Jareth loves Sarah. Sarah loves Jareth. They get married and live happily ever after! Or maybe this chapter will go differently than that... Enjoy the read!

- Chapter 7 -

Hogwash and Hugsnorts

Sarah hadn't moved from her spot the whole time she had watched those helmeted midgets threaten her friends with their pointed spears. Jareth had called in a goblin some time ago and whispered instructions into the pointed ear. The goblin stumbled away moving its eyes from Jareth to Sarah and reverse. The Goblin King rolled his eyes and started to twirl a few crystals in his hands.

The girl on the floor looked up at the whooshing sound of the deftly spinning orbs and their occasional clinking of glass against each other. She watched for a while longer until sighing tiredly and looking back into the crystal.

"Hey! I can't see them anymore. Why have they disappeared?" Sarah asked frantically. Her insides squirmed at the thought of those silly midget warriors attacking her friends…with very sharp spears. "I need to know if they're okay! Are you listening to me?"

Jareth gave her a slight glance but didn't make a move aside from his concentrated juggling act. "Have you lost faith in them so easily, my sweet?" asked Jareth. "If you can't believe in them enough to reach my castle, why do you care to watch upon in hopelessness? Are you fighting the urge to call this place home, finally? After all these long, agonizing years?"

"No, I know they'll make it here!" Sarah retorted angrily.

She heard the swish of his clothing, a goblin undoing his cape and laying it on the backrest of his throne as he approached her from behind. Her troubled eyes stared back at her as she stared into the empty crystal willing for the image of her friends to appear.

"Sarah…" Jareth said smoothly against her ear.

She became startled at his voice and didn't know what she was doing until it happened. Sarah spun around to force daggers through her eyes at him when their lips meant forcefully.

Both froze at the contact.

Then just as quickly as it had happened, Jareth found his own crystal that Sarah had had in her possession for the past two hours was shoved into his stomach knocking the wind out of him. As he gasped for breath and catching the clear globe in his gloved hand, he saw her stand and walk away from him. Jareth vanished the crystal and touched his gloved fingers to his lips.

"Wait, Sarah!" Jareth called after her as she moved to the other end of the room. It was as far as she dared to go, unsure of what lay beyond his throne room.

"Don't talk to me right now." Sarah hissed angrily, face flushed from both embarrassment and fury. Most of her anger was towards herself and her traitorous hormones.

Jareth stood and saw the brave woman he had fallen in love with years ago with new eyes. Was it possible to be this deep in love? Not even the dull aching that Sarah had caused to his ribs could tear his eyes away from her at the moment.

"Sarah…"

"I said I don't want to talk, Goblin King." said Sarah tersely.

He sighed, eyes still stuck on the seated figure looking out of his castle window.

"Might I—"

She glowered at him with a frown, cheeks returning to their normal color.

"You won't even let me say what I have to say."

Have to say? Sarah knew the man to be pig-headed and a jerk. What he had to say was probably a load of useless…

"I am honored."

"What?" asked Sarah. "What are you talking about?"

"I am honored to have unintentionally shared with you your first kiss." Jareth replied evenly, his face lacking the usual haughty amusement or cruel twinkle of the eyes. "I know you probably didn't mean for it to happen but I am honored greatly, nonetheless."

She blushed again. "How did you know?"

"How did I know that was your first kiss?" asked Jareth with his eyes turned towards the floor. He stared at it so hard it seemed the crack he gazed upon would have closed if he had willed it. "When was the last time you went past the second date with a man, Sarah?"

She stayed silent.

"Allowed yourself to relax completely with another man, formalities and awkwardness aside? Not question the chocolates or flowers that are sent your way? I know you in small ways you don't even know yourself, dearest." She didn't move away as the Goblin King came to sit beside her. "You have been…so stubborn… to give away that first kiss, haven't you Sarah?"

Sarah nodded as she folded her arms to hide her face in.

"You thought true love's kiss would be the first?" He barely heard her muffled confirmation. "There are just some things about you, Sarah Williams, which you still refused to let go of even after your first trip into my labyrinth. Don't look at me that way, I am not scolding you. I'm happy that you did not loose all of those silly and ridiculous quirks from your fantasies. ...I thank you, again."

Sarah was awed by the sincere light that emitted from his eyes.

"You're welcome," she murmured, the flush remaining in her face.

"Now…can I get another kiss?" Jareth asked as he began to lean towards her.

Hoggle entered the throne room, walking as fast as his stubby legs could carry him, once he found out he had been summoned to appear in front of the king himself. As much as he disliked the fae, he had found out he had Sarah in his captive and was easy to please him if he wouldn't hurt his first friend.

And much to his delight, he was able to witness Sarah slap him, her face fuming.

"Sarah?" Both Jareth and Sarah looked up to see the dwarf enter.

In her excitement to rush towards her friend, Sarah pushed Jareth farther back in order for her to stand in which the Goblin King scowled at. Already, jealousy began to threaten his composure, although that had been thrown out the window after Sarah's assault to his handsome face. He watched silently as the girl—no, woman, hugged her friend and began to question him instantly of his health, their other friends and his knowledge of Toby's run with Harry.

Hoggle turned to the king, flinching as he noticed the scowl. "You called for me, Sir?"

Jareth nodded and moved back onto his throne, leg thrown haphazardly as usual. "Yes, Hogwash, I require that you stay here and entertain our latest captive until the thirteen hours is up." Both Sarah and Hoggle stared at Jareth with suspicious glares. "What? I desire for Hugsnorts to be here seeing as I do not fill your enjoyment for the time being." Jareth sniffed.

"It's Hoggle. Haven't you gotten that yet after all this time?" Sarah asked incredulously. "I bet you know every goblin's name in your city by heart."

"True." Jareth said nodding to himself.

"See? Why is it so hard to remember Hoggle then?"

"I have remembered all the names of my goblins. I still get their faces mixed up." He smirked cruelly. "They just don't have the idiocy to correct me." he hissed as he directed a glare at the dwarf. "Now that introductions have been remade…tell us, Sarah, to Hudmud here and me, what is your business with that school that one of our runners, Harry Potter, attends?"

"I got a job as a teacher there. I'll being teaching History of Magic for the upcoming year." Sarah answered as tried to get mind of her current situation. "Hoggle, I've finally found something to do with my life that I enjoy! I'm so excited about moving to some cozy flat in London. It will be small but Professor McGonagall says that the rooms I get as a teacher make up for it during the school year! I can't wait to meet the students. I've taught classes at Salem but never with older students like the fifth, sixth and seventh years. I hope I don't become the 'push over'. That would make me look bad a teacher!" she started to ramble making Jareth smile fondly.

"I'm happy for you, Sarah," Hoggle said. "You'll do fine, trust me. Is your brother excited too?"

Jareth noticed the sad smile that adorned his beloved's face with Hoggle's question. "It's my fault I'm here, Hoggle. I was irrational getting caught up in getting my new job and finding Toby with the…" She glanced cautiously at Jareth "…with my book and I sort of pushed Toby into wishing me away."

"Young Toby said the same thing…" Jareth said looking pointedly at Sarah.

Jareth turned his attention to a new crystal in his hand, the vision within concentrated on the two boys that were determined to get Toby's sister back.

"I wouldn't go in that direction if I were you." Jareth murmured to the figures softly.

But they didn't hear him.

A/N: Who knows what will happen next? Reviews are nice, friend!