder if this means that they are courting? Or will be courting? What do you think, Brother Hoggle?" Sir Didymus turned to his friend.

Hoggle and Evie were unnaturally quiet. Especially for such a good night.

"I dunno." Hoggle said, unsure. "I has a bad feelin' about this."

"Brother, thy mind is just sad!" Sir Didymus tried to reassure him. "I know that the Lady considers you one of her very best friends. Her relationship with the king doesn't change anything!"

"Hoggle right." Evie said, a bit shaky. "King too nice."

"Yeah, he's nicer, true." Hoggle didn't want to ruin anything. "But he's still a rat. She hasn't been here long. Old habits die hard. He's a sneaky one."

"Must we be so pessimistic?" Sir Didymus looked heartbroken and exasperated, waving his staff around. "His time as king as changed him. He is kind to the babes here and the runners at times."

"I knows, but he's still selfish and bratty." Hoggle shuffled away. "I just don't want Sarah to get hurt."

"Sarah strong." Ludo said with certainty. "Sarah very strong."

Sir Didymus pointed at Ludo. "See? He is right. Our Lady has put the King in place so many times. She can fend for herself. However, if she needs us, she knows to call. Let us go, to give them their space."

Jareth felt a sense of pride welling up in him. He could tell that Sarah's affections for him increased. That he was a step closer to getting her to fall in love with him.

The next step is to ask her to court him.

Then maybe she would to him that she loved him.

He took her hands in his. His eyes were gleaming. His body was shaking. His heart was pounding. No one else had ever done this to him before. Yes, he wanted to break the curse. But this was more than that. This was Sarah.

He was falling for her too.

Their faces were so close… their noses were almost touching.

He had to know something before he kissed her. "Sarah, are you happy here?"

Sarah's bright green eyes were shining, but then suddenly dimmed at the question. She looked a bit to the side, her shoulders sagging. "Well, I suppose…" She said softly, looking out into the sky.

That sure confidence he felt just a moment ago faded just as quickly as someone putting out a fire. "Sarah?"

She still didn't look at him, but took her hands away, angling her body away. "Can anyone really be happy if they're not free to see their loved ones?"

She would not have dared to say these words on the first day they met, nor the second for how short his temper was. It was a testament for how far they had evolved. She understood now that he never meant to hurt her and never would, no matter how sassy he got. She could not deny that she was feeling something for the handsome king in front of her but she would not settle for someone who she was just stuck with.

If she chose him, it would be because she wanted to. Not because he was the only choice.

She shook her head a little. It wasn't fair to him for her to say that. Huh. Fair. That word really had a different meaning now. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I know it wasn't your fault that I'm here in the first place."

Jareth felt immense guilt. Sure, he was not raised to have kindness or goodness in his soul, but if it weren't for him, she wouldn't be in this situation with him either.

Curse her overused phrase, but it really was not fair to her.

And he had a basis for comparison.

She thought it wasn't his fault. True, it was not his fault that she was wished away here. Nor was his fault that he had no idea that she could go back until a few nights ago. But it was his fault for not telling her what he recently discovered.

He slowly moved closer to her. "Sarah, I have something to tell you. Something I found out recently."

Sarah turned slightly, curious. "What is it?" Would he tell her about something adorable he learned? Some secrets the castle held?

He knew what she would say. He braced himself for the impact. "I have found that you are not bound to stay with me as I had thought."

Her head snapped all the way to his direction. Of all things, she was not expecting this. "What?"

He twiddled his thumbs together. "You are the champion of my labyrinth. Because of that, you are not obligated to stay, even if you were wished away. You can go home, if you want." His voice was breaking, but Sarah didn't hear that.

"How long did you know this for? Why didn't you tell me right away?" She demanded.

Tears welled up in her eyes. Here she was, thinking that he was really caring about her, only to learn that he was keeping this secret from her that meant her freedom. So that she would be tied down with him.

He winced at her anger. She had every right to be upset. "I found out last night."

There was silence. Sarah made fists with her hands, shaking angrily.

"You asked me to have this - this date with you AFTER you knew of this fact? This dance? To do what, to trick me into staying with you?" She seethed. She was hurt. More than hurt. She trusted him. She told him how much her family meant to her. He heard her cry when she came to his kingdom. He had no right to keep this from her!

When he said nothing, Sarah put her hand over her mouth. "My god, you were manipulating me into staying with you. To suffer your stupid curse with you!"

