Tempting Fate

Chapter 11: Cards Anyone? Sarah decided that preparing lunch would be the perfect opportunity to slip away for a little while and collect herself. Before long, she had made them some sandwiches and iced tea. As she set their lunch on the coffee table, she noticed Jareth was once again immersed in the book that Hoggle had brought. Quietly she stated, "I brought some lunch, sandwiches and iced tea. I thought you might be hungry." Jareth replied, "Thank you..." as he sipped some of the iced tea. Sarah sat next to him and started nibbling on a sandwich, "Did you find something?" He nodded, "There are a few references here, but not much more than what we found in your library. However this symbol is rather interesting." He pointed to a marking that was inscribed on the page of the book. "The symbol of the Fates. Strange, how this looks oddly familiar. I have the feeling that I've seen this marking somewhere before." Sarah looked over his shoulder. The script was very strange and the marking was unlike anything she had ever seen. Jareth picked up his sandwich and shut the book, "Well, that wasn't much help." He pulled the crystal from his pocket and looked into it. Sarah replied, "I guess it's up to her to make the next move." After lunch Sarah dragged Jareth to a thrift store in town so they could pick up some more casual clothes for him to wear. Sarah managed to find a few pairs of jeans that were his size that were in good condition. She also found some dark colored shirts, and a pair of versatile black shoes. Jareth didn't like that she was buying him clothes, but she assured him that they were inexpensive and there weren't really any other alternatives. On the way back home Sarah noticed that Jareth seemed to be carefully watching the way she drove. His eyes drifted from her hands on the wheel to her feet as they eased on and off the pedals. When she looked over at him he mused, "You make it look so easy." Sarah smiled, "What driving? It is easy. Once you learn how and have had practice." Jareth smirked at her, a beguiling gleam in his eye, "Sarah, will you teach me?" Sarah chuckled, "Teach you? To drive? What for?" Jareth shrugged, "Might be fun." Sarah shook her head, "Not right now Jareth. There is too much traffic, and you have to have a permit or a license..." She noticed the look of disdain on his face and went on "We could get in real trouble..." Jareth licked his lips, raising an eyebrow provocatively, "Only if we get caught." Sarah sighed, finding it nearly impossible to resist, "Alright, I'll let you...but not until after dark. I know a place that'll be deserted." Jareth simply grinned. When they got back to the house Sarah investigated the contents of the fridge to see what she could find for dinner. Meanwhile, Jareth changed back into his signature Underground attire. When he reappeared in the kitchen, Sarah was surveying the contents of the fridge with dismay. "Well, there's not much in here, and I didn't thaw anything..." She feigned disappointment and added, "Looks like we'll have to settle for take out." Jareth watched with curiosity as she pulled a paper flyer off the fridge and picked up the phone. Bewildered, Jareth asked, "What are you doing?" Sarah spun around, letting the cord twist around her body, "Calling for Chinese food. Since I don't know what you'll like, I'll just order a bunch of dishes." Jareth still didn't understand, but watched silently as she pushed some buttons and spoke into the phone. "Ah yes, order for delivery. I'll have a number six, a number twelve, and an eighteen, and a number twenty. Steamed rice. Uh huh. Two forty four West Street. Thanks, Bye." She hung up the phone and smiled, "Dinner will be here in thirty minutes." Jareth was impressed, "That's it?" "Yep." Sarah led him into the living room and picked up the local newspaper from the coffee table. As she plopped down on the sofa, Jareth sat down next to her, checking out the paper over her shoulder. Sarah tried to ignore that he was sitting so close, Of all the places to sit in here... she thought, Why must he sit so close? She turned to the local section of the paper and perused through the weekly calendar. "Hmmm there's a fair going on. You might like to see that. We could go tomorrow..." Jareth shrugged, "We have fairs in the underground...not much different then the markets, except for the tournaments." Sarah looked at him, her mouth curving into a wry grin, "Jareth, I don't think this fair will be quite like anything you've seen, but I'll let you decide for yourself." Sarah folded the paper in half and dropped it back on the coffee table. "Now that we've figured out dinner, what would you like to do for the rest evening?" He furrowed his brow, his eyes locking with hers, "I can think of a few ways to pass the time." His gaze was full of heat and mischief. Just then, his eyes darted to her lips. Sarah felt her breath catch in her throat, and she jumped up, stammering, "Uh...wha...what if we play a game?" Jareth sat up straight looking intrigued. "Very well...what sort of game?" Sarah's eyes flitted frantically about the room "How about something simple...I know...a game of cards." She hurried to the draw on the end table and pulled out a deck of cards. She sat next to him on the sofa and started shuffling the deck. "Let's try a game of Poker." Soon she had dealt the cards and was explaining the rules. Jareth was a fast learner so they were playing a real hand in no time. Sarah conversed with him as she examined her hand "I haven't played cards in a long time. I kind of miss it. We used to play a lot in college." Jareth discarded two of his cards and took two fresh