A blissfully exhausted Sarah Williams and a blissfully not-so-exhausted Goblin King lay in a tangle of arms and legs and sheets in Sarah's childhood bed. Boxes and crates and piles of clothing, some from the bottom of Sarah's closet and some recently shed, lay strewn about the carpet. Outside the room the world had paused in a strange tableau: Robert and Karen Williams stood posed together carrying a crate of books to the family van, the neighbor's dog was frozen mid-bark, a passing car had halted in the middle of the street, and a flock of birds flying overhead were stuck hanging in the sky like the M-shapes of a child's drawing.

Inside Sarah's room, time flowed normally, accompanied by the sounds of slow sighs languid kisses.

Sarah stared up at the ceiling and smiled. "Well, that was..."

"Magic?" Jareth offered with a chuckle.

"Umm... yeah. Definitely," Sarah said, turning to caress his jawline. "Speaking of magic, I suppose we ought to unfreeze everyone. I mean, I'd love to just stay like this forever, but I have a million things to do before I leave for school tomorrow."

Jareth sat straight up in the bed. "You mean you're still going?" he asked.

Sarah pushed herself up to a sitting position. "Well, yes. Of course," she told him. "You don't think-" She paused and pointed an accusatory finger at the Goblin King. "You do! You think I'm just going to blow off school and follow you Underground to be your Goblin Queen, don't you?"

"I'd settle for Goblin Consort..."

"Augh!" Sarah cried as she jumped out of the bed, snatched a dressing gown from off the floor and quickly threw it on. "Jareth, you're impossible!"

The Goblin King slid out of bed, not bothering to cover up his nakedness, and made his way over to where Sarah stood fuming.

"Sarah," he began. "You've admitted that you want to be with me. What is the need for further schooling? You can learn all you need in the Goblin Kingdom. I really don't care to spend another day without you."

Sarah turned away in both annoyance and a need to avoid gawking at Jareth's rather intoxicating nude body. Being tongue-tied by arousal made it terribly difficult to argue. She went to the window and pretended to survey the weird frozen scene outside.

"You don't understand, Jareth," she told him. "Yes, I want to be with you, but I also want to live my life on my own terms. I've never been on my own, answerable to no one. I want that."

"But Sarah," Jareth said, joining her at the window. "As Goblin Queen you wouldn't be answerable to anyone but-"

"But you, right?"

"Well, yes. To me, of course."

"Exactly," Sarah replied. She turned to face him. "Some time in the future I'll be okay with that. But for a short time I want to be completely free of fealty to anyone other than myself. Do you understand that?"

Jareth leaned forward and kissed her nose. "Of course," he replied.

"Thanks," Sarah said, returning the kiss. "Besides, it's only for two more years, and you said yourself that two years Above were only like a couple of hours for you."

"True..."

"So go home, kick some goblins, juggle some crystals, and before you know it, I'll be done!" Sarah announced with a bright smile and a laugh.

"I could do that," Jareth said, rubbing his chin, "or I could come with you."

"Come with me? Seriously?" asked Sarah.

"Yes, of course," Jareth told her. "I could leave the Goblin Kingdom in the hands of the knight and the dwarf and the talking rug for a few hours."

Sarah shook her head. "I think you're missing the point here, Your Majesty..."

"Oh no, I understand," Jareth interrupted. "I wouldn't interfere with your autonomy. I would allow you to be as you wish. However, I could be there to offer assistance and support and see to your physical well-being." He traced a long finger across Sarah's collarbone as he spoke, sending a pleasant shudder down her spine and into her hidden southern regions.

Sarah paused and thought for a moment. Did she really want a force like Jareth the Goblin King following her to school? He wasn't exactly easy for most people to ignore. Still, if there was anywhere a person?being?whatever? like Jareth could blend in, it was New York City. And, if she were truly honest with herself, the thought of having his...er, companionship around was certainly appealing. Especially after their most recent glorious entanglement.

"Can you give me some time to think about it?" she asked him. She wasn't quite ready to totally accede to Jareth just yet.

"Anything you wish, Precious," he purred. "I'll just pop back Underground and set things in order and allow you to do whatever you feel necessary."

He waved his hand over his body and his clothing re-enveloped his lithe form. "I've patiently waited for you this long," he said, drawing Sarah close. "What's a bit longer?" He kissed her hard on the lips, moving his mouth slowly over hers and savoring the feel of her lips and the taste of her tongue. At last, he drew away and made a small gesture with his hand and the world outside lurched back into motion.

"See you soon, Sarah," he said with a wink before drawing himself down into owl form and gliding out of the open window.

Sarah stood breathlessly dazed for a moment before the sound of her father and Karen outside shook her back to her senses. She grabbed her clothes from the floor and quickly dressed, finishing just as her parents stepped onto the landing at the top of the stairs. She snatched up a box as they entered her room.

"Here's another," she blurted, shoving the box at her father.

Robert Williams gazed down at the box of random stuff and then back at his daughter.

"Maybe we should tape it up," he said.

"Right," Sarah said, mentally chiding herself. She was already beginning to question even considering letting Jareth come with her to New York.

"If he makes me this distracted at home with my parents," she thought, "I'm probably going to die by falling off the subway platform or walking out in front of a cab."

Sarah shook her head and glanced at Karen who was still dabbing at her eyes with her hankie.

"I'm just going to be so worried," Karen was saying between sniffles. "You're going to be all alone in the big city and you don't know anyone. What if something happens and you need help right away?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you guys?" Sarah asked, avoiding her parents' eyes. "I'm getting a roommate."

A/N:

I can't begin to imagine how difficult it would be to argue with a naked Goblin King. I would certainly love to find out though.

I am seriously considering a companion piece of drabbles and/or shorties about Sarah and Jareth's adventures in NYC. Is that something any of you would be interested in reading?

Thanks again for all the comments and reviews. I am sorry I left this unfinished for such a long time. I appreciate everyone who inquired about it.

Much love,

Fanny