Jareth "poofed" right on time into Sarah's hotel room, all decked out for the party.

He was dressed in a very smart, three-piece black suit. He added two chains to it, one connecting the lapel to the outer pocket, and the other on his vest, connecting to one of the buttons to the pocket on his vest.

He completed his outfit with a shiny blue tie that hung undone around his neck. His hair was glamoured by magic to be swept up on one side but still retained its soft texture.

Sarah opted for a black cocktail dress with a halter neckline, the skirt reaching down to the floor. The slit allowed a generous yet still respectable view of her leg with a slight ruffled look on the slit to give it a more fun appearance.

She paired it with silver block heels that weren't too tall and a black shawl to keep her somewhat warm in the cold winter air.

Jareth, not for the first time, was grateful that he had years of experience on how to school his emotions from his time being king.

Sarah was always beautiful, but tonight, she was absolutely breathtaking.

It would be an honor to have her on his arm.

"You look lovely," he cleared his throat.

She returned him a genuine smile with a compliment, "Thank you. You look great too," before she walked over and lifted one end of his tie with her finger. "However, what the heck is this about?"

"I haven't a clue as to what you mean," he joked.

Sarah rolled her eyes, automatically attempting to tie his tie as she had done for Toby when he was younger.

Jareth snatched her hands up. "Nuh uh."

The warmth from his bare hands touching her made her feet unsteady.

She pulled them back. "Hey, let me help you."

She tilted her head up to look into his eyes. He had a near unreadable expression on.

However, she knew if she looked closely enough, she could probably decipher it. But not now. She was not ready to be disappointed, in case she was wrong.

Quick as lightning, the unreadable expression passed and was replaced with a salacious smirk.

"Really, Sarah? You expect me to wear everything all proper and in its place for a party of your mother's when I refuse to do so as king?"

"You always have to leave in a rebellious streak, don't you?"

She rolled her eyes playfully. "You're also very anal about having your appearance meticulously done and everything in its proper place. Including your wild strands of hair."

"That's the point though, isn't it?"

He offered her his arm, walking out of her room and to the elevator. "It is meticulously done. As I like it."

"You're hopeless, you know that?" she rolled her eyes, not for the last time that night.

"Well, since you felt the need to criticize my wardrobe,"

He drew his hand out of his pocket.

"That means I can criticize yours too. But, I'll do you one better."

He opened his hand, revealing a necklace.

Upon closer inspection, one could see that there were tiny, emerald leaves strung together into the shape of a laurel wreath that hung from a dainty, golden chain.

Jareth unclasped it.

"I have this to add to your attire."

His voice was light and playful, though Sarah knew it disguised something much deeper. Something, she didn't dare name, for fear she was wrong.

She gazed at the necklace, deciding to tease instead of becoming too sentimental. It was better to play it safe.

"What a pretty necklace! What's it for?"

He pouted, making Sarah laugh.

"For your information, I had it commissioned from the heart of a star, as one of your status in my kingdom should have something pretty and long-lasting to represent yourself. It's time you owned a piece of jewelry from my world that is yours and not handed down."

He held it out even further. "Won't you don it for tonight's festivities? It would mean a great deal to me if you did."

Sarah couldn't tease him anymore. He did look rather excited to gift her such a beautiful necklace.

She nodded, turning around and lifting her hair up, not trusting herself to speak.

In truth, there was a reason Sarah had foregone any jewelry tonight. She didn't want to outshine her temperamental mother. She was sure to be high strung, getting this party ready.

However, when Jareth expressed that it would mean a lot to him to wear the necklace, she couldn't say no. Not when he stared at her with those large, puppy-dog eyes.

Making him happy was more important to her than placating her volatile mother.

He happily obliged, sliding the necklace on as he admired the beautiful, delicate curves of her neck.

He gently clasped it shut, smelling the sweet shampoo in her hair and pondered how perfect her height was in relation to his.

It was perfect for grabbing her by the hips and leaning down for a passionate kiss-

"Jareth?"

"Hmm?"

He shook off his daydream, cursing inwardly at himself for allowing it to go so far while in her presence.

