A/N: Time for Hoggle to hold the spotlight.

Hoggle scowled as he poured himself a cup of hot chamomile tea.

It had been almost a week since Sarah had returned to the Underground and the Fire Festival was tomorrow night. The whole Labyrinth was abuzz with excitement about the upcoming celebration.

He'd heard that the infant goblin, Sish, was adapting well to her new life and was eagerly looking forward to the party.

The Goblin King was sporadically busy with preparations, so Sarah had been making a few random visits to see her three best friends throughout the week.

Normally, the idea of the human spending time with him would've made Hoggle's day, but lately, something was getting under the his skin.

Hoggle! Sir Didymus! You'll never guess what Jareth told me…

Oh! That's Jareth's favorite…

Don't worry, Ludo. I'll ask Jareth about it…

Hoggle, Jareth did the funniest thing this morning…

Look at what Jareth bought me…

Jareth!

Jareth!

Jareth!

"Rrrr! Jareth this! Jareth that! Can't she talk about nothin' else?" He grumbled, taking a rather sloppy gulp of his tea.

There was tentative knock at the door.

"Hoggle?" It was Sarah's voice. "Are you home?"

Speak of the devil.

"It's open, Sarah." He called, forcing back a heavy sigh.

The front door opened and the woman stepped inside.

Hoggle's house was a hollowed out olive tree in the forest. Even hunched over as she was, Sarah nearly took up the whole one-room home.

Careful to steer clear of the roaring fireplace, and to not knock down any of the jewelry and precious baubles hanging on the walls, she sat down on one of the four dining chairs by the fire.

Gookie followed behind her mistress and Hoggle shifted nervously in his seat when she took the chair to his right, across from Sarah.

"I was just havin' a cup o' tea." He gestured to the three extra cups in the set. "Please, help yerself."

"Thanks, Hoggle." Sarah said graciously and poured some tea for herself and Gookie.

"Mmm." She hummed after taking a sip. "You make the best tea."

"Well, chamomile is my favorite." Hoggle shrugged bashfully.

He thought he saw Gookie grin out of the corner of his eye.

"Are you excited about the festival?" Sarah asked pleasantly, tasting her tea again.

The dwarf felt a glimmer of hope.

Could it be?

She actually wasn't going to talk about Jareth?

"On pins and needles. I finished clearin' out the brush where they're gonna put the bonfire." He stated proudly.

Sarah's eyes widened in awe.

"There's gonna be a bonfire?"

"Yup," he nodded, "and food and dancing and-"

"Wait, wait! Don't tell me!" She interrupted with an avid smile. "I want to be surprised."

"Alright. I won't spoil it for you." He chuckled. "Tomorrow, Ludo's gonna help me move the rocks so everyone'll have a place to sit."

The brunette's face lit up.

"Oh yeah! Speaking of Ludo, Jareth took me to the mine this morning."

Dammit! Damn it all! The dwarf shouted mentally, setting his empty cup down on the table with a little more force than necessary.

He didn't notice Gookie staring intently at him.

"It was so beautiful!" Sarah continued, completely oblivious to her friend's sour expression. "There were diamonds, and rubies, and emeralds, even sapphires! Now I know where you get all your jewels. Anyway, I saw Ludo there. You never told me he worked in the mine."

"Uh-huh," Hoggle muttered, "his ability to call the rocks comes in pretty handy down there."

"Right!" She exclaimed. "That's what Jareth said. He also told me how the goblins make all the currency in the Underground. Oh, and look what he made for me!"

She then reached up into her hair and pulled out a ruby barrette shaped like a butterfly.

"Watch this!" She whispered enthusiastically.

The barrette instantly came to life and took off into the air. It fluttered around the room for a moment before landing back in Sarah's hair.

"Charmin'." Hoggle spat, standing up and grabbing his pipe from the hook on the wall.

He angrily fished around in his pockets for a match.

"I know! Isn't it amazing?" She gushed. "It was so cool how he made it too! He just grabbed a chunk of ruby out of the wall and crushed it in his hand, and when he opened it, it was a butterfly!"

Finally locating a match, Hoggle lit his pipe and puffed it feverishly.

"He even showed me how to-"

"Sarah, don't you miss yer family?" The dwarf blurted.

There was a long uncomfortable pause before his friend spoke.

