"Why you dirty, bog-trotting profligate!" An irate high-pitched voice cursed, "You've tricked me, you blackguard, you fiend, you-"

A stubby dwarf raised his rather large and puffy nose. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you." He sniffed.

The tiny hobgoblin growled and his pointed shoes danced on the stone ground as he threw quite a fearsome fit for such a tiny creature. Hoggle, having faced much more than an obnoxious common hobgoblin, was not impressed. Besides, he had acquired a new addition to his plastic collection - what did it matter that he had tricked a simple minded goblin in the process?

"Oh, you've done it now," the frazzled creature shrieked, "I'm ruined. You've ruined me, you- you- you pipsqueak!"

Hoggle raised his brows. "Pipsqueak? I ain't no pipsqueak."

The goblin, please to see that his insult had hit a soft spot, hopped once in triumph before piping, "Oh, yes you are!"

"Nu-uh, you're-"

"Pipsqueak," it raised itself on its toes, trying to intimidate the dwarf with its impressive stature. The only problem was they were both rather disappointingly and non threateningly short.

Hoggle's wrinkled hands clenched.

"Pipsqueak," the goblin continued, "Pipsqueak, pipsqueak, pipsqu-"

"You're the pipsqueak," Hoggle snapped. "I ain't no pipsqueak. You're the pipsqueak." He cried.

"Pipsqueak," the goblin chimed on in a sing-song voice.

Hoggle growled, stalking forward towards the green creature.

"I'll show you a pipsqueak."

A breeze drifted in between the two pipsqueaks, and clearing their minds with the promise of a third and more intimidating presence.

"Glad to see you're still making friends, Hedgewart." A more charming voice quipped from behind the two.

Hoggle froze and the hobgoblin gave a gleeful smile, sure that the king had seen the atrocities that the dwarf had committed and had appeared to conduct justice. The dwarf anxiously tugged on his leather vest and turned to face the king, "Er, uh, what brings you here, Jareth?"

The Goblin King raised a regal eyebrow.

"Guh, I mean Your Majesty," he gulped.

The hobgoblin snickered, and twirled with a single foot to the opposite direction, humming whilst he skipped away from the party, sure that Hoggle was about to meet his maker and pleased with himself.

Sarah sighed. A day of hard work and only a few hours of sunlight left for hobbies. Such a pity.

Originally, she hadn't wanted to do it, but it was her younger brother's idea, and her friends had convinced her to go through with it.

She picked through the pictures. Often making a face of disgust, and then a smug smirk when a rather flattering image of herself would appear. Separating these into two piles, Sarah began placing the pictures into a scrapbook.

Toby had asked her to make a booklet of their lives, including mementos from family trips and inside jokes, and had sent her many pictures to pick through. Her stepmother had told her to personalize it, so that's exactly what Sarah was doing.

This is a terrible idea, she thought. Then, To glue or not to glue? That is the question. She tapped a finger on her chin in thought.

Sarah stared at the drawing before her. The edges of the page were crinkled from rough handling. The sketch had been smeared a bit, which was disappointing, but to be expected as it had survived multiple realm travels by the hands of a goblin.

She realized that she really shouldn't hold on to this picture for so long. Her actions towards the drawing had been not unlike an infatuated schoolgirl. Though she found solace in the fact that she had no intention of anyone else finding out about this crush that had gotten out of hand - nor had she had a history of drawing hearts next to a crush's name in her notebooks or diaries. It's not as if she acted like this all the time.

And still, who would be interested in going through someone's family scrapbook? She'd never given two rips when presented with someone's baby photos. Sometimes the best place to hide something was in plain sight. And sometimes it is okay to allow yourself to sketch out your feelings and place them in a scrapbook. It was just an idea brought to life on a paper. Nothing more...

It's decided, then. She thought, and promptly - before she could change her mind - smeared the end of a glue stick on the back of the sketch. Now she had to stick it in the scrapbook or the paper would dirty. If her family asked, she'd say that it was a drawing she did in high school of a boy she had liked. It wouldn't be too dishonest, would it? She was indeed acting like a high-schooler… And she had developed certain feelings towards this 'boy' while she was in high school.

"I'm pitiful." She said, and stuck the paper on a blank page of the scrapbook.

It is done. Sarah thought. There is no turning back now. The sketch would forever be in the scrapbook until she ripped it from its pages.

"Heggle-"

"-Hoggle."

"Yes." Jareth said with an entirely impatient tone in his voice, "I was thinking…"

Oh, boy. Hoggle thought with trepidation. "Yes, yur majesty?"