He couldn't help it. She was so beautiful, so lovely. Just being next to her made his heart happy.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "I asked you three times already if the laurel wreath design was chosen on purpose."

He swelled with pride that she wanted his input on the matter.

"Yes, indeed it was. It denotes victory, a champion. It is only fitting that you should adorn such a symbol."

She twirled around to the reflection of her window, admiring how it shined against her black dress.

"It's beautiful, Jareth. Thank you."

He delighted in watching her let go of her inhibitions, being free to enjoy herself without being self-conscious.

"You're very welcome, Sarah."

She quickly excused herself, going into her room and back out, adjusting a pair of earrings that matched the necklace.

"So, now you decide to wear more jewelry?" Jareth teased.

She huffed, but was unable to keep her frown on for long.

"I think I liked you better when you said I was pretty."

"I said you looked lovely."

"It's the same thing."

"No, it isn't."

"How?"

Their fun banter continued as they climbed into the taxi. For a while, both had forgotten that they were meant to be on their way to Linda's party.

They were so enraptured by each other's company that it was almost a surprise when they reached Linda's penthouse.

Jareth frowned a little at seeing Sarah pay the driver.

"Why did you stay at a hotel and not with your mother?"

"She's busy, remember?" she responded curtly.

"She could have paid for the hotel. Or the driver, at least."

"I have my own money, Jareth. I don't need to mooch off of hers."

Sarah was already acutely aware of the privileged life she had. She knew how lucky she was and was grateful that she never needed to struggle with money as a child. With that support was able to focus on her education and dreams so that she could have her own money.

Still, she despised being indebted to Linda in any way. All she wanted was a mother and her love. Not material things.

Jareth backed off the conversation. She was usually reasonable, but when it came to her mother, there were a lot of things to unpack.

He didn't want to spoil their night together by arguing about a woman that clearly didn't care about her.

"How is Toby?"

The change of topic made Sarah's mood instantly brighten.

"He's doing great. I miss that kid. It would be nice to see them for Christmas but that's okay, I'll see them on New Year's."

They were shuffled inside the building and handed their exclusive invitations over.

Several of the staff had to take a second look at Sarah, surprised at the uncanny resemblance she had with her mother.

Many commented that she looked as if Linda had aged herself backwards twenty years.

She wrung her hands in nervousness every time someone mentioned it. Jareth noticed and placed a steady hand on her back.

"Sarah, is something wrong?"

"I'm not used to this kind of attention," she whispered to him, glad for his hand to secure her.

"What on Earth are you talking about?" he laughed jovially. "You have attended state dinners Underground as the Champion in a pit of faerie vipers."

She smirked, recalling one such viper trying to upstage everyone else and pushing everyone's buttons to the point where Sarah had to put her in her place.

"It's different when you could upstage your own mother, you know?"

With that comment, they entered the party.

Never had Sarah been so blinded by such flashy bling.

The penthouse was filled from top to bottom with extravagance but without an ounce of taste or class.

In an attempt to seem "cultured," Linda had replicas of famous statues placed in each corner of the room and hand-painted the ceiling with the artwork like that of the Sistine chapel. Everything that could be gilded was gilded, from the walls to the window frames.

Even the carpet had golden threads woven into it.

The guests were already mingling, enjoying a drink of champagne.

Adjusting her eyes and trying to not be overwhelmed by the cacophony of loudness from the sight, she tried to find her mother.

Jareth never left her alone for one second. Even though a few party-goers were trying to get his attention and batting eyes at him, his only concern was Sarah.

He respectfully kept his hand by her elbow or back, letting her lead the way.

Despite his insistence on joining her, he really didn't want to be here. He would rather be in his castle, reading a book by the fireplace or be at Sarah's, enjoying hot cocoa in her company.

Or they could be dressed up as they are now, going for a night out.

Just the two of them.

Shaking his head, he pushed those thoughts away. Sarah had been there for him in the past, supporting him when he had meetings with unsavory people and helped him to wind down afterwards. She did so as a friend, without asking or expecting anything in return. He wanted to do the same for her.

Sarah nudged him out of his thoughts.

"To the left. Reminds me of Lady Feather Duster."

Jareth discreetly coughed into his arm, fully agreeing with Sarah's observation.