"Of course I do, Hoggle." She said in a quiet voice. "Why would you even ask that?"

"I dunno." He rolled his eyes, unable to hide his irritation. "I guess it's cuz you seem awfully happy considerin' yer a prisoner."

"I'm not a prisoner." She countered adamantly.

"That rat took yer brother." He reminded her. "Then he took you."

"Jareth answered my call, Hoggle. It was my fault and I've come to terms with it. And he didn't take me, I chose to come here."

"Not willingly!" The dwarf protested. "You had to, to save yer niece!"

Sarah shook her head.

"It doesn't matter anymore."

"Of course it matters!" The Labyrinth's gardener barked, throwing his pipe on the table. "You don't belong here, Sarah! Yer human! You belong at home with yer family!"

Hurt flashed across her face.

"Well I can't be with them, Hoggle." She hissed sadly. "This place is my home now. You all are my family now."

"I'm trying to make the best of it." Her voice hardened. "How dare you make me feel guilty?!"

Hoggle kicked at the dirt floor in frustration.

"I just don't understand how you can be so…so chummy with that rat after everything he did to you."

The former champion exhaled sharply.

"What is your problem, Hoggle? Jareth's been nothing short of wonderful to me ever since I got here. Gookie told me what he did for you. How he saved your life? Why are you so against him? He's not a villain!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HE IS!" He screamed.

Tears brimmed in Sarah's eyes and Hoggle felt like he'd been stabbed with an icicle.

"Every day I learn more and more about him, Hoggle, and guess what happens? I like him more and more. You should be happy for me, but I guess that's too much to ask."

Without another word, Sarah rose from her chair and left the house, slamming the door behind her.

Hoggle sunk back into his chair and ran a hand over his face.

"Yer bein' a twit."

He jumped at the sound of Gookie's voice.

She was still gazing at him as she finished the last of her tea.

"N-no I ain't!" He stammered.

"Oh yes ya are." The gobliness calmly disagreed.

"Well, who asked you?" He growled, annoyed. "It's none of yer business, anyway!"

"Actually, it is. What concerns my mistress, is my business, and yajust made her cry cuz yer bein' a coward again."

"I ain't no-"

"Face it," Gookie interrupted, "yer happier than a pig in the mud that Miss Sarah's livin' here. That's not what's really botherin' ya. What are ya really afraid of, Hoggle?"

"Nothin'!"

"Nothin'?" The servant quirked an eyebrow at him. "Nothin' tra-la-la?"

Hoggle groaned and crossed his arms, glaring at the fire.

"I just…I just don't like it. I don't like how she looks when she talks about him." He ground out through clenched teeth. "I don't like how she talks about him so much. I don't like how she spends almost all of her time with him. I just don't like it!"

"Yer jealous."

The dwarf snapped his head in her direction.

"I am not!"

Gookie nodded stubbornly.

"Yes ya are. Ya just shouldn't be. Yer still Miss Sarah's friend. Ya'll always be her friend, Hoggle. The king isn't goin' ta change that."

Hoggle's mouth opened and closed awkwardly.

"I understand how ya feel, though." She went on. "Yer just lookin' out for her cuz ya love her. I love her too, and I want her ta be happy. And she is happy. She's happy here with ya, me, Ludo and Sir Didymus. But ya have ta accept the fact that the king makes her happy also."

Hoggle grimaced.

Gookie then rose from the table and fumbled around inside a pocket on her apron.

"Miss Sarah was gonna give ya this, before ya started actin' like an idiot."

She raised her hand. A glittering lapis lazuli bracelet dangled from her fingers.

"The stone is supposed ta represent friendship and truth. The king showed her how ta make it for ya."

Hoggle, too shocked to speak, held out his hand and Gookie dropped the jewelry piece into his palm.

"It was nice ta see ya again, Hoggle. Thank ya for the tea." She said with a curtsy and turned to leave.

She stopped in the doorway and looked over her shoulder at the dwarf who was still staring affectionately at the gift in his hand.

"Ya know, yer much cuter when ya smile like that."

Hoggle immediately looked up just in time to see the goblin female wink playfully at him before dashing out the door, leaving behind a very flustered dwarf.

A/N: XD I've been waiting forever to write that chapter! Weeeeeeeeeeell? What do you guys think? Next chapter has a moment you've all been waiting for. If I get enough reviews, it'll come very soon!