A/N: And now back to our heroine...
Sarah's sunk into the warm, soapy water of her bath with a satisfied moan.
After Jareth had left, she'd decided to change out of her jeans and try to wash the ale stain in the bathroom sink. Unfortunately, once she'd actually stepped inside the bathroom, she'd forgotten all about her laundry assignment.
The bathroom was a lovely combination of white ceramic and jade floor-tile. The taps were all gold plated and the toilet had a chain that you pulled to flush it. There was even a three-sided vanity with a fluffy white robe folded neatly on the cushioned stool!
Her favorite part, though, was the bathtub.
It was an enormous claw-foot tub about twice the length of her body, and was surrounded by a parted curtain of crystal beads. Instead of the usual oblong shape, it was perfectly circular and it had jets!
She never stood a chance. Before she knew it, she was relaxing in a warm bubble bath trying to wrap her mind around the recent events.
After fifteen years, she was back in the Labyrinth, and this time she wasn't leaving. She was never going to see her family again.
Sarah's eyes clenched shut as a wave of anguish crashed over her.
There's no use crying about it. There's nothing you can do so just suck it up. Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.
But it didn't matter what she told herself, the tears slid down her cheeks anyway. She hunched over, covering her mouth with her hands as she sobbed quietly.
Images of Michael and Madeline going to pre-school flashed through her mind. She pictured Toby and Samantha's wedding. Her Dad and Irene's retirement house in Colorado.
She was never going to see or experience any of those things now, thanks to Jareth!
Jareth.
Sarah swiped angrily at her wet eyes as her brow furrowed in confusion.
Just what the heck was up with him? Since when was he Mr. Prince Charming?
A brief memory of a ballroom and a gentle love song drifted through her head. Another blush rose to her cheeks.
Oh my God! There you go again, would you stop it?!
She shook her head to clear it. It had to be some sort of trick he was pulling, just like last time when he'd offered her dreams and what suspiciously sounded like a marriage proposal.
He was just toying with you. He had to be. Just like he's toying with you now.
A sinking feeling suddenly manifested in her chest. It wasn't as if she was an expert on relationships, she'd gone on a few casual dates and only had two steady boyfriends. When was the last time she'd had sex?
WHOAH! WAIT A MINUTE! Where the HELL did THAT come from?!
She groaned and rubbed her temples. She'd gone from thinking about Jareth to relationships, to boyfriends, then sex!
You are SO barking up the wrong tree. He was your enemy! In a way, he still is! If he wasn't such a stubborn, arrogant jerk, you could've talked him into giving Madeline back. But no, everything's a game to him. Everything!
Sarah immediately rose from the water with a scowl and snatched the hand shower extension to rinse off the bubbles. She then yanked the white towel from the rack and stepped out of the tub to dry herself.
As she rubbed her skin furiously, the bath water magically vanished from the tub, but she was too irritated to notice.
Tossing the towel carelessly over her shoulder, she stomped over to the vanity and pulled on the robe. The soft texture caught her off guard and she felt her anger start to melt away.
Without really thinking about it she sunk down onto the vanity stool and reached for the hairbrush.
"Miss Sarah?"
The woman screamed and jumped up from her seat, hurling the brush towards the voice.
A little shadow darted out of sight as the projectile hit the open doorway.
"E-excuse me, miss. I didn't mean ta frighten ya!" A scratchy, high-pitched voice squeaked from the bedroom. "I've only come ta help."
"Come out here where I can see you." Sarah demanded, still a tad breathless.
"Y-ya won't throw anythin' else at me, will ya?" The voice asked after a slight pause.
A soft laugh escaped Sarah's lips and she relaxed.
"I'm sorry about that. I promise, I won't throw anything at you."
Little by little, the owner of the voiuce emerged from the left of the doorway.
It was…actually kind of cute, for a goblin.
It was about two feet tall with large bat-like ears protruding from a wild mop of pale orange hair. Its skin was a brownish green and it wore a dark maroon tunic underneath a filthy white apron. It was also barefoot, its toe and fingernails were black, and it had yellow teeth and red eyes. Its nose looked cat-like and it even had whiskers.
It took a few cautious steps into the bathroom then stopped and fingered its ear nervously.
"What's your name?" Sarah asked, tilting her head at the goblin curiously.
"Gookie, miss."
"Gookie? That's a nice name."
I guess it must be a girl. She mused.
The tips of Gookie's ears turned pink.
"Thank ya, miss."
"So, why are you here again?"
"Oh yes!" Gookie exclaimed, straightening up. "I'm here ta be yer servant. I get ta take care of ya: fetch yer breakfast, wash yer clothes, show ya 'round the castle, anythin' ya want, miss!
Sarah blinked.
A servant?
She had a feeling Jareth had something to do with this.
"Um, I appreciate it, but I don't really need a maid."
Gookie froze and tears began to well in her red eyes.
"Bu-but, the king said-"
"Its fine, Gookie. I'll talk to him. I'll tell him I can take care of myself."
But the goblin female started to shake and whimper.
"Th-the king said I get ta be yer maid. I w-was s-s-so happy! It's a gr-great honor, among g-g-goblins ta be a p-p-personal servant."
Sarah stared at her in surprise.
She actually wants to do this?
Gookie started to wail.
"All the g-goblins are gonna l-l-laugh at me now!"
"Gookie! Gookie! Stop crying!" Sarah pleaded, crossing the room and crouching in front of the hysterical creature.
"M-miss Sarah d-d-doesn't like me!" Gookie's nose started to run.
Sarah placed her hands on the trembling goblin's shoulders comfortingly.