The offending guest was a notoriously rude singer by the name of Paulina Jacobs. She wore a brown monstrosity with ruffles that resembled a feather duster more than a dress.

She reminded them of a guest at Jareth's mother's banquet who was just as atrocious in manners and had a similar dress.

"Odd, isn't it?" he remarked. "Two women of similar temperaments from completely different worlds, wearing similar clothing."

"If feather dusters are considered stylish, I'd rather be unfashionable."

Jareth held his arm out, Sarah looping her hand on his elbow.

"Should we venture to find more similarly atrocious attire?"

"Hey now, be nice. We can find some pretty dresses. Maybe match them to the equally atrocious Underground outfits too."

They giggled, forgetting where they were.

It was a common phenomenon for them. Everything in the world faded for a time, only the two of them existing in the moment, in the company of each other.

Eventually, Sarah found Linda. With a large smile she couldn't fake, she went to hug her mother and kissed both cheeks.

"Hi Mom!"

"Hi Sweetie!" Linda tilted Sarah's face to her. "Let me get a good look at you."

Jareth took in Linda's appearance. She was all bling with her bright red, satin Christmas dress and the most reflective diamond earrings that he had ever seen.

He didn't even try to count the rings on her hand. He had to remind himself to not make a face at it all.

Something about Linda felt… tactless. Another woman could have dressed the same, and he would have thought nothing of it, but on her, it felt pretentious.

Well, if Linda wanted to be the center of attention, she was accomplishing it for sure.

"You look so pretty!" Linda clapped her hands, patting Sarah's cheeks. "And who is this handsome man next to you?"

Sarah took a step back so she and Jareth were equally in Linda's line of sight. "This is Jareth. He's my friend and my date for tonight."

She emphasized "friend" so that her mother wouldn't embarrass her by asking personal questions where gossipers could hear and pass judgment.

Jareth extended his hand politely to Linda.

"A pleasure to meet you."

"An Englishman! The pleasure is all mine," she crooned.

Before Sarah could react to her mother's flirtatious tone, Linda turned towards her with a question.

"I'm so glad you both could make it. Come this way, I have dinner waiting for us."

She looped her arm around Sarah's, walking in front with Jareth trailing behind.

Sarah looked back, feeling awkward that she was leaving her friend behind, but he waved it away, not minding at all if it meant she could spend time with her mother.

"What's this?" Linda eyed Sarah's necklace. "That's very pretty."

This was one of those rare times when Sarah did not feel inferior to her mother and more like an equal. She could hear the admiration in Linda's voice.

"A friend gave it to me."

"Must be a really generous friend."

"Yeah, I'd say so. It's really special to me because my friend is special."

Her heart warmed at the thought of Jareth. He really was special to her, and she felt pride in wearing something that he gifted her.

Linda didn't take her eyes off it.

"It definitely looks expensive too. What a good friend."

A tiny thought in the back of Sarah's head was bubbling from the subconscious to the conscious, upset that Linda could only talk about how pretty she was or expensive this or that was. Nothing about who Sarah was or what she was up to lately. It was all superficial.

Sarah squashed them down before they could reach the surface. She was determined to have a wonderful time with her mother.

To Sarah's delight, Linda sat them in a corner with a large, Japanese-inspired divider, embroidered with tiny snowflakes along the midnight-blue canvas.

They could still see the other guests, but there was still a modicum of separation that would allow some privacy. A square table had places for only four people, one for each side.

Perhaps she could have her nice dinner with her mother, after all.

"Where did your friend get it from, Sweetie?" Linda eyed the necklace again.

Sarah's cheeks burned red-hot. She pointedly avoided looking at Jareth.

"Umm, not sure."

Jareth made a noise of confusion as he hadn't heard their earlier conversation. "What are we discussing?"

"Oh, that's too bad," Linda's tongue clicked, ignoring Jareth and instead snapped her fingers. "Abby!"

The young woman that was summoned appeared to be in her late teens or early twenties. Her dress was much more wintery and fashionable than the insane styles Sarah and Jareth had seen so far. She had a pleasant smile and meekly stood by Linda.

"Abby, look at this" Linda reached over, lifting Sarah's necklace with one finger.

