Final chapter folks. If you enjoyed my little tale, reviews are appreciated. :)

FIVE

Nothing happened.

Sarah's fingers rested gently against the crystal, and yet there was no reaction at all. No sparks, no flashes … not so much as a fizzle. It was about as thrilling as a fireworks display in the middle of a thunderstorm.

Clearly, this oh-so-special crystal was a dud.

After several moments of this absolute nothingness, she scowled darkly, geared up to blast the Goblin King's ears for pulling such a nasty trick on her. Again. Before she could utter a word, the golden orb abruptly flared to life, which in turn caused her to release a rather undignified squawk of alarm, which she topped off with a gigantic leap backwards.

She didn't release it, however. Or rather, it wasn't releasing her. It seemed to be melting, flowing up her arm in thin, golden rivulets, both scalding hot and bitterly cold, yet strangely painless despite being utterly terrifying.

She thought she screamed, but she couldn't really hear much over the sound of her own frantic heart thundering in her ears. What kind of a sucker was she to keep falling for such obvious tricks? Didn't she possess any capability to learn from past mistakes? Her eyes burned with hot, angry tears as she glared at the stoic king, while he simply gazed back and seemed not at all concerned over the fact that his "gift" was eating her alive.

The streams of light, in the meantime, had worked their way from one arm to the other, and now flowed over her body, traveled across her torso and down her legs. She brushed at herself fruitlessly and it was then that she noticed something odd.

Where the light touched, her clothing transformed. Plain cotton and denim melted into yards of shimmering satin, frothy lace, the glitter of precious gems. It went on and on, until the light covered her head-to-toe. It pulsed around her like a warm, golden cocoon before abruptly fading into a shimmer of stardust. And Sarah found herself bedecked in the gown of her wildest fantasies. She breathed in awe, touched the soft fabric swathing her, noted the glitter of her bejeweled fingers … and couldn't help feeling just the tiniest bit foolish about her impromptu panic attack.

A polite cough brought her eyes back to Jareth's face. He still watched her as the slightest smile twitched his perfect lips, and she just knew he was laughing at her. She tried her hardest not to bristle at him. "I trust you're pleased with your gift?" he murmured, far too smug for her liking. "Does it suit you?"

The strange expression in his eyes could almost be (that is, if she didn't know any better) mistaken for genuine affection. Their warmth belied his self-satisfied tone, and she found it oddly difficult to meet his gaze. "It's fine," she muttered. "I mean … yes. It suits me. Nicely." She cleared her throat and shifted uncomfortably.

"Well then. Shall we?" He extended a hand in the exact the same manner as in her dream, and her heart skipped a beat. Was he actually asking her to dance? Jareth noted her hesitation and offered a gentle smile. "Touch your dreams," he whispered.

She blinked at the familiar phrase before her wide-eyed gaze dropped to his hand. Hesitantly, she extended her own toward it; she half-expected him to fade into mist the way he had in the dream, but the fingers that closed over hers were tight and strong, and as he pulled her close against him, his warm breath ghosted softly across her face, leaving her suddenly lightheaded.

Was this the actual swooning she'd always read about? At any other time, she might have been disgusted with herself. At the moment, she was too busy marveling at the novelty of being held in the Goblin King's embrace. Again. It was like before … only more. She must have grown a bit in three years, she thought. She remembered him being so much taller back then. Or maybe it had been his overwhelming presence that made him so formidable. That certainly hadn't changed. Except now he seemed formidable in a completely different way that set the butterflies to waltzing on desperate wings inside her belly.

He pulled her close as a soft, haunting melody swelled around them. It rose from the trees and the grass and the very air, a song as familiar to her as a cherished memory. He danced her around the glen, every movement graceful and precise, and just like the first time, Sarah allowed him to lead her and simply relished in the warmth and closeness of him, gazed into his beautiful face with the expression of a woman in love.

He held her gaze as he sang softly; the dulcet tones of his voice flowed over her like warm honey, melted into her heart and soul. Deep down, she knew it was crazy to allow him to beguile her so thoroughly. She was foolish to let herself be so carried away by someone who used trickery and deceit to get what he wanted. But his words felt sincere, and could even the Goblin King fake the sort of emotions that shifted through his enchanting eyes?

At some point that she hadn't even noticed, their dance had turned from a waltz to a slow circle in the center of the clearing as Sarah relaxed further into his arms, dared to rest her head on his shoulder. He continued to sing into her ear, and by the time the final soft lyric drifted into the night air, they no longer moved at all. They stood perfectly still, bathed in moonlight and heedless of anything but each other as their gazes met and held for long, silent moments.

After a time, Sarah slowly blinked, bringing an abrupt end to the trance into which they'd both fallen. Her senses began to return, and she realized with some trepidation that she was still wrapped rather intimately in Jareth's embrace. The gaze locked on her face seemed expectant, so she thought she ought to say something.