cards, "What kind of card games did you play?" Sarah smiled, "We'd play this game sometimes...although it can be more interesting when you bet money." Jareth nodded. He could see her point. She had already won the first two hands. Sarah went on, "Sometimes the students in my dorm played drinking games. A bad hand meant you'd have to drink. There was this one game they used to play called circle of death. It never lasted very long since everyone would be drunk in no time. Next thing you know, they'd start a game of strip poker." Jareth looked up, "Isn't that what you said we were playing?" Sarah looked up in surprise, "No we are playing five card stud Poker." Jareth quipped, "What is the difference?" He didn't miss the fact that Sarah's cheeks had turned bright red. She quickly looked at her cards, "What do you think? Strip poker..." Jareth had a pretty good idea, but it was fun making her squirm. "I don't know. You brought it up. Tell me." Sarah sighed, "Well...when someone loses a hand they...have to remove...an...article of clothing." Jareth pretended to be shocked, "How scandalous..." Then a thought struck him, "Had she been a participant in such games?" It occurred to him that ever since she had beaten his labyrinth, he hadn't been able to always watch over her. Sure he had checked on her from time to time, but he couldn't watch her all the time. Suddenly an awful thought struck him, "Did she have affections for another man, or worse? Had she been intimate with anyone?" The thought of someone else even kissing her was enough to make his blood boil. Sarah noticed that Jareth's face paled considerably, becoming an expressionless mask. After a moment he had reined in enough self-control to speak evenly. "Sarah did you part- " She quickly cut him off, "No! What do you think I am?! I was just saying that I knew people who would play that! I didn't mean me." Jareth let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. How was he going to find out the answers to questions he didn't dare ask? Sarah noticed that despite his seeming relief to her answer, that something was still bothering him. She bit her lip and ventured, "Jareth is something wrong?" He weighed his options. On one hand he could just ask her, she said they were friends, so maybe she would welcome the chance to be honest with him, but then again, he remembered all too well how fiery Sarah's temper could be. She very well might take such a personal inquiry as an insult. He was about to speak, when he felt Sarah's hand gently touch his own. Softly and hesitantly she insisted, "Jareth, if we are to be friends we should be able to talk..." His eyes swiftly met hers, and he spoke evenly so as not to let too much emotion show, "Sarah, there is something I'd like to know but if you cannot answer me honestly, I'd rather not ask." Sarah swallowed and quietly answered, "Dishonesty is hardly the way to start a friendship, wouldn't you say?" He noticed she looked a bit apprehensive but he could also tell she was sincere. There was one thing about Sarah, her eyes didn't lie. Jareth nodded slowly, "Alright then...Sarah have you..." Sarah held her breath. What if he asked if she had feelings for him? She hadn't even honestly answered herself about that one. There was no doubt that she was attracted to him. She was also well aware of the fact that she was beginning to like him. But did she love him? She wasn't sure. What she was sure of was that she hadn't been able to stop thinking about him after she'd said those six awful words, and that scared her. Obviously she did have feelings for hum, but she sure as hell wasn't ready to admit it. Panic surged within her. She needed to intercept him. She took a deep breath and blurted the first thing that came to mind. "I haven't had a serious relationship." She hadn't known what he was really going to ask, but if he had been about to ask if she felt something for him, perhaps the admission might change the subject. Jareth wasn't sure whether to be relieved or horrified. Quickly he countered, "What do you mean?" Sarah breathed a tad easier, "I mean I've gone out with a few guys, but it never turned into anything." Jareth could only repeat her last words with confusion, "Never turned into anything?" Sarah figured it was worth spilling her guts to him about her pathetic social life, so long as it kept him from asking her how she felt about him. Sarah swallowed, finding strength in her decision. "I went on a few dates but I never harbored any real interest the guys I dated." He was starting to understand, but it would take more to placate him. He suddenly looked exhausted, "Well then, does that mean you weren't intimate..." Sarah nearly laughed. "No! Of course not. Jareth...I think that is reserved for special occasions. I would never sleep with someone I didn't love." Jareth suddenly seemed himself again, "So what you are telling me is that you..." Sarah finished the sentence for him, "...are a virgin? Yeah." She was mortified. She hadn't meant for it to come out like that. God, did I really just say that... She felt her cheeks grow hot, and ducked her head and added, "That doesn't mean I'm a prude though." Jareth knew that already firsthand. But what exactly did she mean by that? She had gone back to looking at her cards. By the Underground, he had to know. Without further thought he slipped his gloved hand under her chin, tipping her face up so she would be forced to look at him. He inhaled sharply, as if clearing his head. His cold eyes bored into hers as he demanded, "Exactly how far did they get...these, men?" He asked matter-of-factly, annunciating the words with sarcasm. Sarah's eyes