Abby stood by, nodding.

Linda huffed in irritation. "Please take notes on the design."

"Oh! Of course, Miss Linda."

She expertly took out her notebook and pen, eyeing the design.

Jareth stayed perfectly still, only his eyes moving back and forth from Sarah, to Abby, to Linda, and back to Sarah again.

"What is happening?" Jareth questioned.

"Valentine's Day," Linda spoke quickly to Abby, the girl finishing the sketch and rough notes.

"Umm, how? I haven't done-"

"You're a smart girl. You'll figure it out. It's good to learn how to do things yourself. Now go and have fun," she smiled, her tone airy and light.

Abby didn't argue, quickly fleeing the scene.

"Thank you, Miss Linda," she waved.

Linda returned to conversing with Sarah.

"I love your necklace! I'll get an identical one."

A pit of rocks landed in Sarah's stomach.

Sarah couldn't believe it. This was a special necklace given to her by Jareth, and having someone else wear the same design that was supposed to denote her accomplishment and gift from him made it feel cheap.

"Why do you want it?" she asked, her voice a little shrill.

"What? I can't have something nice for myself? Something wrong?" Linda challenged Sarah.

Yes, there was something wrong. Linda always put herself before Sarah. Couldn't she at least let Sarah have something nice for herself without encroaching on it?

"No," she said quietly. "Nothing is wrong. It's just… this necklace is special to me."

Linda made a face. "I'm getting older, Sarah. I deserve to enjoy some things before I leave this Earth."

Funny how Linda always insisted she was young until it suited her. And she wasn't even near "old."

"Yeah, of course, I didn't intend to be mean," Sarah smiled pleasantly.

She then shot a look of warning to Jareth. She didn't need nor wanted him to defend her. She didn't want any more messes.

The Goblin King could not comprehend what was happening.

Was this truly the Champion of the Labyrinth?

The fierce young woman, who stood her ground and told him under no circumstances was she going to accept her deepest fantasies in exchange for her brother?

He had seen her use carefully crafted words in court against those who wished her ill.

He had seen her compassion and firmness in dealing with goblins.

Why was she so careful to not offend such a horrible woman?

Sarah was a champion and a wonderful person. She deserved to be held in the highest regard, especially by her own mother.

Jareth changed the subject. "Who was that girl from earlier?"

"Oh, that's Abby!" Linda laughed. "She's a student at FIT."

Jareth stared at her quizzically.

"Fashion Institute of Technology," she clarified. "One of the best in the world. She's studying, oh, I'm not so sure. I think footwear and accessories design? Something like that. Anywho, she's my intern and such a bright student. Hardly anyone as young as her has followed me. I saw her talents right away."

Sarah and Jareth nodded with an understanding "ah."

After a moment of thought, Sarah was confused again.

"Wait, why is she here with you and not with her family? It's Christmas."

Linda sighed playfully, shaking her head as if to say that Sarah's ignorance was somehow adorable.

"Sweetie, she wants to be a fashion designer and wants to be in the entertainment industry. Sacrifices need to be made for such a rigorous schedule. She wants to get ahead of her peers, because if you get out there sooner and younger, the better your chances of securing a job and being known! Christmas is a small price to pay, and I'm sure her family understands. If they don't, then they don't support her dreams."

Sarah had to force herself to not think too much on those words and apply it to herself.

Linda giggled as though someone was telling her some inside joke she shared with them.

"You wanted to be a fashion designer too at one point."

"Yeah, when I was thirteen," Sarah muttered.

A faraway look appeared in Linda's eyes.

"You were very skilled. You made all those stuffed animals and sculptures in your room."

Sarah slowly smiled at the praise.

It was one of her most treasured memories. Her mother taught her how to sew, buying her a sewing machine for her birthday. Her overactive imagination and inspiration from the little Labyrinth book empowered her to make her dolls and sculptures. Through trial and error, she made nearly all of them herself next to her mother, who made the green, Celtic dress that she wore in the park that fateful day.

Perhaps her mother did see her and knew who she was, after all.

Linda daintily set a hand on Sarah's shoulder.

"It wasn't for you though. You just weren't made for it. Which is a shame because I would have loved to have worn your designs."

