Disclaimer: I own Wren and her relatives, including the adorable Leyla, but the rest I do not. And, for the record, I am sorely disappointed that I do not. Own the rest, I mean.

Spitfire21: Yes, I do think it takes a good ten chapters for this thing to take hold, doesn't it? Thank you so much for reviewing!!!

DanikaLareyna: Actually… did the math… you were the 200th! Wow! And Happy Birthday! This next chapter is for you!

Aviarianna O Lorien: Oh, thank you so much! Just an OC, not a self-insert, but I totally get what you mean. Hee! Your PS made me laugh – I should hang that up at work.

Notwritten: Yup, vinegar sure does. It can stop a sore throat before it starts. Have a good one!

Lady Cobweb: Oh, he does. He's the Goblin King. He's perpetually adorable.

DarkHero87: Aw!!! You are so SWEET! Thank you!!!!

Sammi C: Hey, glad you're getting better! Sorry for the ER trip… I've been there. At least you're sick… me? I fainted into a bowl of chips and salsa twice at a restaurant, earning myself an ambulance ride to the ER. And then waited seven hours for them to tell me I'm sensitive. Grr.

Autumn92685039: Hee… that game sounds like the opposite of that old computer message: "you have performed an illegal operation". Stupid stuff. Hey, here's hopin!

Silver Rebel: What more can I say? You rock… no, wait! I got it! You're the Nazz. Hee.

Calla Lillie: Hmm. Good fics? Well, I have some in my favorites, and I'm also in a C2 that is good completed Labyrinth fics. Worth checking out. Oh, and almost anything by those people on my favorite author list are pretty good, too.

Panchat: Wow, thank you for the compliment! I'm flattered! I feel special now…

Adelaide Holmes: Hey, no sweat! I hope my drabble gives you plenty of humor!

Nikki: Ha! I'm like that with tissues, too! Only… I have to be careful, or my dog makes off with them, and they're in shreds all over the house!

Salsagirl626: Aww! I'm glad you like Wren. I like her, too. Yay, you liked my art! Whoohoo! Hey, good luck with finals!

Kat: Hello again! Hee… hey, go pester Danika for a pic of Leyla… she's obsessed with her, and has doodled a couple of her, that I totally approve of! Thanks for the reminders

Contraltissimo: Yep. Ketchup and mustard. It happens. What's worse? Goo on the desk, or under the chair?? Lol!

Music Recommendations:

What are you doing, New Year's Eve? by Clay Aiken – yes, this is a cover, but a good one. I think it's way cute.

Kooks by David Bowie – Aw. This just… aw. I can totally see Wren, Jareth, and Leyla.

"Wren?"

I frowned at my cell phone, "Julie? Hi, yeah, this is Wren. This is my cell…"

My sister in law laughed, "Ah, I know. But I wasn't sure… oh, you know. Other people do answer other people's cell phones. What if Jareth had answered?"

I snorted, "I hope he wouldn't sound this girly on the phone, Julie,"

I pulled the phone away from my ear, while it burst with giggles. Julie is very sweet, and has an awesome sense of humor. I like her, a lot. But, as much as I like her, she only really calls me for one reason – ah, okay, two reasons. One, she needs a baby sitter, and two, Gideon refused to do the calling.

"Ah, Wren, you're so funny!" she said, still giggling.

I sighed, "So I'm told. What's up, Julie?"

I heard her sigh on the other end of the line, "Oh, this is awkward to ask… what are your plans for New Years? I won't ask you my question if you have plans."

I shrugged. Truth was, I had never been a big New Years person. So many people had big parties and dressed up all nice and, well, drank, and I wasn't all that fond of it. Personally, I liked to find some place that wasn't crowded, where I could write in my journal and then, later, watch fireworks. Typically, this included me staying at home, and then climbing up the ladder on the side of the house to sit on the roof, though last year Persephone had been in France, so she'd asked me to stay at her place and look after it that night, and I'd watched an awesome firework show from her bedroom window.

Now? Well, I thought I'd find a way to do something similar, and invite Jareth, but… I still didn't have huge plans. Keeping it quiet was my main goal. I said as much to Julie on the phone.