The goblin king inhaled through his nose. His gloved hands clasped behind his back as he looked up in thought. By the unpleasant downward curl of his lips and the furrow of his brow, it seemed as if he was deeply bothered by something, and Hoggle could not help but feel a bit pleased along with an anxious flutter in his stomach. As Hoggle's internal battle persisted, between feeling quite buoyant at Jareth's discomposure or nervous as to whether this would cause the Goblin King to lash out, the fae before him began to pace. His heeled boots practically corroding the stone beneath him as he stalked in a pattern around the dwarf.

"It has been quite some time since I had seen Sarah," the king began, "I had wondered at how much she had changed."

Hoggle had not expected the Goblin King to speak of Sarah, as it had been a topic that was widely avoided around the king up until now. "Well, uh," he scratched the back of his head, mindful of the cap upon it. "She's grown up ta be a very nice lady…" He searched for something else to add. Something that would appease Jareth, as the king did not look very satisfied with his answer. "Likes her family. Nice ta Toby… Got, uh, got one of 'em collage-"

"-College."

"Uh, yeah, college degrees. Sumthing like bossing others around or sumthin'."

That seemed to please Jareth. His eyes sparkled at Hoggle's word in some hidden amusement. "Well, then." Jareth said, straightening up regally. His posture became strangely energetic. "I shall have to spend more time with this 'grown up' Sarah…"

"What?! Er, I mean, I don't think that's such a good idea, your majesty." Hoggle let out a forced laugh, "She's worse than before. Always yelling about it not 'being fair' 'n all." The dwarf shook his head. "'Fraid that one will never learn."

"Hmm," Jareth stewed over that for a second. "What if I told you that I've already had the pleasure of meeting with Sarah? Twice, in fact." He said, "Hottle-"

"-Hoggle."

Jareth pursed his lips, appearing as if he was restraining himself. "Yes," he said, "I would like you to do something for me."

"Uh, I's just remembered that there is somewhere I haf ta be." Hoggle looked around nervously.

"Oh, it is not negotiable, dwarf." Jareth narrowed his eyes. "Deliver this to your dear friend." A gloved hand appeared from behind his back. It held up a cream colored envelope to the dwarf. The crease upon the opening was pressed down with a royal seal, and the front of the envelope had the word 'Sarah' written in loopy handwriting.

Hoggle shuffled in place, knowing this tactic that the king was using quite well.

Often the king would send letters to kingdoms, and usually instead of receiving a letter back, a woman would arrive instead. Together, the king and her would disappear for days until she'd resurface just to go back to where she came from. She'd never visit again, and the king would meet someone else at the latest ball, charm them, send out another witty letter and she too would disappear with the king for a time. The problem was that they never stayed. They lived a fairy tale for a short time - be charmed off their toes by affection and gifts - and then the King would kiss them on the cheek and send them off. The stars in their eyes would shield them from the fact that their rendezvous was nothing more to the king.

That was, at least, how Hoggle saw it. Though he was sure the women would argue against his views - he would not be budged.

So, realizing that Jareth most likely intended to do the same with Sarah, Hoggle did the only thing he could do. The very thing that he was good at doing.

He ran.

"Urgh, uh, goodbye," he cried and threw his stubby figure to a hidden turn in the labyrinth walls just behind him.

He didn't look back to see if the king had followed. If there was a sound of a glass ball rolling upon the stone ground, Hoggle's ears had tuned it out. He ran until his little legs burned and could carry him no further and then collapsed against a wall. Panting, he tried to catch his breath, knowing that no one ever truly outran the Goblin King. It was just a matter of time. He just had to get to Sarah first - warn her, maybe. But what would he say? That the Goblin King was trying to seduce her? That was no good. Likely, she wouldn't take it serious. He'd have to lie, tell her to stay away from Jareth, but what would be his reasoning?

"What am I gonna tell Sarah?" He wiped his forehead anxiously.

I apologize for the delay in writing this chapter. I've had a crazy month, guys. You don't even know...

I hope you all enjoy this chapter, though!

Off Hoggle goes making drama where it ain't needed.

And Sarah...

Still denying her infatuation. Gluing a sketch of the smooching goblin king isn't so far from Sarah's teenage self that was seen in the movie. Still, she's matured quite a bit more, though still stuck a bit in the clouds, she'll be able to realize that her idea of the Goblin King might not be the same as the reality.

And what was Jareth trying to do with the letter? Some steamy words for Sarah's eyes only? *shrugs*

God, why won't Sarah just burn the sketch already? She's gone and got herself sentimentally attached to the thing. /facepalm

Okay, author rant over. Sometimes it's okay to yell at your muse.