* * *
-Chapter Six-

The air had changed - shimmered and shifted around her with the gentleness of a lover's touch. It melted deliciously against her skin, and she supposed it was his way of saying hello.

Sarah couldn't help the smile that curved her lips. Another brush of air, soft as a kiss against her earlobe, made her giggle.

When the air's embrace released her, she sighed, but her tears had vanished. Jareth...

Her quiet musings were interrupted by high pitched giggling, screeching, and the clang of metal against metal. Her brow furrowed in puzzlement. The throne room?

It didn't matter where she was. It had been done. So she opened her eyes.

Raucous laughter met her stunned expression.

She hadn't meant for them to come along!

But there they were, huddled together, their earlier animosity replaced by terror. A hoarde of chittering goblins swarmed about their feet, grubby hands pawing at clothing, leering grins twisting their malformed faces. Her parents were white-faced and trembling.

And here she was, standing a little ways off, a few goblins gathered at her own feet, her brother perched in her arms, his sobs cut off by his soft giggles.

Oh God. This was not supposed to happen. All her ideas, her desperate plotting - well and truly fucked up.

How appropriate.

Karen and her father managed to wade through the pile of chittering goblins and had raced to her side while she was still frozen with shock.

That bastard.

That absolute bastard.

Her father grabbed her arm, his eyes flashing with fear. "Sarah, are you all right?"

She gritted her teeth. "I'm fine," she hissed angrily.

"Where are we?" Karen questioned hysterically, casting a frightened look at the grinning goblins. "And what are those... things?"

An ironic half-smile curved her lips. "Goblins."

And then, quite without warning, she disappeared.

* * *

And reappeared right in his arms, curled up in his lap.

Jareth smirked at her from barely an inch away, his brilliant eyes flickering with amusement. Damn him to hell for being so delightful. Just seeing him made her feel... something. Fury? Relief? Wariness? And odd combination of the three?

"Sarah," he purred in greeting, sliding a hand through her hair.

That warm feeling blossomed in her stomach, spread through her limbs. Ah. Horny, that was the word she was looking for. But she was mad at him, dammit!

"Jareth," she acknowledged, turning her face into his leather-clad palm. A caress, but she glared at him throughout.

One elegant eyebrow rose in inquiry, but his words were calm and laced with a hint of everpresent humor when he spoke. "You came to me, little one," he murmured softly, one hand sliding around her waist, tugging her gently against him. Toby was gone from her arms. She had expected as much.

She nuzzled her face against his chest. Silk right now, cool and flowing against her skin. "Yes. I shouldn't have." For good measure, she pinched him.

She could feel Jareth repress a snicker. "Really?" he inquired lazily, tilting her head up for the briefest of kisses. Sweet, light, tantalizing.

Damn him, he was doing it on purpose!

Sarah pulled back and glowered at him. He appeared highly amused with her indignation, an indulgent smile curving his lips, eyes taking on that particular wicked sparkle that always appeared before he did something to infuriate her.

"What the hell are my parents doing here, Goblin King?" she hissed, poking him in the chest.

"At the moment, they are standing huddled together with your little brother and making my goblins laugh."

Damn him.

He gave her a wolfish grin that was supposed to look innocent. It failed miserably, but it did make her stomach do a nice cartwheel. "See?" he asked, offering her a crystal from out of nowhere.

Her stomach twisted. "Not funny."

He leaned back, comfortably resting his chin in one gloved hand. "It wasn't meant to be, my dear."

She closed her eyes for a long moment.

What was he doing? Why was he doing it? Why was she letting him? What was she doing?

"What do you want?" The question was barely a whisper, but he would have heard her in the fiercest windstorm.

Leather underneath her chin, tilting her forward. Her stomach swirled even more. But she took in a breath and met his strange gaze as best as she could.

His eyes glittered oddly as he regarded her in solemn silence.

"You know very well what I want," he said softly.

And, terribly, she did.

* * *

AN: Feedback? Pwease?

email: mjalta@yahoo.com

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