AN: Here we are folks, the final chapter in this saga, took me a long time because I am super lazy, and I had many many exams this year. Thank you for being so patient. If you have any questions, let me know and I will try my best to answer them. Thank you very much for reading.
An Even Score
The irony of her words hit her the moment she uttered them. Power, wasn't that what the confrontation all those years ago had been about? 'You have no power over me' had been her words of choice, and now it turned out he did. The King of the Goblins, who had tried seducing her before and subsequently failing, now held an extraordinary amount of power in his gloved hands. He could re-order time, not to bring her back, but to give Sarah a chance again; the chance to have children. And Sarah, being in a fragile emotional state due to the loss of her baby, needed that chance more than she would care to admit.
Sarah also thought that she had seen a flicker of triumph in his normally passive, alien eyes; but it was gone before she could accurately state it had been there to begin with. She knew that words had power, and now Sarah Williams was completely in Jareth's power. She starting chewing at her lip, he wasn't saying anything, just watching her. Finally she couldn't take it.
"So, tell me, what do you want?"
And he moved slightly, to a more casual position than before, still standing before her. His arms were now folded across his chest and Sarah couldn't help but glance at his hands, secretly wishing they would stroke hers again, and outwardly disgusted with herself for even entertaining the thought. Would it really be so bad? She'd felt more in half an hour with him than in six months. He could make life feel good again, if only for a short time.
"So eager to fulfill my wishes." He taunted her. The suspension would kill her, Sarah knew that now. The exhilaration she felt from this meeting couldn't be described in mere words, and the emotions she was feeling were almost tangible. Sarah thought that if she reached out now, into the empty space between them she would feel the hurt, the anger, the passion, the love; that she was exuding. Maybe, if she let herself reach out, Sarah would be able to understand them better. As it was, wrath reared its ugly head again.
"Tell me." Again anger making her words heated. She had tried to be as forceful as possible, but instead her voice just sounded strained and pitifully weak, she was so messed up that nothing would stick. His eyes glittered and again something indefinable was there, something important that she kept on missing.
"Since we both know how much this means to you, I shan't waste this opportunity on some petty revenge." His tone was light, taking the sting out of the r-word. "No, dearest instead, I believe that I want a blank check, as those who dwell above would say."
Sarah stared at him, confused. 'a blank check.?' she wondered if she still would have to honour it ten years time. In fifty. How long would this last? Would he hold it over her head forever, control her forever?
He could make you his slave, and Sarah wasn't too sure how to handle that. Was it really worth it?
"Goblin King-" She began only to stop when he held up his leather encased hand.
"Jareth." He stated simply and Sarah swallowed nervously.
"Ok…," she took a deep breath and continued, not able to bring herself to say his name again just yet, "You want me to fulfill whatever wish you come up with, after you've planned it down to very last, minute detail?" Sarah refused to blindly agree to that particular stipulation, even though it pained her greatly not to just say yes, and gain her life back immediately.
Jareth smiled at her, but instead of being anything close to reassuring, it frightened her. Maybe it had been his intention all along, to frighten her into submissively accepting a request that could make her give up her little brother.
Nonsense, he wouldn't, couldn't ask for Toby…he's not in my power to give.
"I think a time limit is necessary." Sarah stated. She had to tread carefully around Jareth, because even if he had been generously gentle (to a certain extent) with her all those years ago, she somehow knew that his wroth would not be one to trifle with.
The man (king; no mere mortal king at that) sneered at this. "I don't think you are any place to negotiate precious." Jareth all but snarled. "You were the one who said to ask for anything, you now you have my, request; and you're suddenly not so eager to fulfill it because you don't get to remain in control?" Sarah bit her lip and looked out the window, and he continued. "I think not."
"So I just have to wait around indefinitely for you to make up your mind, for you to plan this down the last detail? Do you honestly think I will do that?!" Sarah growled at him and his expression turned smug.
"Yes." Sarah glared harder at him. "I think you will precious thing because what you ask of me is so grand, that it deserves a grand gesture in return. You had months to think of what to ask me, did you not? I believe that I deserve the same." And he crossed his arms across his chest.
"I can't give you Toby. I don't think I could give up another precious person." She whispered, and looked down, hugging herself tightly. A large sigh was heard.
"Precious, I will not ask for your brother." Jareth conceded. The relief was instantaneous.
What if he asks for… but she cut off her own line of thinking. If Toby was safe, she didn't care. All she wanted was another chance at life, to give her child another chance.
"Then we have a deal, Goblin King." At his sharp look she swallowed (or gulped loudly) and managed to whimper out "Jareth." The name rolled off her lips and Sarah was frightened of how nice it sounded. She had said it so many times tonight, but saying it gave her thrills that she shouldn't be able to feel.
"Well then dear one," He smiled, like a cat that had gotten the cream. It was eerie, and the look in his eyes…was it possessive? Of what though, Sarah wondered. "Shall we get to it?"
Then he held up a gloved hand, producing a beautiful crystal.
"Catch." Was all he said before throwing it at her; and Sarah watched the world burst into fragments before her very eyes.
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It had been a very stressful year. Sarah constantly felt as if it was a dream that she would wake up from at any second. Whilst she wasn't pregnant, or even close to be so, Sarah had the possibility to be so later on in her life. She'd dumped the boyfriend again, (or for the first time was it, time reversal made these issues complicated) and was throwing herself into work. Sarah was only 21, and was still trying o figure out if this was how she really wanted to spend her life, or if she should go back to college for a little while longer. Either way, the whole world was her oyster.
The walk back to her apartment was chilly, and Sarah wished it would hurry up and snow, or just warm up already. Still she couldn't complain, wouldn't complain about silly things like that again, she had way too much to be grateful for.
Sarah juggled the briefcase and groceries with one arm and stooped to unlock her front door with her free hand. She shut the door behind her and dumped the bags on her kitchen counter, before looking around to take stock of her shiny apartment in the middle of New York City. What she found on her sofa gave her the shock of her life.
"Jareth!" Her eyes widened and the King of the Goblins stood up gracefully, a slight tilt to his lips.
"Good Evening Sarah. I trust that all has gone well?" His voice was smooth, and he moved over towards her fluidly, until they stood mere inches a part. Sarah was puzzled as to his meaning, but answered anyway.
"Hello, and yes, everything is wonderful. I am fully capable of having children, if I should ever find the person that I wish to do so with. You kept your end of the bargain." Here a slither of worry crept into her tone, as she realised that he was here to collect. "I suppose that you want me to uphold mine?"
Jareth merely shrugged a little, that smirk still hovering about his features. Sarah gulped, and took it for a yes.
"What do you want?" And his smirk grew before her eyes.
"Ah, precious, I have waiting for you to ask that question for a very long time."
AN: I hope that fulfilled and sustained you. Again, maybe there will a sequel, but I am so super lazy who knows?