I could almost see her frown, "No parties? Jareth not taking you to some fancy shin-dig?"

"Nope," I said, "As far as I know, he's not much on New Years, either. I still thought I'd spend it with him, but no big parties on my schedule."

She sighed again, "Okay," she began, "I have a proposition for you. Isaac and Berty are going to my parents house to spend the night with their cousins, but Leyla is too little. I am dying to have a date with Gid, and he said if I could find a sitter for Leyla, he'd take me out to the huge blockparty, or some fancy whatever, if there is one… whatever! It's a free-date card! I'm excited. Problem is, there are no sitters available on New Years Eve."

I smiled, "You want me to take Leyla?"

"Oh, Wren, I'm near begging. I need to go out with Gideon. Seriously. So, here's what I thought. You can come over to our house and watch Leyla here. We'd bring her over, but it's easier since her bed time is eight, she can just be put down in her own bed.

"But, I also know it's New Years, and you've got yourself one sweet piece of arm candy that I am certain you'd like to spend the evening with, am I right?"

I was glad Julie couldn't see my cheeks go red, "That would be right."

"Leyla seems to like Jareth – I have no idea why, even though he is a nice guy… but come on, you know how she is about strangers – so, anyway, he's invited, too. You two can order some pizza or whatever and watch the fireworks from our back yard."

I snickered, "What does Gideon say about me having my boyfriend over babysitting with me?"

There was a scoff on the other end, "He fussed about it, but… I'm not worried. You're a good kid, and I can lend you my pepper-spray. I know you wouldn't be seeing the guy if he was a player."

"Very true. Good luck trying to convince Gideon of that, though."

She giggled, "Already did. He may not be fully convinced, but I'm his wife. I have my ways, and nothing will stand between me and a date with my hubby."

I nodded, "Okay, pizza and a evening under the stars with Leyla. Sounds like a plan to me."

"You celebrate the beginning of every, single new year?" Jareth asked me, incredulous, "Does that not become tiring?"

I toyed with a scroll that was on his desk, which he was sitting behind, in his study, "Well, now that I think about it, it probably would be tedious for you, but we mortals see it as a chance to start out fresh, new, and like to party."

He gave me a pointed look, "Escaping one's self is impossible, regardless of what day or year it may be."

I rolled my eyes, "I know that. Most people do know that. But we also like to celebrate the New Year. It's a big party thing. And there are fireworks! You'd like them. They're big, loud, and sparkly."

He sat down the scroll he was going over and tilted his head to the side, regarding me. I felt kind of silly then, while he was all in his business stuff. Sometimes, he was just Jareth, a guy who could do magic and was really hot; he did spend so much time with me above ground, that at times it didn't quite register that he was a King, an actual King, with duties and responsibilities to attend to. At the moment, he looked highly regal and professional.

And I suddenly felt guilty for asking him at all.

"You know what?" I said, quickly, heading towards the door, "It's… it's okay. No biggie, and I'm sitting anyway, so you don't have to worry about it if it's busy and all that-" I turned away from the desk, intending to face the door and hurry out of it, but found myself face to face with his chest, instead. "Oh."

He regarded me, curiously, "Wren… if you ask, I will gladly attend with you, you know that."

I looked away, "I know that… but what if you were busy? I wouldn't want you to, I don't know… stop something important, just for me."

He reached out and captured one of the hands in his fingers. I looked up at him. He smiled, softly, "Wren, you are important. I am courting you. As such, regardless of what my work requires of me, I fully intend to make time to be with you. There are very few things that would demand so much of my time that I could not come to you, at least for a while. All you need to do is ask."

By the time he'd finished speaking, I was grinning. "Then, I'm asking," I began, "Are you busy?"

He glanced at his scrolls, "Well, I may be a bit late, but I will gladly come."

I squealed and threw my arms around his neck. "Oh, you are the best, GK, you know that?" I felt one of his arms wrap around my waist, to squeeze me back, but it paused, briefly, at my side. His fingers moved quickly, tickling me. "Eeeyaah!" I blurted, wiggling out of his grasp. I glared at him, mockingly.