She said it with such sweetness that Sarah didn't even see it as an insult.

However, Jareth did.

This woman wasn't even subtle! At least the vipers at faerie court had the tact to not be insulting so quickly.

Linda didn't see Sarah as someone who was meant for something other than fashion.

She saw her as someone who was her reflection and a threat. Of course she would want Sarah to be a designer in the background, while Linda herself would model those designs.

Linda patted Sarah's hand. "I hope you're hungry. The first of the seven-courses is about to come out."

"Definitely," Sarah assured her. "I could demolish a whole ham!"

"Not sure if you should, Sweetie."

Linda squeezed her daughter's arm pointedly and leaned in closer to her ear, so only Sarah could hear.

"That said, be careful how you work out. We don't want your boobs to shrink."

Just like that, Sarah deflated like a sad balloon after being popped at a birthday party.

She suddenly felt as if she were twelve years old, growing into her body that matured much faster than her peers.

Creepy older men stared at her longer and gossiping women made more comments than anyone ever would in her adult years.

At least those people's opinions could be shoved to the side. Linda was her mother and by far the worst offender.

"Here it is!" Linda clapped as the first course was placed in front of them.

Sarah shakily picked up a fork.

Linda practically slapped it out of her hand, giving her a different one.

"That's the wrong fork! Etiquette is so important. You're embarrassing yourself in front of your English friend."

If it was anyone else, even her father, Sarah would have made a snarky comment and possibly discorded her table manners.

Because this was Linda, the woman she looked up to for years and fiercely and blindly defended, Sarah could not find it in herself to do anything but act demure.

Jareth looked like he was about to argue back, but Sarah pursed her lips together and mouthed "no."

The last thing she wanted was for this night to get worse. She didn't need her mother to be theatrical and embarrass her further.

Jareth wanted so badly to say something insulting, but he didn't. Instead, he picked up the spoon. "That dish is to be eaten with a spoon, not a fork. Per fancy British table etiquette."

At least, Linda had the sense to be embarrassed.

Sarah smiled at him gratefully.

The funny thing was, one wasn't supposed to eat this dish with a spoon.

He leaned into Sarah while Linda was busy drinking wine.

"She doesn't even know the correct etiquette either if she's not correcting me."

To drive his point further, he used his knife to actually eat the food, making Sarah laugh at his antics.

To Linda's relief, she saw someone who could distract her from the awkwardness.

She waved then put her hands together in excitement.

"Oscar! Over here!"

The man she called for had Hollywood-white teeth that blinded anyone who looked at them, especially when the camera's bright flash captured a gleam from it.

He seemed to be Linda's age, with his salt-and-pepper hair and prominent smile lines.

Oscar Tulecina, a distinguished movie star that held the respect of many men and made women swoon over him, caught the eye of every patron in that room.

Sarah was not easily starstruck, having been exposed to so many famous people through her mother.

That said, there were few celebrities she would be more excited to meet than Oscar. She was a fan of many of his movies, having grown up watching them.

He was one of the stars that graced her high school and college bedroom poster.

Jareth noticed Sarah's attention shifting towards Oscar. He bit the inside of his cheek, not enjoying how she was quickly adjusting her hair and sat up straighter to appear more presentable.

He took a deep, thoughtful breath. He knew of this man, as they watched many of his movies with Sarah, meaning he also understood why she was so intrigued.

There wasn't a reason for him to feel snubbed of her attention. It wasn't as if she was abandoning him.

Besides, he was here for her. He wouldn't be a very good friend if he made her feel like she couldn't have this chance to talk to a person she was a fan of.

Oscar gave Linda a kiss on the cheek.

"Linda. You are one gracious host. Thank you for inviting me here tonight."

"Of course, I invited you!" Linda's laugh rang like that of a bell: seemingly pleasing but quite hollow.

She gestured to Sarah.

"This is my daughter, Sarah and her friend, Jareth. I'm sure I don't need to tell you for you to know that this is Oscar Tulecina."

Jareth politely shook his hand and said hello, then backed off so Sarah, who was bursting with excitement, could chat with the star.

