20 ANGER
"How dare she! Insolent little child!" Jareth shouted, jumping up from his chair and kicking the nearest goblin across the room. "How dare she presume that was a gift, that I've been watching her? How dare she assume that I would not have put a spell on it? What does she think, that I've grown weak? That I have no power over her as she so impertinently stated last time she was here. Does she no longer fear me that she would take an apple from a tree that appears the second she voices her hunger? Well she's wrong. Put a spell on her, I'll bloody kill her!"
"No you won't."
Hearing the quiet, calm voice from behind him the Goblin King stopped his ranting and turned to face beautiful Fae woman that had materialised in his throne.
"You'll not kill her, you'll not hurt her, isn't that the reason you brought her here? Heck, all you've done is put her to sleep out of spite because you thought she had assumed you had gone soft. You haven't transported her anywhere, you haven't done anything to her. She's lying in the floor of that tunnel asleep whilst her friends fuss about her wondering what you're up to this time. Honestly Jareth, you're getting very sloppy."
"I'm not getting sloppy at all." He retorted, sticking his bottom lip out like the child he always became in her presence. "But I cannot have her thinking I am weak!"
"Don't you see, you silly man, she doesn't think you weak at all. Did you not see the smile on her face, feel the happiness in her heart at the thought that it was a gift from you? Can you not see what's in front of your face?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Blind as always aren't we. Well I'm not telling you what resides in her heart, neither will I tell you what resides in yours, you would only deny it. But you must face up to it eventually, and you must accept it, or you will lose her. Again. And this time there will be no return. If you mess this up this time, there will be no second chance, it will be the end. Think on what I say, and calm yourself."
With that she disappeared as gracefully as she did everything in her life, slowly fading in a glittering light, her eyes being the last thing to go, leaving Jareth alone to muse over what she had said. In his heart he knew what she meant, but his head refused to believe it, he refused to get his hopes up. He'd been hurt too badly before, he couldn't risk it again, yet even as he thought this he knew it was a lie. He knew he loved her, and he knew he faced the fact that she did not love him, that he might once again lose her. And he knew that would destroy him. Sinking down into the throne so recently vacated by the only person who could ever calm his rages, he turned his mind once again back to Sarah and what he should do now he'd gone and put her to sleep. He wanted to do what he'd done before, erase her memory, transport her to a ballroom, distract her, but he knew he couldn't. She'd beaten him last time, she'd do it again. Any tricks her played on her would backfire, spells would only create animosity in her towards him. No, he had to wake her up, but he'd be damned if he let her wander through the tunnels for hours. She desired her final friend, so she would have him. Waving his hand over the crystal he transported her and her friends to the bog of stench, a small smile playing on his lips as he imagined her reaction upon awakening.