He smirked, moving once again to take his seat behind his desk, then simply smiled, "Now, go on, Wren. The sooner I am finished with these, over the next couple of days, the sooner I will be able to join you on New Years Eve to tend," he grinned and turned back to his scroll, "Little Leyla."

I loved going to Gideon's place. I guess it was because they'd been gone for so long, you know? It's the same kind of thing with Persephone's townhouse. Perry's kept her place here, even though she did technically move out of state, once she got that big business job; her townhouse always made it feel like part of her would always be here. Gideon, though, had moved to Vermont, where Leyla was born, and then back a heck of a lot closer to us, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

It had been all in job transfers, from what I hear. I was very upset when they initially moved, back when Isaac and Berty were little. I missed the boys, a lot. It was only when Leyla was a baby, several years later, that Gid got transferred again, and they moved to New Mexico. At that time, they'd come to visit for a week, but were then off again.

I still missed the kids – Berty and I often got online to play virtual chess together – and was really sad that I hadn't had the chance to spend time with little Leyla.

But their time in New Mexico was rather short, because this last summer, Gid was hired on by a local business here, with better benefits and higher pay. With the higher pay, he'd bought a house across town. They'd finally moved back in November, not very long before Thanksgiving. It was nice to have them back, at last, and even better when they'd come for Thanksgiving, even if it had freaked me out, at first (you know, due to Jareth being there, and the short notice, and being fearful that Gideon might freak out when he met Jareth).

So, now I had a new hobby, it seemed – Leyla sitting. I think Julie was the happiest about their move back, because her family was here, too. She jokes that the reason why they could afford their nice house was because they can now save money on sitters for the kids.

And, I admit, I'm a sucker for the cute kids. Always have been. So, I sit, pretty much for free, as long as they're willing to order in pizza, and leave me out some good movie to watch when the kids have gone to bed.

New Years Eve, though, I wasn't really caring about movies.

Julie all but ran for the door when I arrived. Her parents had already come and taken the boys with them, so Leyla was my only concern. Gideon was barely able to wave to me as his wife dragged him out the door.

I locked it once they left and then went off to find Leyla (Julie had left her playing in her room, with her toys on the floor, while they snuck out).

"Leyla," I whispered, sneaking into her room. She was sitting on her carpet with a stack of haphazard blocks, beside her and her Reindeer. Yes, Reth, the Reindeer. But, when she heard me, the tiny girl jumped up, knocking over her stack of blocks and ran at me.

"Ren!" she squealed as I picked her up.

"Hey baby!" I said, "Whatcha doing?"

She pointed down to her blocks and toys, "Bloks."

"Cool. Can I play? We can make a castle."

She nodded, and we got busy on our project.

We made three castles with her blocks, using each one for a only a few minutes before wildly knocking it down and starting on the next one, which usually looked about the same as the one before. After that, though, we just…

Well, there was one awkward moment when she asked were mommy and daddy were… we almost had a crying problem… but I quickly snatched her up and raced to the living room, where the stereo system was. I punched on a CD, and started dancing around the room, dipping her and tickling her, and spinning around wildly. It was fun enough that she forgot about crying. Ah, I love Leyla.

She was squealing and laughing so much, I didn't even notice the glitter behind me. Leyla, on the other hand saw it right away, and did that little kid thing where they go kinda limp so they can squiggle out of your arms when they want down, gibbering all the way, "Zibba nonnie Rethieeee!"

I almost dropped her when she did that squiggly thing. "Whoa, Lala, what the heck?"

She ran behind me. I turned and smiled. Jareth was there, squatting down as Leyla ran, squealing with delight, into the arms of the Goblin King.

Who, I had to point out, was dressed rather… goblin-kingly. He was wearing his usual stuff… I had kind of expected him to wear his Aboveground things, to blend in…

But, then again, who would he be blending in for? Leyla? She wouldn't care. And then there was me. He'd probably leave before Gideon and Julie got home, and we weren't going anywhere, anyway.

He picked her up into his arms as she gibbered at him, and I noticed instantly how her tiny hands twisted in the ruffles of his shirt. Maybe it had an appeal to kids? Oh well. I didn't mind.

