A/N - ok Sarah will not punch, kick(hard) or otherwise mangle Jareth because *I* love him and so there. But that doesn't mean she's going to be easy on him...

Sarah stared back at Jareth, not struggling, barely breathing. Time seemed to slow and she wondered briefly if his magic was surrounding them. The room was not cold but she shivered knowing he was in her room, in her bed. The intensity of her gaze burned through his drunkeness and his face moved closer to hers, as he glanced down at her lips.

Their breaths mingled together, soft mint from her toothpaste drifting around the deep honey flavor of Jareth's all too near mouth as he licked his lower lip looking as though he was deep in thought, almost afraid.

"Why?" Sarah asked finally. The question seemed to awaken him from his stupor and he smirked, odd mood forgotten.

"Why what?"

"The big show of flinging yourself off my roof. You can't think you would have actually hurt yourself. You've made your point though, I'm a selfish brat who thought she wished away her brother and you're the wondrous king who humored me. You don't have to come back to gloat."

"Is that what I was trying to prove? Seems redundant, my precious thing."

"You wanted a human pet and I said no. But there are other girls out there who would go for it. Why say you're going to kill yourself? Why bother coming back to me?"

"I'll always come back to you," he slurred slightly. Her nose wrinkled.

"You're drunk," she accused and he smiled a slow, wicked smile that made Sarah tense.

"Yes, quite drunk. I tend to get that way when little girls destroy my - my Labyrinth and leave without kissing me goodbye." He moved in closer and she pushed him away, sending him off the bed. His grunt of pain made her look over the edge and he grabbed her, pulling her down on top of him on the floor.

"Sarah," her father's voice was at her door. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah Daddy, just dropped some garbage on the floor. I'm going to throw it out and get into bed now," she called back. At Jareth's grin she whispered "Alone."

"You have no power over me," Jareth whispered back and she rolled her eyes.

"All right, Sarah," Robert said. "Get a good night's sleep and we'll talk more in the morning. And um - don't call any of those - um creatures to your room tonight or anything. I don't think it's a good idea. You've been through a lot tonight."

"Uh - sure Daddy," Sarah called back as Jareth's hands started tracing circles over her legs. She squirmed and pushed him off of her, standing quickly as her door opened. Jareth was hidden under the bed now, lying still.

"Are you sure you are okay?" Robert asked. Jareth ran his hand beneath the hem of Sarah's pajama pants, tickling her ankle. Instinctively she kicked him. Robert arched an eyebrow and started to come into the room.

"No! I mean, my room is really a mess. I really need to clean it tomorrow. Can we talk then? I mean I'm really tired."

"Sure honey. I just need to ask you - this - Jareth. He didn't do anything, well, inappropriate to you tonight, did he?"

"Daddy! That's just - no!" Sarah was blushing as Jareth's fingers slid up her calf, then back down again. She shivered and jumped onto the bed - hard. She heard a muffled groan and smirked.

"Goodnight Daddy," she said, climbing under the covers.

"Well - good night Sarah," he answered, slowly walking out of the room and closing the door.

Jareth stood up and crawled back into bed with Sarah. She sighed as his arms came around her once more.

"He'll come back when he hears you."

"I've put a silence spell on the walls. We shall not be disturbed again." He brushed hair from her face and waited.

"Why are you here? Toby wasn't really kidnapped and you made a fool out of me. Can't we just leave it at that and say our goodbyes?"

"When we've just found each other?" Jareth was amazed. "How could you think it? You know, I will not kill myself."

"What a relief," she said drily.

"I wish to live, to learn more about you. I have - feelings about you that I do not yet understand and it troubles me. So we shall be friends and I will learn more of you and your world. A good king should make every opportunity to become stronger."

"Friends. You want to be my friend." Sarah's eyes were wide and she had to stop the hysterical nervous giggle that threatened to erupt.

"No one has ever dared to defy me as you do. I am fairly certain I would have destroyed them. But I do not wish to do so to you. I want to determine why."

"Are you saying I'm your weakness?" The innocent question hit him hard and he felt a strong urge to kiss her, to learn her taste, her soul. He felt overwhelmed by emotion and it shocked him. This was not how he had thought he'd feel about someone who had defied him. He was not sure he liked feeling this way.

He stood up, bowing. "I am saying that for now, I am returning home. I have to discuss things with someone before I decide on our next adventure. And I plan to find out why my aunt has been hidden away in your realm for so long. Good evening dear Sarah. I shall return for you soon."

He leaned in and did kiss her then, a soft kiss on the forehead. Sarah raised a hand to where his lips had been, shocked into silence.

With a flurry of glitter, he was gone. Sarah fell back onto the mattress and groaned. She was never going to be rid of him now.

JSJSJS

Jareth flew into his mother's sitting room, gracefully transforming back into his Fae form. She was there, sipping tea. Somehow she always knew when he needed to talk with her.

"Does Father know you are out of bed to see me?" Jareth smiled, a true smile he reserved for her alone.

"Your father sleeps like the dead as always. He and I were quite interested in your little adventure tonight."

Neither of them noticed Hoggle in the gardens below, working. The old dwarf could clearly hear them talk and his mood grew dim. Sarah was his friend. Jareth should not have her as anything. He was a rat and a cruel king and well, it just wasn't fair.

"Ah, I should have guessed you'd be watching. Tell me, was Aunt Kareena here too? The boy seemed agitated, like he was waiting for someone. I did not get the feeling it was Sarah."

"She was here. She and her human mate. He isn't as fond of our world as young Sarah. He fears for her safety."

"He believes I would harm her?" The question surprised him although he had been thinking along those lines earlier in the evening.

"He's human. And he does not understand our ways. Tell me why you have come to me my son. Do you wish harm to the girl?"

"I - I do not know. I asked her to love me and she does not. I will not be strong enough to fight this rejection soon, but I do not wish to die while I might still learn more of the girl's heart. I attempted to do something ill advised tonight - it does not matter."

"You attempted suicide. Foolish boy, Fae royals cannot do so - the magic of the Crystal Kingdom prevents it."

"I'd - forgotten."

"You were drunk," the queen laughed. "If every royal tried to kill themselves over true love, there would be no one left to rule."

Hoggle moved closer to the window, he had to know what Jareth was planning.

"And it is true that the queen of the Crystal Kingdom went Above Ground to be with a human?"

"Yes, Serennvah chose that life, taking Kareena with her as a babe. She died above some time after. Kareena went back to her human years later to be near your Sarah and her father."

"Kareena was eldest, and gave up her right to the throne," Jareth mused.

"Yes, and now that she has a son, he is heir because he didn't choose to be exiled. Kareena's sister may not be pleased."

"It is a night for many revelations and choices," he said, staring out a window. "I wish to learn more of Sarah, if I am to have but one chance at love - I would choose it to be with her."

Hoggle gasped. The rat thought he'd win Sarah's love? Not if Hoggle had anything to say about it.