Author's Note:Well, the last chapter got 20 reviews, so here is the next chapter. As I said before, the story is mostly written, so I will post a new chapter every couple of days or every 20 reviews, which ever comes first. And yes...it is going to be a bit longer than 3 chapters (probably 7 or 8 at this point). I hope you enjoy! Jareth and Sarah goodness is coing up in the next chapter! :)

Mistletoe Magic

Ch. 3: Baby, It's Cold Outside

"I really should go….Baby it's cold outside…." Sarah sang along with the radio as she crept her way up the road, her gloved fingers tightly gripping the steering wheel as she hunched over it, fighting to see through the heavy snow swirling and dancing in her headlights. "Ahhh… I really should have just gone home," she muttered, lifting a hand to rub her tired eyes, then slamming it back onto to the steering wheel as the tires skidded slightly on the icy road.

For the last hour and a half she had been creeping along at 15 miles an hour due to the snow. When she left work it had been a lovely light snowfall, just enough to make everything seem peaceful and full of Christmas joy. So, she had pulled out the directions to Janet's house and decided to go to the Christmas party after all, figuring it would be better than spending Christmas Eve and day alone in her tiny studio apartment. She stuffed Dina's present into her costume bag, a bottle of wine she had been planning to either take or drink, a box of cookies that the woman who played Mrs. Claus had given her the day before, along with a pair of sweats for sleeping in and headed out into the cold.

"Baby it's nasty out there," came the all-too-cheerful voice of the radio announcer as the song ended. "The temp in the tri-state area has dropped to a record -13 degrees and we have white-out conditions across much of the area."

"No shit, Mr. Obvious," Sarah grumbled, squinting to see through the snow. Forty-five minutes into her trip, the snowfall increased, but by then she was half-way to the party. Even if she had turned around, it would be hours until she got home with as slow as she was forced to go, so the logical thing seemed to be to continue to Janet's. After an hour, she tried to call so that someone would at least know where she was, but her cell wasn't finding a signal – even the radio signal kept dropping in and out. "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid," she chastised to herself, knowing her father would be furious if he knew what she was doing.

The announcer continued, "For those of you still crazy enough to be on the road, the State Police have stated that they will officially be closing Interstate 5 at 8pm due to the snow and suggest that only those with an emergency be on the road after that. So grab your loved ones, cuddle up and stay warm, gang…cuz it is going to be a seriously white Christmas! The only person who should be out in this mess is Santa Claus, and even he should reconsider his career choice tonight. But, to encourage him along, here's a 'Little Saint Nick' for you, from the Beach Boys.

Sarah frowned as the radio signal fuzzed out again turning to white noise. She listened to it for another five minutes before resigning herself to the fact that just like the cell signal, the radio signal was now gone for good. With an irritated grumble, she punched the radio button, turning it off, the silence in the car deafening. Despite the warmth inside the car, an icy feeling settled in her chest at the realization that she was creeping along a mountain road, in the middle of a white-out with no company and no one knew where she was.

"If I am entitled to a bit more magic in my life, tonight would be a good time for it," she sighed, biting her lip nervously as she reduced her speed a bit further and dropped her car down a gear to help combat the slippery roads.

~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~

As much as he hated to admit it, Hoggle had a good idea when he reminded Jareth about the time he used to spend at the isolated cabin in the North Woods. Once upon a time he spent many a lazy weekend there lounging on the wide porch, exploring the trails in the woods and generally forgetting that he was a king. Turning his head to look at the dusty interior of the cabin in which he had materialized, Jareth conjured a crystal and flicked it toward the ceiling, his pale eyes narrowing as it slowly grew and grew until it engulfed the room. When it finally popped, the whole cabin was lit, clean and ready to be inhabited, for however long his father would force him to remain away from the Underground. Pursing his lips, Jareth looked around the comfortably modest (by human standards) cabin, as he tried to remember why he hadn't been here in so long – then it hit him.

Sarah.

Sarah was why he hadn't been here. The last time he had visited the cabin was the night Sarah gave up on magic, consequently killing any hope he had that she might someday love him.

Unable to face his subjects and the memories of Sarah that plagued him around ever corner of the castle and labyrinth, Jareth had come to his cabin getaway to drown his pain. It took three full days, four casks of goblin ale, two of elven wine and one of drow fire tea before he managed to do it – and the hangover was epic. Sighing, he moved further into the room. Perhaps it was time to bury that particular pain for good. Maybe spending the remainder of Yule on his own wouldn't be so bad.

As he looked around the inviting cabin, Jareth felt a small smile start to tug at the corner of his mouth, then nodded to himself. Yes, perhaps this was in fact just what he needed. A bit of solitude to ring in the new year and gain some new…perspective.