"Hey there, GK," I said, happily, "Glad you could make it!"

"As am I," he said, still smiling at the tiny girl with a mass of blond hair in his arms.

I inwardly snorted. It was probably a good thing that Julie had ordered us a couple of pizzas (which had arrived earlier). If we'd had to go anywhere, people could easily think, with Jareth's hair, that Leyla was his… and then she had obvious Neilson features, like me… it wouldn't be much of a stretch of the imagination to think she was ours.

Good heavens… imagine the explaining I would have to do if I ran into people I knew!

I promptly zoned out, my brain pondering the prospect of actually having children with Jareth… that was something I hadn't thought about (not seriously, at least) before. What would they look like? Who's eyes would they have? And then, of course, my mind backtracked a bit into other ideas, such as, if I were having a child with Jareth, that would mean we'd be married… And that was when I realized that Jareth had a big smile on his face and was sending me odd glances while he talked idly to Leyla…

"…now, repeat after me," he was saying to her, "I wish the goblins would take me…"

I snapped to attention, "JARETH!"

He grinned at me, "Only joking," he said, spinning away from me with Leyla in his arms. Were it not for the fact that she was giggling and having the time of her life, I so would have smacked him.

There are always bound to be things that you never thought you would ever see in your life. When you do see them, they tend to strike you in different ways… you may laugh, you may be stunned, you may feel awed.

Well, when I saw Jareth eating a slice of pizza off a small plate with hearts on it, while sitting in an very small pink chair, at a pink plastic table, and wearing a sparkly tiara and a blue feathered boa around his neck as my niece served him imaginary tea, I couldn't seem to do anything but sit back and smile.

Well, that, and wish like mad that I had a camera or something. It was too dang funny… but also too cute.

Leyla was so happy, running around her room, finding things to show him… I think she'd shown him all of her stuffed animals, at least twice. It was a pity that I could only make out a few words from her, here and there, because she was being so official about the tea party, which not only included Jareth, but two teddy bears and a baby doll.

She was wearing a pink tutu as she went around arranging every little thing… I hated to interrupt… Leyla, from what I could tell, was playing and not eating, and she needed to eat her dinner, especially if her bed time would be in a couple of hours.

I inhaled, about to interrupt, to ask how Leyla's slice of pizza was coming, but stopped. From my place in the doorway, I watched as Jareth directed Leyla to her plate, encouraging her to eat.

She looked at it, the slice of pizza cut up in small pieces so she could eat it without getting it everywhere, and then looked at him, as if to ask, "Do I have to?"

He lowered his head and looked at her squarely, "It is rude to throw a party, even a tea party, and not eat with your guests, Lala."

She nodded and seated herself beside him, reaching out tiny fingers to pick up pizza squares and chew them carefully. I also watched him reach out with a paper napkin and clean the sauce from her mouth, and helped her when it got on her fingers.

I had to walk away before I squealed.

The evening had gone by quicker than I had expected. Jareth occupied Leyla better than I could have hoped… but, it wasn't as though I was excluded from the fun. No, in fact, I was a big part of it.

A little while after I left them at the tea party, and had seated myself in the front room, to scribble some notes on a writing pad I keep in my purse, I heard giggling from the hallway, and then shushing. I noticed I was being watched over the back of the sofa. When I turned, two sets of eyes quickly ducked below the couch.

Stifling a snicker, I put my book away… and was immediately pounced on. I was pulled to the carpet and tickled madly by four hands, two of which obviously knew my ticklish spots better that the other two did.

Oh, he could so play dirty.

And the night went on about the same way. I was able to turn the tides on Jareth, and Leyla readily joined me in attacking him as he laughed heartily (though… it seemed he wasn't nearly as ticklish as me). After a bit, of course, Jareth and I both turned on Leyla, tickling her, too… this, naturally, erupted into a game of hide-and-seek which lasted easily for another thirty minutes…

Before I knew it, it was 8:15, a quarter past Leyla's bed time. Oops, on my part.

She was very willing to get into her footed PJ's, but fussed terribly with me after that, still wanting to play with 'Reth'. Jareth solved this problem by offering to tell her a bedtime story. He scooped her up, brought her to me, I kissed her goodnight, and he carried her off to her room.