Sarah held her hand out across the table to shake his, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"It's so wonderful to meet you. I'm a really big fan of your movies and your theater work. I especially enjoyed you in Hamlet. I show your performance to my students."

"A scholar and instructor!" Oscar exclaimed with enthusiasm. "What and where do you teach?"

She preened at the compliment. "I'm an assistant professor at Baruch College. I teach English Lit."

Linda looked proud as the two chatted back and forth, adding in little snippets of Sarah here and there, like her love of reading or what she was like when she was small.

Oscar praised her more than once for raising such an interesting young woman, to which she sat straighter in pride, despite the majority of Sarah's upbringing was done by her ex-husband, Robert.

Jareth continued to consume his meal in silence, happy that Sarah was having a nice time with her mother.

Sarah, herself, graciously brought him into the conversation, though he did not speak much. He was content to see her happy.

"So," Sarah took up a glass of wine, speaking to Oscar. "How do you two know each other? I would have bugged Mom if I knew."

Linda laughed hollowly again.

"If I knew that's what it would take for you to visit me more often, I would have called Oscar over a long time ago!"

Sarah's face instantly fell at the lie, hiding it with her glass of wine.

Jareth didn't even bother to fix his face. How dare Linda say such a thing when it was Sarah who would beg for visits and initiated every single phone call?

He could tell every time Sarah couldn't get ahold of Linda by the way a few drops of tears remained in her eyes.

She thought he didn't know, but he did.

Every. Single. Time.

He drank his wine, biding his time for the perfect time to defend her.

Oscar responded eagerly to Sarah.

"Your mother and I met on a film we're making. It's still in its early stages, and we'll be filming soon."

"You can come visit us on set, Sarah," Linda offered.

Sarah just nodded with a polite smile.

"You know…" Oscar leaned back, rubbing his chin as he took in Sarah. "Sarah looks so much like you when you were young. She would be perfect for the role of the young version of your character. She's a vision to behold. Gorgeous doesn't cover you."

"Oh, you flatter me, Oscar," Sarah laughed nervously, knowing that Linda's wrath was imminent.

All she could do now was lessen it as best as she could.

"Mom was an incredible beauty in her day. I'm a pale shadow of who she was, and is, in comparison. Besides, my attempts at acting were abysmal at best."

There. Maybe Oscar would let it go and her mother wouldn't make any more comments.

Jareth watched Sarah put herself down and shrink over and over again just to appease Linda.

She should not have to hide her brilliance for the sake of an insecure woman. She should be allowed to shine.

He would not stand for it any longer.

"You sell yourself short, Sarah. You are not a 'pale shadow' in any way, shape, or form. You are a radiant beauty. Even so, your appearance is by far the least interesting thing about you."

Sarah's eyes widened, and her lips pursed together tightly in displeasure.

What was he thinking, saying things like this in front of her mother?

Everything she said was now in vain.

There was no question that Linda would spew horrible vitriol, and in front of Oscar, no less.

She continued to glare at him.

"You don't need to try to say anything nice to make me feel better, Jareth. Thanks."

Jareth didn't understand why Sarah was shaking her head at his words and gave a clipped reply.

He felt like a child being reprimanded.

She never acted this way towards him unless it had something to do with Linda. Her mother truly brought out the worst in her.

"Humble too, of course." Linda commented tersely.

Linda's anger was palpable. Too palpable. No one else at the table could stand to eat the dessert laid out for them.

Oscar suddenly stood, catching his chair before it could fall over.

"Well, I best be heading out. I did say that I can't stay long."

Linda panicked.

"But the dance hasn't even started yet, and you're the best dancer! Everyone will be waiting for you. I mean, look at them."

She waved vaguely to the guests on the other side of the divider.

"What do you mean, waiting for me?" Oscar questioned, slowly turning his head to see that the other guests were done eating and looking their way once in a while in anticipation.

It slowly dawned on him. He angled his head, staring at Linda sideways.

"Why would they be expecting me? What did you tell them?"

Linda shrugged. "Nothing! I really didn't. It's just that you're here, and you're a dancer. Everyone would be expecting it."

Oscar blinked in disbelief. "What are you trying to do, Linda?"

"Why are you questioning me like I'm some criminal?"