She took off the ear cuffs and threw them on the ground. "How. Could. YOU?!"

"I'm sorry, Sarah," He said quietly. "I know it was wrong-"

"DAMN RIGHT IT WAS WRONG!" She screamed at him. "YOU BETRAYED MY TRUST. I guard my trust very carefully, not just on the semantics of promises but the spirit of the promise."

She knew she was being cruel. But she was so angry at him. It had taken so much of her to trust him, to believe the words he was saying. She gave him the benefit of the doubt when he was temperamental with her, and to find that he ruined things made her want to vomit in disgust and sadness.

Jareth just sat there, his head down. He didn't know what to say or what to do. He deserved all of that. Not just because he didn't tell her the truth from the start, but because of how he was like when he was a handsome, attractive prince of the court. To understand one's actions in the full, to feel so much guilt was the worst punishment of all. No more hiding behind his mistakes. It was time that he owned up to his selfishness, his trickeries.

"Tell me, Jareth." Sarah folded her arms. "Were you ever planning on telling me?"

"I promise I was." He got on his knees begging her. "I just - I wanted to have one last night with you. That if this was the last time I saw your face, that would make me happy. Please, just listen."

She didn't want to. She wanted to throw her hair pieces at his face and scream at him some more. But as always, her curiosity got the better of her. "Fine. Speak."

"I know what I did was wrong. I wanted you to stay because I, I have grown fond of you." He said quietly. He couldn't even flat out tell her how exactly he felt. If he did, his heart may just shatter. And surely, if he told her how the curse could be broken then she would think worse of him and wonder if his affections were false. "You have given me light, given me purpose. I mean it."

"Oh, did you?" She sneered.

"Yes!" He said earnestly. "Please, Sarah. I am not going to force you to be a prisoner. I would never do that. I have done terrible things but that is not one of them. Please, at least if you go, believe that all I want is your happiness."

She was still upset. She wanted to believe him, but she also wanted to NOT believe him. Her feelings were too strong for this to be easy on her. If he was a bad person, it would be so easy to just walk away.

Why was this so painful?

"My happiness? My happiness, Goblin King-"

He shrank at her use of his title instead of his name.

"-is to be able to see my family."

In the past, he would have yelled back at anyone who was speaking to him with such disdain. He did not tolerate this kind of language and would dismiss them immediately.

But not tonight. Sarah changed him. She forced him to look into himself, to be a better person. He was in love.

He was in love.

Because of love, he understood how completely idiotic he had been. He didn't even care that her happiness did not include him. He was more than responsible for her pain.

And because he loved the girl in front of him, he summoned some strong magic. Magic that would weaken him. He produced a crystal and showed it to her. "As you wish. Here. There is Toby."

Sarah took it from him instantly, her focus solely on her brother. "Oh no!"

Jareth looked up. "What?" Fear was the last tone he had expected from her in looking into the crystal.

Sarah momentarily forgot how angry she was at him. "He's - Toby!"

Toby was in the hospital, tubes and all kinds of things hooked up on him. Her father and stepmother were hovering over him, looking very worried.

"He's sick. I have to go to him." She said to herself. Her poor, sweet baby brother.

"Then you must go."

Sarah looked back at Jareth, who was now getting up and standing over her. Amazing how not so long ago, he was terrifying and a formidable figure. Now, he just seemed comforting.

She mentally shook her head. Was he really comforting, or was she just so starved for contact with someone other than goblins?

Maybe this wasn't him, but her own feelings. Was this some coping mechanism she was exhibiting?

Jareth covered the crystal with his hand. It glowed and he gave a tired smile, letting go of it.

Sarah raised an eyebrow at him. "How come you never let me see them before? And what did you do to the crystal?"

Jareth clasped his hands behind his back and looked into the moon. Even as she was speaking with him with such an angry tone, he was full of love for her. He would place the moon within her heart if she asked. "I could have done it before, but it drains me greatly. I can see someone in my own kingdom easily but outside it, let alone the Above? Very very difficult to. I just put in more magic because I would like you to have it, if you so choose. To remember me and everyone else by. Just tell it what to show you and it will do so."

Sarah looked at it, still unsure about his motives. But once again, she felt that he wasn't lying to her, that he was being sincere. She saw now that he did look a bit weak and pale. She almost wanted to reach out and touch him…

Almost.

