Chapter 11~ Kindness Shows

"Hoggle!" Sarah saw her friend, ashen and unmoving on the Labyrinth floor. He was seemingly unconscious; that was all, Sarah hoped. "Hoggle, wake up!" She shook him gently, careful not to move him much.

Tears formed and ran down Sarah’s cheeks. She couldn’t bear to watch her friend die. It would kill her own heart.

"Sarah, what’s the matter?" Jareth, wide-awake now and in his blouse and tights, came up behind her. He touched a hand to her shoulder, and she turned on him instantly.

"You nearly killed him!" Sarah sank to her knees and took Hoggle’s limp hand.

Jareth knelt down beside Sarah. She continued to sob, and the Goblin King couldn’t stand it.

"Come on, let’s get him inside." He was about to transfer Hoggle into his castle when Sarah stoop up and blocked his way.

"You’re not taking him anywhere! You have threatened him, humiliated him-almost killed him! And now you want to help him?"

"I’m not doing this for him," Jareth protested, "I’m doing it for you."

They looked at each other for a long time. Then, Jareth lifted Hoggle and began to carry him to the castle; this time Sarah let him. She dried the tears on her cheeks with her sleeve and followed the King inside.

As they arrived in his castle, Jareth laid Hoggle down on the bed in his chamber. Sarah sat in the King’s chair, in a sort of shock. She hadn’t asked Jareth to care for her friend-he just did it. Out of love, at that. Sarah had to accept that it was out of Jareth’s love for her that he’d done everything he had. She sniffed and took a few deep breaths, composing herself little by little.

"Sarah, get the Goblins." Jareth turned around and watched her sit there, in a daze. "Quickly!" He added, stirring the girl a bit.

"Ohhhh no!" Sarah regained herself. "I’m not going near them!" Jareth’s face grew red.

"Look, Hoggle is near death. If you’ll just cooperate, he’ll have a better chance of surviving. Understand?"

Sarah nodded and ran out of the room, desperate to help her dying friend.

* * * * *

"Goblins?" The group stopped their current activities, and all eyes focused on her. Sarah inhaled sharply and let the words say themselves. "Jareth wants you. He ordered me to tell you, and…" She stopped suddenly and realized her eyes were closed. As she slowly opened them, a Goblin, touched her other arm.

"Sorry, we frightened yas, M'Lady," he told her. Then he faced to the others. "Let’s move!"

In a flash, they’d disappeared. Sarah turned around gradually, walking past the piles of trash to the castle. Hoggle, be okay.

As she returned to Jareth’s chamber, she found it full of Goblins obeying Jareth’s every command. He was listening and demanding and doing this and that. Hoggle, as far as she could tell, wasn’t as pale, but his breathing was still raspy and slow.

"Sarah, hold this for me," Jareth ordained hurriedly. Sarah did as she was told, taking a bowl of water from him. Jareth dipped a cloth in the bowl and placed it on Hoggle’s head. Nervously, he looked around to avoid Sarah's eyes, but finally gave up, and saw the distressed expression on her face.

"He’ll be fine, Sarah." The Goblin King assured her. He wasn’t lying; he wasn’t playing a trick. It was the truth.

That’s when Sarah smiled and glanced at Hoggle, and stood up, facing his Majesty.

"You’ve learned to show a little kindness, you know." She informed him. Without another word, the King was wrapped in a hug; Sarah was willingly in his arms for once in a long time, and it felt so right. Jareth returned the hug with happiness, and someone cleared his throat.

"Hoggle!" Sarah found her friend glaring at the pair as they hugged. "You’re okay!" Sarah, pulled away from Jareth and hugged her friend long and tight.

Neither noticed as a flash of jealousy came to Jareth’s eyes. He knew Sarah loved Hoggle as a friend, but he also knew about his actions over the past week. There was nothing to make Sarah love him now. Nothing. Not from her free will.

Hoggle pulled away from Sarah, still glaring.

"Why the hell where you hugging him?" Sarah sat back on the bed.

"He saved your life. I felt I owed him some gratitude."

Jareth raised an eyebrow as she spoke. Then, for some odd reason, Sarah began to bounce the bed with her hands.

"Hey!" Cried Hoggle as he bounced with the bed. Sarah didn’t know why, but now that her friend was alive, she felt like being a kid again. It was the strangest feeling, but in a sudden excitement, she ran to the room Jareth had given her, Hoggle in tow.

Soon, she and Hoggle were jumping on her bed-just as they had done for awhile at the party-laughing and having contests to see who could jump higher.

Jareth followed them into Sarah’s room and gave the two an unusual look.

"What are you doing?" He demanded. Sarah, continuing to jump, returned his look.

"We’re jumping on the bed. What does it look like we’re doing?" She answered. Hoggle jumped a little higher than Sarah, and she hopped off the bed, nearly exhausted. "Haven’t you ever jumped on your bed?"

"No. What reason would I have to do so?" He replied. Sarah shrugged.

"Wanna try?" She inquired. "It’s fun." Hoggle, too, hopped off the bed, plopped on the floor, and took many, fast breaths. Jareth stared at Sarah.

"You’re serious?" He questioned.

"Yes, I’m serious," she assured him. Sarah climbed on the bed and stood up. "Hurry up, climb on."

Jareth frowned slightly and got up on the bed. Sarah waited until he was standing up, then she jumped, bouncing the bed a little. "Now jump!" She ordered. Sarah bounced higher, little by little, making the bed bounce more. Jareth’s frown slowly turned into a smile as he jumped higher and faster.

"You’re right, this is fun!" He and Sarah jumped for a few minutes, and then Sarah stopped, falling back on the bed, and exploded in a burst of laughter.

"You okay, Hoggle?" She asked, breathing hard.

"Uh-huh." Hoggle gasped for air, laughing a bit himself. Jareth also took his large amounts of air, and flopped down beside Sarah. It took all his willpower not to take her hand, for he realized he didn’t want to force her into marriage.

She was learning to get to know him. And he was learning to show his better side.