Her feigned innocence fooled no one.

"I am not dancing with you. I know you're trying to set up some sort of trap to make us go public and seem more than we are."

Now that was a revelation.

Sarah wasn't surprised that her mother was having a relationship with someone, but was surprised that it was Oscar.

Linda's love affairs were definitely leaked by her publicist in an attempt to keep her relevant in the news with her drama, so why hadn't she heard of Linda's relationship with Oscar, a star as big as George Clooney?

No matter the reason, Sarah felt deeply uncomfortable in the middle of this quarrel.

At least, until she saw Jareth's gentle smile, silently giving her strength.

Sarah looked down in shame. She had been so short and rude to him. Yet, Jareth was willing to be here for her.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry," she said to him quietly.

Jareth squeezed her hand. He knew her long enough to understand that she wasn't usually so high-strung. "You're welcome and apology accepted."

Meanwhile, Linda continued to pretend ignorance.

"Why do you say you're dancing with me? I never said that! I never asked you to."

Oscar threw his napkin down. "You expected it! I can tell!"

"No, you can ask anyone you want. I don't care."

"Really? Anyone?" he challenged.

"I mean it. Anyone."

Sarah couldn't take it anymore. She had witnessed Linda's passive-aggressive challenges towards her own father and what it meant. It was always best to acquiesce to her.

"I need to use the bathroom," she muttered, standing.

Jareth, true to his promise to be a gentleman, silently stood also, pulling her chair back in assistance to accompany her.

Oscar stood in front of Sarah, blocking her way forward. With a movie-winning smile, he extended his hand towards her, taking her hand and placed a kiss on it.

"Sarah, won't you do me the honor of sharing the first dance of the night with me?" he crooned, placing his other hand on top of hers.

Jareth barely restrained himself from landing his fist straight in Oscar's face. This man had the nerve to ask Sarah on a dance to piss off Linda was incredibly disrespectful to the wonderful woman Sarah was.

On top of that, he had been looking forward to asking Sarah to dance all night. He turned to her, observing her reaction.

She was frozen, unable to speak.

That is, until she felt a warm hand on her back, bringing her back to the present.

Jareth.

All he did was stand by her, but it made all the difference.

His strength grounded her, reminding her that years ago, she had claimed victory over him.

A reminder that she could do anything.

"Umm," she pulled her hand away from Oscar. "No, thank you. I'm not dancing tonight."

She quickly made a beeline out, barely registering that Jareth was behind her.

Her eyes frantically scanned the opulent hall, searching for the bathroom. She couldn't focus, her breath coming in rapidly.

"Sarah?"

She slowed her breathing, steadied by Jareth. He offered his arm to her, and she took it without hesitation.

Jareth made sure to stand between her and the wall, so the guests couldn't see her distress.

He side-stepped to an open door, bringing the attention away from Sarah as best as he could. She clutched him tightly, using him as a support in more ways than one.

He nudged her to the bathroom. "I'll wait out here for you. Take as much time as you need."

Sarah nodded. "Okay."

She turned to look at him, hand on the doorframe. Her hand reached out slightly, then retreated. Her eyes, in severe distress just a moment ago, softened as she gazed at him.

He just gave her an encouraging smile as she walked into the bathroom, the door softly closing in front of hm.

Inspiration for the outfits are from Bowie and Connelly themselves. Jareth's outfit is what Bowie wore in 2002 live in Berlin, but with hair from Bowie around 1987. If you look up "Bowie 1987 by Herb Ritts" you'll see what I mean by his hair. I believe the Berlin photo is used for his wikipedia photo as well if that helps.

Sarah's dress is inspired by Jennifer Connelly's dress for the premiere of Noah where she wears this simple yet gorgeous black dress with a slit. I did want to modify it though so that the skirt wasn't so long and felt a bit more "dancy."

Linda's obsession with trying to outdo Sarah is unfortunately a real thing that happens to mothers and daughters sometimes. It's so sad and makes me so mad that it's a thing.

Oscar is inspired (looks and fame only) by George Clooney and Oscar Issac. In designing him, I thought "okay I need to make an evil version of those two men" and there he is.

Thanks again for reading! Reviews would be greatly appreciated :)