She thought about it some more. No one was perfect. Everyone makes mistakes especially when in isolation for so long. And besides, he had planned to tell her about her freedom. Even if he had not planned to tell her before, he told her now. She was not one to judge for she had wished her own brother away because she was annoyed and dramatic.

She held the crystal to her heart. "Thank you."

Jareth's smile got just a tad brighter. "Of course, Precious."

That nickname made her feel a slight tug at her heart, but she was determined. And, she needed time away from him at least for a while. "I have to… to go. I'm sorry."

Jareth shook his head. He felt quite weary. "Please don't be. I shall get a portal ready for you. You know how the goblins are, so I will send your three close friends to bid you farewell." He started to walk.

"No." She put her hand on his arm to stop him without thinking. "Don't do that. I don't think I could stand seeing their faces."

But she could stand me being in pain, can't she? Jareth's inner thoughts snarled a little.

Then he calmed down. It is only my fault that she feels such animosity towards me.

"Understood." He gave a nod. "When will you be ready to leave?"

"I could leave right now." She said firmly. Her fears of Toby came rushing right back. "He's at the hospital and I have no idea what's happening to him or how severe it is."

Jareth gave a nod. Summoning more of his powers, he drew a large circle with his finger. A string of sparkling lights made the edges of the circle and inside showed the living room.

Sarah approached it. She was going to see her family again! She was going to be with them!

Then why did she feel so sad?

"You should go now, it won't last for long," Jareth's chest heaved, trying to keep up with the strain his magic was putting on his body. Sending someone back this way was something he'd never done before, and went against the grain of magic as she was not a runner anymore.

Sarah stepped through the portal. Once she stepped into her home, she turned around and faced him, seeing him on the other side. She wanted to say something, but what do you say to someone like Jareth?

Jareth stared at her, also not saying anything.

They just looked at each other, not even blinking as the portal closed on them. Sarah reached out one last time-

-but it closed. Her hand went through where it had been.

Her other hand still clutching on the crystal.

She felt an overwhelming urge to cry, but did not. She wanted to come home to be with her family.

"I'm coming Toby, I'm coming to be with you."

Jareth watched as she disappeared from him. Forever.

He picked up the ear cuffs that she had angrily thrown on the ground. He cradled them to his heart, pressing his lips to them, for they were a part of her that she had left behind with him. "Sarah… My Precious Sarah…"

The inhabitants of the Goblin Kingdom were used to hearing their king storm in his dramatic tempers. But they had never experienced him being in such pain before.

Jareth's screams could not be heard, but they could be felt throughout the whole kingdom. He had used up so much energy that he was coughing up blood.

Only for her would he willingly drain so much of his energy twice in such a short amount of time.

This was not going to end well for him. The sickness was taking over his body from overexerting himself. If there had been a physician with the correct potions, maybe he would be fine. But he didn't care anymore. Maybe it was his time anyway.

The only woman he would ever love. Funny, isn't it? The moment he knew what love was like, the moment he truly loved someone was the moment that he lost her forever.

Because that's what love was. Love was to put their happiness before yours, to give them the greatest good.

And the greatest good for Sarah was not with him.

He had everything in his old life. Riches, parties, his pick of ladies, just the grandest things. He had no need for anyone.

Until Sarah.

It was too late. He had tried to manipulate her into loving HIM. The enchantress never said that he had to love her. He was sure that after that, he would just let her go to live her life. He didn't understand how painful a broken heart was because he never experienced it.

He closed his eyes right there, on the cold stone floor. Even behind those closed eyelids, he could see her. He could see the way her hair flowed onto her shoulder. He could see the way she smiled when he teased her or the fire in her eyes when he made her angry.

She never truly left him. She would always be in his soul, in his mind. She was out of his reach, but never truly out of his sight. He could almost see her walking into the doors, to say good morning to him.

It was almost too much but not enough. To feel this pain, he welcomed it. Never had he felt so alive, even if it would kill him.

For how could he live with this pain? How could he live without her? She left him to be wasted away, without her light.

Not that he blamed her for walking away.

So I made it so Jareth didn't show her family the crystal (the mirror from BATB) until now for a good reason, because otherwise he just seems really really awful. He had a good reason for being so selfish. I don't know if you would like that or not but that's how this story is going. It's important for me for Sarah to understand him but to still not excuse his behavior, and of course she had to leave because of Toby.