Jareth never truly slept, but he dreamed. Oh, did he dream. Of the various longings before reuniting with Sarah, he dreamt of returning to his kingdom and reasserting his position in his world. He never allowed himself to indulge in having her rule by his side, but his dreams were now consumed by Sarah Williams and it seemed like a reality that could one day be achieved. It was getting to point of madness, but Jareth found it easy to reflect on the time they spent together.

The last few days had been delicious. As he cemented is bond with her even more, he willingly followed her as she insisted on giving him a proper tour of New York City. Thanks to her he had been to the typical tourist traps, but she also took him to some of her favorite, lesser known, places.

There was an afternoon trip to The Cloisters to see a beloved tapestry of a trapped unicorn. He noted how she tried to shield her emotions while looking at the tale of a unicorn hunted, captured, but then revived on cloth.

There was also the time he invited her to what he was told was the best pizza place in Manhattan. (Well, that was what the hotel concierge told him.) It was easy to play the "lonely man in New York City" card because it truly was the situation. She was slowly opening up to him, but so much was still hidden. Jareth understood that she wouldn't be willing to reveal her intricate secrets if she wasn't comfortable around him, so he did everything he could to broker a delicate trust.

He spent his days waiting for the moment he could call her. She did, after all, give him her number that day at The Met. Five days ago she accompanied him to the Statue of Liberty. Three days later they spent the evening at the 9/11 Memorial. He wanted to take her to dinner both times, but he knew that would be too much too soon. She did ask questions about this job, and Jareth was well versed enough in the subject area to get by, but he knew he would get into trouble if she decided to start looking into the company he so say worked for. Sure, he could use a little magic to wipe the slate clean, but he wanted to avoid such things if possible.

He hadn't seen her in two days, claiming he was busy with work, but he knew that the best way to win her over was to stay close but keep a safe distance. If he called upon her every day, that would reek of desperation. She had a busy schedule, and it was unfair to ask her to cater to his every whim because he was a "tourist." Jareth wanted to scold himself for being so unselfish, but there was a sea change currently building inside of him. Besides, they still had a good five days before the Elgar concert.

But tonight, tonight was his. He called her earlier in the day to invite her to dinner (her choice) as a token of thanks for all that she had introduced him to over the last few days. He offered to meet her at the school she worked at, and he deliberately waited until Friday so she wouldn't be able to use an excuse about having to work in the morning. According to the television, that sort of thing was considered common courtesy.

Sarah recommended a Turkish restaurant a few blocks from her school and offered to meet him there around seven. She mentioned something about an appointment she had to go to, but Jareth was more than willing to accommodate her. Jareth smiled to himself, not because he planned on making some big seduction move, but because he truly was looking forward to seeing Sarah. The thought of revenge was beginning to fade away, but he couldn't quite place the new feeling that was moving in to take its place.

"I made a new friend."

"That's wonderful Sarah. Tell me about this person." Dr. Corley said, truly excited.

"He's a lawyer and he's from London. It's all random really, but I enjoy spending time with him."

"What have you two been doing?"

"We've visited The Strand, and because he's here on business, I've been showing him around the city. I've done more social activities in the past few days since, well, I first moved here. It's nice to feel needed."

"Am I to assume that you two have a lot in common?"

"We're both into music, books, and art. It's nice to be able to hang out with someone and not actually force a conversation. There's always something to talk about, and he's easy to be around."

"Do you think there's potential for something more with this man?"

"Oh, I don't think so. He's only going to be here for a short period of time. I don't think it's smart to invest in anything if he's going to eventually leave."

"What do your feelings tell you?" Dr. Corley asked.

Sarah mulled over the question before answering it.

"Oh, I don't know. My feelings don't matter."

"Of course they do, Sarah."

"I like him because he makes me feel safe. It's like I know him, but I don't."

"I know you have issues with trusting yourself and your feelings, but maybe you should be more open to exploring this new friendship. By the look on your face, he seems like a genuine guy. The last time we met you thought you were being followed."

"And the last time we met, you told me that I needed to be more open to meeting new people."

"And I'm grateful that you took my advice. What's his name?"

"Seth."

"Do you ever wonder how Seth feels?"

"Not really. We've only known each other for a few days, so I can't allow myself to indulge in and overanalyze such things. I've never been this social, so that's gotta be a good thing."

"What would you overanalyze?"

"Well, there are small things. He always holds the door for me. That's not something you see often in New York City. He keeps his distance even though I suspect he wants to be closer. It's like he senses my disposition and while I hate being treated like some fragile thing, it's like he knows. Sometimes, he'll even place his hand on the small of my back. I think he thinks I don't notice, but I do." Sarah couldn't help but smile at her admission.

"Let me guess, you brush it off to British mannerisms."

"I'm afraid to get attached."

"Why?"

"Because he'll run away just like everyone else."

"So you'd rather just shut him out immediately without trusting that he might actually want to be in your life."

"My last serious relationship was with this guy, Peter. We were talking about moving in together. He knew about my incident, but he didn't know about the rest. My dad accidentally said something one Thanksgiving dinner, assuming that Peter knew everything. He never looked at me the same way again. Sure, we survived another six months, but I could tell he was always wondering. So yes, shutting people out has become a bit of a survival tactic for me. If I don't set expectations, then I can't get hurt."