I wanted to leave well enough alone, but my curiosity got the better of me. I snuck down the hallway to listen at the door.

He was currently telling her a story about goblins…

"… but, the small goblin found a new stick, instead."

Leyla gibbered something.

"Yes," Jareth said, in a soft voice, "It was much better than the one he lost."

She gibbered something else… her voice getting distinctly slower, and softer.

He laughed a little, "Of course, little one," there was some shuffling… I peeked around the corner. Jareth was still holding her in his arms, but now he had her cradled, her head turned into his shirt ruffles. And… it was all I could do not to make some kind of squealing noise… he started to sing to her…

"Up, up in the sky, where the little birds fly,

Down, down in the nest, where the little birds rest,

With a wing on the left, and a wing on the right,

The little birdies sleep all through the night.

Then the round sun comes up, and the moon goes away,

Good morning dear children, the birdies all say,"

I blinked. How did he know that one? That one… my mother sang that to us, all of us, when we were little, my siblings and I. I hadn't heard it in years… but I knew it, and would never forget it.

He had sang slowly, and now, by all appearances, the tiny girl in his arms was asleep. I watched him lay her down and cover her with her blanket in her bed… her big-girl bed with rails on it, so she wouldn't fall off.

When he turned and saw me standing there, I distinctly saw a pink twinge to his cheeks. I smiled. After Leyla's door was shut, and we were down the hallway, I asked him, in hushed tones, "How did you know that song?"

He raised his eyes, innocently, "What song?"

I raised an eyebrow at him, "That lullaby. How did you know it? My mother used to sing that to us… Leyla's sure to know it."

He shrugged, trying to change the subject, "Ah, merely magic, Wren. I am the Goblin King, after all."

I decided to let it drop for the moment, and instead pulled him close and hugged him. As he always does, he enfolded me in his arms and put his nose in my hair. I smiled, "You were wonderful with her… she loves you, you know."

He chuckled, "I gather as much. She cares very much about you, too."

"Oh? And how would you know that?"

He shrugged, "She told me."

Flopping down onto the couch in the living room, I looked at him. He seated himself gracefully beside me. How does he do that? I mean, I don't think I could look dainty or refined to save my life, but he manages to look so suave, almost all the time. I sighed, "Okay, tell me, how do you speak two-year-old gibberish?"

At first, Jareth frowned at me, and then he quickly covered his mouth to muffle the laughter. When he composed himself, he said, "I understand Leyla for three reasons, Wren. First off, practice. I deal with small children fairly regularly. Secondly, Leyla speaks perfectly well, just too fast for her small mouth to keep up, and it tends to run things together. And, finally," he smirked, "Her speech is not that far different from the goblins."

I snorted and laughed as quietly as I could. Didn't want to wake Leyla, after all.

After a moment, Jareth began saying something or other about the goblins and how they speak incredibly fast when they're small… I zoned out, again, watching him. He was still smiling faintly. Somehow, before I'd met Jareth, and even some time after, I didn't think of him as a smiling person. Now, though… I liked his smiles. I saw them more frequently and, though I know he has to keep up his image of a tough ruler, I say that I rather like his smiles.

For no real reason, other than he was making me smile, I crooked a finger at him, motioning him to lean closer. He raised his eyebrows and leaned in, turning his ear towards me, but I turned him back. Pressing my hand against his cheek, and then snaking my fingers along his jaw, I pulled his face to mine, kissing him soundly for a good moment.

When he pulled away, he was smiling, but looked a little curious, "And what was that for, my dearling?"

I grinned and got up, heading to the kitchen to get a bottled water, "You're just too adorkable."

"I'm what?"

Now, let me just say, that the only thing worse than going to a big noisy party on New Years Eve would have to be watching one on TV. I know some people absolutely love it, and good for them, but… I'm a more of a quiet person.

And yet, at nine at night, there is not much else to watch, but big parties. It had taken me, with Jareth's help, a good thirty minutes to locate things that had been misplaced during the games of the night, and to get the house neat again. I'm sure it would have been quicker than that, but we were both trying to be quiet.