While the cabin was warm and cozy, it was lacking something. With a wave of his hand, Jareth used some of his limited powers to dress the place in Yuletide finery, smiling broader as fresh garlands of pine boughs adorned the mantel of the fireplace and the wooden stairwell. Turning slightly, he waved his hand again and a tree appeared, heavily laden with sparkling white lights, with white, red and gold ornaments bedecking the branches. Although he had been somewhat 'moody' and maudlin the last few years, the Goblin King was not a 'Scrooge' by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, despite the fear he could instill in his subjects when he was angry, it was known far and wide across his kingdom that the Yule season was his favourite. Prior to his loss of hope, it was a regular Christmastide tradition for him to bestow entire wagons full of ale barrels on the castle goblins, for them to enjoy during their Yule festivities. Not only that, but he would often join them in drinking their Yuletide rations of the heady (and potent) brew, frequently resulting in singing and dancing that could be heard throughout the castle until the wee hours of the morning.

When the room was outfitted in a far more festive manner, Jareth peered down at his clothing, then waved his hand, dressing himself in a pair of buttery soft jeans and a blue cashmere sweater. While he may be masquerading as a mortal during his 'vacation' in the cabin, that didn't mean he would clothe himself in rags, he was the Goblin King after all and had a reputation to maintain - even if no one else saw him.

A short while later the Goblin King was sprawled on the couch with a large mug of mulled cider, and a book in hand as the radio softly played Bing Crosby crooning 'I'll be home for Christmas.' Glancing at the radio, Jareth smiled and raised his glass in a toast, "And I will not be home for Christmas. For once I will have a goblin free Christmas." Jareth considered this a moment. No chaos. No drunk goblins. No mayhem. Perhaps this should become an annual tradition. A quiet holiday. All. By. Himself. That is exactly what he needed.

~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~

Getting up the mountain road had been scary enough, now that she was working her way back down, Sarah was in a word, terrified. The road was icy. Very. Icy. Between the ice and the snow, she had crept down the other side of the mountain at five miles an hour, her beat up hatchback in the lowest possible gear, and even then she was having to ride the break more than she should. Halfway down the mountain her breaks began to smell 'hot'.

Blinking back tears, Sarah found herself praying to anyone that would listen, that she would be able to get down the other side of the mountain safely. Her eyes were glued to the swirling flakes dancing in front of the car, when she felt her heart start to beat again upon seeing the valley ahead and a flat straight stretch of road. Letting out the breath she had been holding as she crept down the mountain, Sarah started to relax, only to feel the tires slide on a particularly nasty bit of black ice. Unable to stop the skid, Sarah screamed as the car careened wildly down the last of the hill, hitting the flat part of the road and sliding in great fishtailing circles. Frantically she tried to turn into the skid, hoping it would slow her down. After several tense moments, the car finally stopped. Gasping, Sarah loosened her grip on the steering wheel with a shaky breath. With a shuttering sigh, she looked around.

While she was glad to be in the valley, she was no closer to Janet's house. The road on either side was lined with dense trees. Gritting her teeth, she slowly got the car turned around until it was heading the right direction again. Gradually she started to speed up, finding that the road in the valley was free of ice and although the snow was drifting, it wasn't on the road. Able to go faster finally, Sarah's little car scooted along the road, the snow heavy enough to require caution, but not seeming to be as heavy as it was higher up on the mountain. She smiled in relief seeing the telltale glow of lights back in the trees.

'At least there are people down here' she thought, hoping this meant she was getting close to civilization again. For some reason, the sight of lights, even deep in the trees, was comforting. As she passed the end of the road that led to the hidden house, she had to smile in spite of her situation. At the end of the road was a lovely sculpted wooden arch that had holly bushes growing up the end posts, the top of the posts adorned with lanterns that looked like something straight out of a Dicken's novel, their warm glow flickering as if they were actually lit by live flames instead of the light-bulbs she knew had to be there. Carved across the top of the arch was the name of the property – Tír na nÓg.

Smiling to herself, Sarah found a feeling of peace stealing over her as she passed the property and continued down the road. She hoped that being in the valley meant that she might have a better radio signal again, so Sarah picked up her phone and tried to ring Janet again, only to find that there was no cell signal. Sighing she turned on the radio again hoping for a bit of 'company', even if it was that ridiculous announcer. She was relieved when the radio came on, with Bing Crosby crooning 'I'll be home for Christmas'.

Sarah frowned at the reminder that she was not going to be home for the holidays. Not at home. Not with family. And definitely not with someone she loved. Lost in her reverie, she shook her head taking her eyes momentarily off the road – and a split second in time was all it took. When she looked at the road again she screamed, and slammed her foot on the brakes to avoid hitting the biggest buck she had ever seen. Slamming her foot on the brakes sent her car veering into an out of the control spiral. Sarah frantically tried to remember what her father had told her as small car careened toward a snow bank. Knowing that an impact was inevitable, Sarah did the only thing she could, she tried to let herself go limp. With a muted thump the car hit the snow bank, the airbag deploying with a loud 'whoosh'.

Then there was silence.

Author's Note: Thanks for reading... please give me an early present and review! :)