"And how has that been working for you?" Dr. Corley asked.

"What do you think?" Sarah asked.

Sarah didn't appear to be in the mood for dinner and banter as she walked into the Turkish restaurant, but Jareth felt a huge sense of relief when she smiled upon seeing him at the table for two. Removing her coat and placing in on the back of her chair, Sarah was the picture of elegance in a pair of navy slacks and a grey turtleneck.

The conversation was simple enough in the beginning as Jareth indulged in kofta and Sarah in falafel. It was the typical stuff of job happenings, book reading, and the random things anyone in New York might potentially encounter. Ninety minutes later, their meal paid for, Jareth lightheartedly asked,

"How did your appointment go?"

"It was fine." Sarah said, trying to brush it off.

"So, you're not dying or anything." Jareth asked, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Dr. Corley is my therapist."

"Why would you need to see a therapist? You're perfect the way you are."

It was an innocent question, but Jareth could see Sarah contemplating the words about to roll off of her tongue. All of a sudden, the napkin in her lap became the most interesting thing to her - she didn't look at him.

"It's a requirement I have to meet."

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"I don't feel comfortable talking about this, especially here."

"We're just two friends having dinner, well, we've had dinner. I'm the last one to pass judgement if that's what concerns you."

Sarah looked up at him, but Jareth could tell she didn't trust him. She must have heard those words before from another person's lips. Hurt flashed across her face.

"History hasn't always worked in my favor."

"I didn't meant to offend you. I'm truly sorry if I did."

He wanted to reach across the table and grab her hand as a sign of reassurance, but she placed them in her lap before he had the chance.

"You didn't. Truly, you didn't, it's just that…"

"Sarah, you can trust me."

He could see the internal struggle, and while he was desperate to know whatever it was she was so afraid of revealing to him, he respected her enough to accept whatever decision she made in that moment.

"When I was a teenager, I thought…" Sarah briefly paused before continuing. "I thought. When I was seventeen my parents sent me away."

"To boarding school?" Jareth didn't mean to sound so oblivious, but that was what he truly thought.

"I was put in a psychiatric hospital." She quickly spoke. It was like ripping off bandage: the quicker the better.

Jareth heard a plate being dropped elsewhere in the restaurant, but the sound captured the shock he felt in that moment. He looked at Sarah, but there was a look on her face that screamed disappointment. He now understood that she experienced this moment before, and just as he swore he wouldn't let her down, he did.

"And there it is! There's that look." Sarah knowingly said, a disappointed smile on her face.

"Sarah, I just wasn't expecting to hear those words."

"Yeah, well, no one ever does." Sarah threw her napkin on the table. She made to grab her purse.

"Where are you going?" Jareth asked.

"I'm leaving."

"You think I was judging you?"

"Isn't that what everyone does? You didn't have to say a word, I could tell exactly what you were thinking!" Sarah said, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. "Who would want to be friends with someone who was in a looney bin?"

Sarah stormed out of the restaurant. Jareth grabbed the coat Sarah left behind and ran out of the restaurant, hoping she didn't get too far. Looking both ways, he wanted to shout her name, but she was less than a hundred feet away, trying to hail a cab. She appeared to be shivering, not caring that her coat wasn't with her.

"SARAH!"

As a cab came closer, Sarah adamantly tried to get the driver's attention, but to Jareth's relief, the cab driver kept driving on.

"Shit" Sarah whispered, as she crossed her arms to her chest.

"Sarah!"

"Just go away!"

"Sarah." Jareth gently spoke as he wrapped her coat around her shoulders.

"You don't have to be here out of guilt, you know." Her eyes were now red and puffy. "I'm used to it by now!"

"Why would I do such a thing?" Jareth asked. He wanted to wipe away her tears, but she refused to look at him.

"It's what everyone else that I've let in has done." She whispered.

Jareth quickly pulled her shivering body into his. Finding a cab was the least of his concerns. He didn't know the full story, but he was finally beginning to understand.

At first, she was reluctant to fall into his embrace, but as she cried into his shoulder, he tightened his grip and wanted nothing more than take away her pain. He closed his eyes and breathed her in, not caring if empty cabs passed them by. He didn't know how to communicate that he didn't give a damn about her past, so all he could do was lift her face to his, look her in the eyes, and hope that she didn't think he was one of the many people who would somehow continue to let her down.

There were no words that could truly express how he felt, so he followed his instincts and softly pressed his lips against hers. Once. Twice. He cradled her neck with one hand while his other one traced his fingers on her cheek, hoping his actions ring louder than her past disappointments.

She didn't kiss him back, but she didn't push him away either. Jareth took that as a good sign. After the brief, unreturned kisses, he pulled her back to him and held her with his left arm as he hailed a cab with his right one.

Moments later the cab arrived, but Jareth didn't know what to do. He ushered Sarah into the car and followed her. Sarah's tears still flowed, and rather than try to pry her home address from her, he gave the cab driver his address and figured he would make a decision from there.

All Jareth could do was wrap his arm around Sarah and rub his hand on her shoulder as a sign of reassurance. He didn't know whether the gesture was welcome until Sarah leaned into his body and placed her head on his shoulder. Jareth didn't know whether to be relieved or happy with her show of trust. He placed his chin on top of her head, but not before kissing her hair. He had so many unanswered questions, and he was determined now more than ever to find answers.