"Th-the song was beautiful," she whispered. "Thank you, Jareth." Her cheeks heated in yet another blush when his name slipped from her tongue; it seemed such an intimate thing to call him. Which was silly, of course, since it was his name, after all. "It was … a w-wonderful gift," she continued, stuttering slightly as her awkwardness began to return. "I never knew you could be kind."

"There is much about me that you don't yet know." His reply was quiet, serious. "Perhaps, in time, you will discover more." He tilted his head, mismatched eyes searching her face. "But not tonight, I fear." He took one step back; his hands slid from her shoulders, down her arms, over her wrists, clasped her fingers within his own to hold them tightly. And she realized at once what was happening. This was his goodbye. He was going to leave.

Of course, she reminded herself sternly. He had to leave. He'd said himself that it was only for this night. And the night, it appeared, was nearly over. Without her notice, the dark sky had lightened, washed in the pale, grayish-pink light of approaching dawn.

She tried to imagine it was relief she felt. It wasn't disappointment that crouched like a gargoyle inside her chest, digging stone claws into her heart. And it definitely wasn't the fear that, after this night, she would never, ever see the Goblin King again. She straightened her posture, forced a smile to her lips that didn't come close to reaching her eyes, as none of her smiles ever seemed to do these days.

"Well, I … I guess this is goodbye, then," she began with all the false cheerfulness she could muster, determined to prove that she wasn't at all affected by his impending departure. "It was … surprisingly nice to see you again."

Well. It had been far more than nice. But she could barely admit that to herself, let alone to him.

Jareth continued to watch her, a sort of melancholy lingering in his eyes. "Yes. I suppose this is farewell," he agreed, and squeezed the hands still trapped within his own. He bowed and raised one, and then the other, and the warmth of his lips against her bare knuckles made her shiver with a flush of sudden longing. What is this man doing to me? she thought despairingly.

After this night, she would never again be able to pretend that fairy tales didn't exist.

The clearing grew brighter as the sky took on the first, fiery hues of sunrise. The moon had finally wandered off; Sarah found herself wondering if it had only lingered for so long because Jareth willed it so, and had now released it to resume its normal descent.

In the far distance, a rooster crowed. It wouldn't be much longer until her family began to wake. It was her job to help her grandmother and Irene start preparing Christmas dinner; if she didn't show up soon, they'd start wonder where on earth she'd gone off to. I'll just tell them I was in the forest, dancing with the Goblin King, she thought, and imagining their expressions tempted a faint smile to her face.

"What amuses you?"

His voice drew her from her musings, and she gave her head a dismissive shake. "Nothing. I was just imagining how my family will react if I tell them what I've been up to. I guess they'll probably realize I'm missing before I get back. It's kind of a long walk."

"I can send you back, if you wish," he offered.

She blinked, taken aback by the offer. "Really?" Then she slid him a suspicious glance. "What's the catch?"

She was rewarded with a bemused chuckle, even as he shook his head in a scolding sort of way. "Still so mistrustful, even now?" he chided, voice gentle. His smile seemed as sad as his remarkable eyes. "Dearest Sarah. My heart. Do you not yet realize that there is nothing I would not do for you?"

She sucked in a long, unsteady breath as her heart kicked in her chest. The gargoyle released its crushing hold as the meaning of his words hit home, left her stunned and shaken. When he grasped her hands, drew her close to him, she had no protest as his arm slipped around her, pressed firmly to her back. His silk-gloved hands slid up her neck, caressed softly over her face, tangled in the silk of her hair. Her eyes widened when she felt him tug, lifted her face to ease the harsh pull on her scalp.

When a warm, firm mouth pressed to hers, she stiffened at the unexpected invasion. But only for a moment. In another moment, the strength flooded from her legs and she melted into his arms, her resistance crushed beneath a myriad of newly-awakened sensations and feelings.

She'd been kissed just once before; a clumsy, sloppy, unwelcome attempt by a classmate, to which she'd responded with a hard slap before stomping off in disgust to wash her mouth.

Jareth's kiss was nothing like that.

His was the kiss of a man who knew just what he was doing as he angled her head further to the side and fit his mouth more securely to hers, slipping past her lips to stroke and tangle his tongue with hers. She found herself trembling, nearly overcome with growing emotion that she was still too afraid to name. She'd never imagined anything could feel so intense, or so intimate, and the thought that she might never again experience this exquisite warmth nearly brought her to tears.

Something inside her began to ache when they finally parted. The gargoyle returned, settling comfortably in her chest as it gripped her heart with both claws and squeezed. She stood in his arms for a long moment, trying to regain herself, refusing to meet the gaze she could feel steady upon her. If she looked at him now, she wouldn't be able to contain herself. She knew she would beg him to stay.

She gathered her composure, taking her time to piece it together, and he seemed content to wait her out. And when she finally dared to look up, she was startled to find that the forest had vanished, replaced with the antique furniture and worn carpet of the guest room at her grandparents' house. The fantasy gown had also vanished like the dream it had been born from, leaving her feeling frumpy and unkempt and normal.

