Jareth's transport spell landed them in the park. He glanced around fondly. This is where he had first observed the young Sarah, play acting her book for a sheepdog.
"The park? Jareth, why here?" Sarah asked, obviously confused.
"Well, I couldn't just drop us on the steps of your porch. That would seem rather odd, even on Halloween. Besides, we can look at the handiwork of my goblins as we walk to your old home." He took her hand in his and began to pull her toward the street.
"Oh, Jareth!" she suddenly remember what she had wanted to talk about before they left.
"What? If you say you forgot something, I swear…"
"Don't be an idiot. I just remembered something I wanted to tell you, jeeze. Your name."
"What about my name? It is a perfectly good, nay, the perfect name. There is no better name."
"Yeah, yeah. What I mean is, it's not a normal name. Much as I like to annoy my parents, I don't want to freak them out. Your appearance will do that for me. How about changing your name to Jason for the night?"
He stopped and stared at her. "You can not be serious. Jason? What kind of a 'normal' name is that?"
"Oh, suck it up, Jareth. It's just for one night. And any other visits we make to Toby before his three years are up." Sarah looked at him with pleading eyes. "Come on."
He sighed and shook his head before continuing toward her old house. "Why can you make me do things I don't want to? Alright. I'll be Jason when I meet your parents. But don't hope for much else. And I fully expect you too make this up to me."
She smiled. "I'm sure I can think of something."
They walked the rest of the way in a comfortable silence. He'd point out an overturned pumpkin or a screaming child for her to admire the work of his goblins. Most of the time, their handiwork would make her laugh, but in the case of the screaming child, she'd shake her head. Sometimes the goblins could be too cruel for her taste. Her thoughts were mostly on how her parents would take Jareth or Jason as he'd be for tonight. Luckily they wouldn't be able to tell that this was his normal form. If they did, she had a feeling they would find a way to break them up. That is, if Irene would even care enough.
The doorbell of the Williams' had finally seemed to stop ringing. There were more kids then they had expected since some of the neighborhood kids had brought their friends. As always, there was more then enough candy, most of the bowl was still full. Irene had conceded to come downstairs to hang out with her son and husband. Normally on Halloween, she cloistered herself in their bedroom, not coming down until the next morning. This time, she decided that she might as well admire the neighborhood kids' costumes.
The doorbell rang out throughout the house. For some reason, their bell was infernally loud; it could never be ignored. Toby opened the door, candy bowl balanced on his hip. "Hey, guy—Sarah! Or maybe I should say Lady Luck."
His sister laughed. "Why, if it isn't my boyfriend, Cliff. I dare say we used the same costume shop." She shot an amused glance at Jareth. He still stood in the shadows.
Sarah's identification was correct. Toby was dressed at Cliff, hero in The Rocketeer. He wore white pants tucked into just below the knee length brown boots. The signature light brown leather pilot's jacket was buttoned all the way up, covering the straps of his rocket pack. Toby even had the leather gloves and the Rocketeer's helmet which he had tucked under his other arm. "Must have. Care for any candy? We have a whole bunch."
"Toby?" Robert said, approaching the door. "Who are you talking to?"
"Oh, sorry. Come on in, guys." Toby moved back to let the couple step over the threshold.
"Sarah!" Robert smiled. "I didn't expect to see you anytime soon." He had already forgiven her for whatever their fight had been about. Robert was slow to anger and quick to forgive. He could never hold a grudge. His wife, on the other hand, was a different matter. "Come into the living room. Irene is there and we can have a nice visit."
Sarah rolled her eyes. Yeah, sure it was going to be a nice visit. She did follow him into the living room though, Jareth's hand still in her's. Toby brought up the rear.
"Irene, look who showed up on our doorstep."
"Oh. Hello, Sarah," Irene said, setting her book down.
"Hullo, Irene. Dad, may I present Jason, my fiancé?" Sarah said, pulling Jareth around to face her parents. "Jason, this is my dad, Robert; my step-mother, Irene. I'm sure you remember Toby."
Toby tried not to look surprised at the changing of Jareth's name.
"Indeed I do. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir." Jareth said urbanely, shaking Robert's hand. Sarah's father pulled him toward a small table with two chairs. Sarah and Toby sat on the couch across from Irene's chair.
As Sarah tried to be civil to her step-mother with Toby as a peacekeeper, Robert began to ask Jareth questions. "Jason, I don't believe I caught your last name."
"That's because she didn't mention it. My full name is Jason King," Jareth told him, drawing his fake last name from his title. He didn't think Sarah would mind his fabrication.
"I see. A strong name. That accent, you hail from Britain, do you not?"
"Oh, um, yes. Yes I do." He couldn't well tell him he was from the Underground, now could he? It would make things easier though.
"What do you do for a living, if you don't mind me asking? It might seem like prying to you, but Sarah is my little girl. I don't want to see her marry someone who doesn't deserve her."
"Believe me, sir, I understand you completely. My work takes me out the country a lot, so this may be one of the only times we might get to introduce ourselves. I create custom-made gown and mazes. An odd combination, but I enjoy it."
Robert shook his head. "No, makes sense to me. You should do your job because you love it, not because you're being forced too."
After a few more minutes of harmless small talk, the two men rejoined the others. Sarah was staring at her hands, clenched into fists in her lap. Jareth reached over and took one, smoothing out her fingers one by one. She smiled at him briefly.
"Jason was just telling me how you two will be traveling. I hope you kids have fun." Robert sat on the arm of Irene's chair, draping his arm over her shoulders.
"We will, Dad. Thank you. I hope you don't mind if we have a simple, private ceremony. It will be hard to plan a full-fledged wedding if we're traveling as much as we think we will," Sarah told him.
"Of course not. Just send us a piece of cake," Robert replied with a wink.
"We'll be sure to, sir." It was getting to Jareth that he had to keep calling Sarah's father, 'sir'. He was the Goblin King; he shouldn't have to give anyone else respect. Except maybe Sarah. But then, she had earned it.
A tense silence followed his statement. Finally Sarah stood up. "It is getting late. Jason and I should be going."
The Williams family followed the two of them to the door. Sarah hugged her brother and gave her father a quick kiss on the cheek. Jareth shook hands with everyone again. He left the house first, glad to be out of that place. Toby followed him out, Sarah still saying good-bye to her father.
"Jar- er Jason, I guess. Thanks for the costume and for Lais' visit. I can't wait to learn what he had to teach me," Toby told him.
Jareth reached over and ruffled Toby's hair, a rare show of affection from the Goblin King. "Learn what you need and have fun. The years may fly quicker then you expect."
Toby nodded and slipped back into the house.
Irene stopped Sarah at the door. "So, you've found your prince, have you?"
"No," Sarah replied simply. "I've found something better. A king." Then she left the light of the doorway to join Jareth in the shadows. The two of them walked off.
Toby and Robert both smiled at Sarah's choice of words. Irene just huffed and stomped upstairs. Father and son sat back down in the living room to enjoy the rest of the Halloween candy.