Jareth did offer to use magic to help set the house in order, but I wasn't about to risk it. I mean, what if… just what if? Magic had too many what-ifs, and I didn't want something strange happening in my brother's house.

When we'd finished, I flopped onto the couch again. Jareth leaned back next to me, and I turned and laid down, putting my head in his lap. His gloved fingers toyed with my hair, almost of their own accord.

"Wren?"

I looked up at him, "Yes?"

He was giving me a quizzical look, "Do you mind if I inquire why you do not revel in the grand activities that so many of the Aboveground do, on this night? It is obviously an important night," he motioned to the house around us, "Even your siblings wish to enjoy it. But, you do not… why is that?"

I sighed. Did he know how many times I'd thought about that very question, though not put nearly as eloquently, before?

"I'm a quiet person, Jareth," I said, "I've never been much for New Years, really. The big parties don't suit me very much."

I watched him turn his head to the side. In a soft, but also somewhat stern voice, he said, "Is that all?" he stroked my hair and the side of my face, "Please tell me, Wren. You were, after all, very thrilled to have me join you this evening. If this night meant nothing to you, why ask me to come?"

I pulled a face, "I'm not lying… I… I always have been the quiet girl. It… ah," I heaved a sigh. "It's the truth that I don't like the big parties. I mean, okay, part of me does, but… most of me doesn't. The main reason for that is that I don't fit in there. I'm quiet and shy, and New Years parties are rarely for the meek. And… I… I think I've always been embarrassed."

His blue eyes were laden with concern, "What ever for?"

My cheeks went pink, "There's a tradition, on New Years, Jareth. At midnight, you… you kiss someone," I turned my head away from him, my voice feeling very small, "And this is the first year I've had someone. Long ago, I stopped going to the parties, because no one ever wanted to kiss me, and I never had anyone. It always hurt. It made me feel like I was trying, and failing, to fit into a world that I didn't belong in. So, I typically write in my journal until midnight, and then watch fireworks from the roof."

He started moving, "Up," he said. Highly disgruntled, I obeyed and sat up. He stood and faced me. There was an odd moment, that made me snicker like made, where he regarded his clothes, straightening them and brushing them off. Then he held a hand out to me.

"Dance with me, my dearling."

"Pardon?"

He smirked, "You know, Wren. Dancing. Two people, moving around together, usually to music. I assumed you knew the concept."

I rolled my eyes as I took his hand and let him pull me to my feet, "Cheeky," I muttered. I tried to look as mad as I could… but… yeah, no. I can't be mad at him when he dances with me. It's impossible. And… even better than waltzing or the big fancy things he's done with me, this was a sweet slow dance.

I swear, in his arms, I could hear music.

And, I'm sure that time flies when you're having fun, because soon I heard booms outside. "Fireworks!" I yanked him towards the patio door. I threw the door open, racing out into the night, Jareth on my heels.

"Look!" I pointed upwards.

Bursts of color and light were exploding not far from the house. There was a show down a few blocks away. I watched Jareth. He seemed to be pondering them.

"Quite noisy, are they not?" he looked at me, "Will they wake Leyla?"

Crap. "Um, I'll go check on her…"

"No need," he said, catching my arm, holding out a crystal to me. I looked inside to see Leyla, in her bed, sleeping soundly.

I nodded, "Okay, then. She's alright… heavy sleeper, apparently."

The crystal was gone, and Jareth was before me. I smiled up at him. "Happy New Year, Jareth."

He smirked again, "What? No midnight kiss?"

I smacked his arm, but reached a hand up to his face, all the same. He was kind enough to lean down and meet me half way, rather than making me attempt to reach him all on my own (since he's, you know, taller than me), and… did I kiss him? Or did he kiss me? Whatever. We kissed.

"Happy New year, dearling." He murmured against my mouth.

"It is now," I replied, kissing him again.

And, I hope everyone DID have an awesome New Year… a few weeks ago… heh.

And, to everyone who accepted my review challenge, from those who review regularly to those first timers out there: THANKYOU!!! You made one silly writer very happy. This was the most reviews I have gotten thus far on a single chapter, and… aw, I just love you guys!!!!

Much love,

Marti