A chilly breeze whispered through the opened window; she noted the sun just peeking over the canopy of trees to wash Jareth's hair in a halo of gold. She thought, in that moment, that he looked positively angelic, and her heart ached just a little more.

His gaze still rested steady upon her, flickered a maelstrom of gentle warmth and unfulfilled desire. She could only stare back, trying to say what she knew she had to. Trying to tell him goodbye. She gathered her wavering courage, forced herself to open her mouth … and the words she hadn't intended to say came tumbling out in a soft, broken plea.

"Please don't go."

She froze, struggled to take the words back as his astonished eyes widened for a fraction of a second. Then her shoulders slumped, head lowering as she accepted her defeat. "I don't want you to leave."

His hand caressed her face, and his smile was somehow radiant as he began to speak—

A sudden, rapid pounding startled an embarrassing screech of fright from her, and she whirled to face the closed door, heart pounding for another reason, now. "Sawah!" came Toby's impatient call from the other side. "Get up! You pwomised we'd pway with my caw today! Get up! Pweeease?"

Her fists clenched against the irrational anger that surged in a hot rush through her body, only to dissipate just as suddenly when Jareth suddenly laughed. She shot him an irritated glance, not nearly so amused. Of all the rotten timing! Her eyes narrowed as she glanced between the Goblin King and the door, considering. Was it possible to wish for the same child to be taken more than once?

As if reading her mind, Jareth leveled her a stare that was both amused and chastising, and she sighed, feeling very much put out. This dream was ending far sooner than she liked. The enchanted, precious moments she'd had all to herself crumbled a little more with each insistent bang against the wood from Toby's impatient little fists. It just wasn't fair!

She glared holes through the door and willed him to get tired and leave. But Toby wasn't having any. If there was anyone more stubborn than Sarah, it was her little brother. She knew from personal experience that he'd keep banging away until she finally caved in to his demands and let him in. The stirrings of a headache tickled behind her temples.

"He reminds me of somebody else I know," Jareth observed lightly, his voice soft and teasing. His eyes almost twinkled with mischief as he watched her.

She shot him a dirty look, sighed again and shook her head. "Somehow, it's your fault. I just know it," she snorted, and couldn't stop the pleased little flutter of her heart when he laughed again, eyes crinkled with humor, glowing with affection.

Her expression slowly shuttered as reality once more began to intercede. "Is this the end?" she whispered. "You'll go back to the Labyrinth, and I'll stay here, and this will be just another dream that never really happened. Right?"

"No." He shook his head, stepped closer as his hands rose to cradle her face. He pressed his forehead to hers, eyes slipping closed. "It happened. It was not a dream." His voice was little more than a breath against her lips. "I trust that you will never believe otherwise, and I promise you that I will not forget. I thank you."

"For what?"

His eyes opened to meet hers. "After all of my effort, you have finally bestowed upon me the gift of trust and friendship I have so long desired of you. Although we must part, keep me close in your heart and I shall always be with you."

"SAAA-WAAH!"

Toby's full-throated bellow shattered the moment, and Sarah nearly broke down then and there, eyes closing as she rested her head against the Goblin King's chest. "Are you sure you don't want to take him with you?" she half-pleaded, and felt more than heard his soft laugh as his hands caressed her face. Her head tilted back, soft lips briefly touched each eyelid, and his final words whispered across her ear as his warmth began to fade. "Farewell, beloved."

A sharp breath, a moment of shock, and her eyes snapped open in time to catch the last, fading sparkles of his magic … which might have only been stirring dust mites caught in the golden sunrise.

The strength bled from her legs as she sank slowly to the floor, trying hard to breathe. That was it? Was it over completely? Would she ever see him again, or had this been their final meeting, the reconciliation they'd both needed.

Why had she only realized now, when it was too late, that she was completely in love with him?

She felt an odd weight against her chest, and when she glanced down, the glint of metal caught her eye. Confusion gave way to astonishment when she lifted the silver chain around her neck to find Jareth's pendant dangling from its end, gleaming softly in the light. She blinked at it a few times, hardly able to believe that he would part with such a precious item. Was this a promise of some sort? Was it his way of telling her that he'd return someday?

Hope bloomed, and she clutched the pendant to her heart, lips curving into a faint smile. He had to return, she told herself. She hadn't admitted her feelings to him yet, after all. Although, she had the feeling he somehow already knew. Until the day he returned for her, she would keep the memories of this night and his gift close to her heart, and know that he was thinking of her, just as he had always thought of her. It would be enough, she told herself. It would have to be.

Gathering her composure, Sarah wiped her eyes and rose to her feet, pasted a bright smile on her face and prepared to go out and face the real world.

Thank you for reading.

Um, there is a sequel. Just FYI. ;)