"That it not true, Gookie! Now please stop crying, okay? You can be my servant if that's what you really want."
"I can? Y-ya really mean it, miss?" She asked, her tears subsiding.
"Yes, I really mean it."
"Oh thank ya, miss! Thank ya!" Gookie shouted, jumping up and down and trying to wipe her nose with her apron at the same time.
Sarah couldn't help but smile at her antics.
"Okay, so…what do we do now?"
Gookie immediately stopped bouncing and snapped her fingers.
"Oh, I almost forgot! The king wants ya ta come ta dinner. I'm supposed ta show ya ta the dinin' room."
Oh yeah. I forgot about that too.
Sarah had half a mind to send Gookie with a message telling Jareth to shove his invitation where the sun don't shine, but the painful gurgling in her stomach thought otherwise.
It's just dinner, you can handle it.
"Come on, miss!" Gookie said, tugging impatiently on the hem of her new mistress's robe. "We've gotta find somethin' for ya ta wear."
Sarah followed her to the closet.
"How about this one?" She asked the goblin after a few minutes of searching.
"Oooooo! Very pretty, miss!" Gookie marveled, her eyes boggling.
"Why don't you pick out the shoes and jewelry for me?"
Gookie squealed happily and vanished behind a row of clothes. In two seconds, she reappeared with a lavender shoe box under her arm and placed it on the floor at Sarah's feet.
"It's all in the box, miss! I'm just gonna clean up the bathroom. Call me if ya need help." She then darted out of the closet.
Sarah shook her head endearingly and quickly slipped into her dress. She'd chosen a strapless baby-blue dress with a thick black ribbon around the waist tied into a bow at the back. The skirt came down to just above her knees and was double layered with chiffon over silk.
Opening the box, she saw that Gookie had picked out a pair of simple black satin flats with a little bow on the top, a bead bracelet of onyx stone and a pair of teardrop diamond earrings.
After putting on the accessories, Sarah returned to the bathroom, just in time to see Gookie folding her now stainless jeans on the bathroom sink counter. The bath towel had been picked up and placed neatly back on the rack.
"Did I do okay, miss? I'm not used ta bein' so tidy." Gookie asked anxiously once she noticed the human enter the room.
"You did great, Gookie. Thank you."
The goblin beamed.
"Ya like the shoes and jewelry I picked too?"
"I love them. Would you like to brush my hair for me?"
Gookie nodded excitedly and immediately leapt of the counter and out of the bathroom, snatching the hairbrush from the floor. Sarah sat down at the vanity, scooting to the edge of the cushion so Gookie had room to stand behind her. She was surprised at how gentle and thorough the goblin was as she brushed her long dark hair.
After about five minutes, Sarah's hair was completely dry and framed elegantly around her face and shoulders.
"Very nice, Gookie, thank you. I think I'm ready now."
"Yay!" Gookie cheered, hopping down from the stool and grabbing Sarah's left hand in her tiny, three-fingered right one. "This way, miss!"
I don't know how anybody finds anything in this damn castle. Sarah thought grumpily.
They must have spent half an hour in the Escher room, only to come out and go down another stone corridor with its own set of endless twists and turns.
Thank God Gookie had picked out flats instead of heels!
Suddenly the goblin stopped in front of a wooden door with iron accents.
"The king is waitin' for ya in there." She whispered.
"Aren't you coming?"
Gookie shook her head and started backing away from the left side of the door.
"Uh-uh. I have ta go in through the kitchen."
"Why?"
"I get ta serve ya yer food!" Before Sarah could say another word, Gookie darted behind a tapestry.
Sarah turned to the door and inhaled deeply to calm her already stirring nerves.
You can do this.
She firmly pushed open the door to reveal a decent-sized room with two massive doors in the center of the left wall.
Jareth stood in the middle of the room, his arms crossed casually over his chest.
She felt the butterflies take flight in her stomach when she noticed that he'd changed clothes.
He now wore a wine-colored poet's shirt under a black leather vest that matched his gloves. His illegally tight charcoal grey trousers were tucked into a pair of knee-high black boots.
Dammit! How am I supposed to be indifferent when he looks like that? It's not fair!
Sarah squared her shoulders and tilted her chin proudly and strode over to him.
You can do this. He has no power over you remember?
"Good evening, Goblin King." She stated brusquely.
Good girl!
Jareth's eyes were tender as he suddenly took her right hand.
"Good evening, Sarah. You look ravishing." He purred before pressing his lips to the back of her hand.
Sarah's cheeks burst into flames as an electric tingle raced up her arm.
Bad girl! BAD GIRL!
"Um, uh, thank you." She clumsily replied, pulling her hand away.
Somebody kill me.
"I hope you enjoy dinner tonight, Sarah. I have a surprise for you." Jareth said with a crooked smile.
He then offered his arm to her.
"Shall we?"
A surprise? For me?
Sarah narrowed her eyes at him.
What is he up to?
She seriously doubted that she'd like any surprise he had in store for her.
Well, there's only one way to find out.
Keeping her face neutral, well, as neutral as is could look with flushed cheeks, she slid her arm into Jareth's, trying desperately not to think about how warm his body felt against her side or how powerful the muscles in his arm felt.
With a steady sweep of his hand, the two massive doors slowly swung open to reveal a gorgeous dining room.
As Jareth escorted her inside, Sarah turned her head to the left at the sound of a gasp and her mouth dropped open at the sight of Hoggle, Sir Dydimus and Ludo all staring at her in shock.
A/N: Man Sarah's mind is such a killjoy. Don't worry, she'll come around soon! What do you guys think of Gookie? Review, review, review!