burned with insolence as she replied, "No further than you." As much as he fumed at the thought of another man kissing her, at least it was obvious that she never had any real feelings for any of them. Of course, how she really felt about him was still to be determined. He was tempted to elicit a confession from her, but there was no need. Her eyes didn't lie, and he had seen desire in them. But still, what she had just said angered him, and Jareth took her defiant statement as a challenge. Baiting the Goblin king had seemed like a good idea at the time, but Sarah was now painfully aware that his fingers still lingered beneath her chin, keeping her from looking away. She was slowly drowning in the blue and hazel pools of his eyes. Without warning, his gloved hand slid back, and his deft fingers trailed along her jaw line before burying themselves in her hair. She tried to look away, but he wouldn't allow it. His eyes never left her face as his fist closed, tugging her hair so that she was forced to look up at him. Something awakened in his eyes as his expression suddenly seemed strained. Nothing could have prepared her for what followed. In the next heartbeat his mouth claimed hers. Sarah closed her eyes. She was lost. Her head fell back as her muscles went slack. She was so taken aback, it was as if her body was stunned by the contact of his lips against hers. She knew she should move; react in some way, but she was too dumbstruck to respond. She didn't move, she couldn't. Jareth was in control, and he used his weight to force her back against the cushions of the sofa as he kissed her. With a single fluid motion of his hand, he brushed the cards off the couch so that he could get closer. His open mouth felt achingly delicious upon hers. Though every neuron in her brain screamed for her to stop him...she couldn't bring herself to push him off. She felt him shift so he was hovering over her, as his tongue slowly began to explore her mouth. She remained frozen in place, her lips parted, not rejecting him, yet not kissing him back. He slowly continued to kiss her, letting his mouth slowly open and close over hers, again and again. Oh God, he's not stopping... The feel of his hand roughly entangled in her hair felt surprisingly erotic. The slow deliberate ministrations of his mouth were relentless. It was pure torture. She felt her resolve start to weaken, her self control beginning to slip. She needed to end this now or her will was going to break. She weakly pushed against his chest, but he swiftly caught her hand, and forced it back down on the sofa. The powerful grip of his leather clad fingers on her wrist only excited her more. Just the thought of the strength he possessed made her knees weak. She was thankful she was still sitting with her feet planted on the floor, otherwise, she was sure he would have already been completely on top of her. His kisses grew slower, more agonizing. His lips venturing to the corner of her mouth, teasing her, daring her to kiss him back. Sarah wondered where he had learned to kiss like this...it was maddening. The withdrawal of his mouth and then its passionate return was the most electrifying thing she had ever experienced and it was seriously impairing her ability to remain in control. The next kiss was so slow and deep that it shattered her restraint. Finally, she desperately kissed him back with reckless abandon as the voice in her head sighed, I don't even care anymore... His mouth melded longingly with hers. And then it deepened, turning rough and insistent. As their mouths explored each other, Sarah suddenly realized how badly she wanted him. The thought of where this was heading terrified her. She had seen enough movies and had read enough romance novels to know that people didn't just kiss like this and then walk away from each other. If she let the situation progress any farther she was going to regret it later. How had this even happened in the first place? One minute they were playing cards and now she was kissing him. Jareth must have taken her last comment as a challenge, and now he was engaged. He was testing her, he had to be. Well, he certainly knew how to push her buttons. But she wasn't throwing in the towel just yet. Why should she make it easy on him? He wanted to see what he could get away with. Why shouldn't she question just how far he would go. Two can play at this game. Her hand strayed up the length of his arms, coming to rest at the back of his neck as she kissed him back with an astonishing ferocity. Instead of retreating, she moved her body closer to his. He released her other wrist and she quickly entwined both arms about his neck. It was time to call his bluff. She lifted her feet off the floor, settling back against the cushions. Just as she suspected, Jareth moved to hover over her. Their scorching kisses continued as Sarah deliberately tipped her hips upward, making contact with his lower body. She felt the evidence of his arousal digging into her thigh, and she reeled at the sudden persistent ache that filled her. Jareth inhaled sharply at the contact, burned by the overwhelming fire of his yearning. The feel of her body pressed against his was maddening. His breath caught in his throat as his restraint wavered. Sarah immediately repeated her advance and this time Jareth reciprocated with force, murmuring her name as he kissed her. This wasn't exactly the reaction she expected. She had thought that he had been bluffing, and that her playing along would make him pull back. It would have been the perfect time to stop him. Instead she kissed him back with years of pent up longing, pressing against him even harder. Jareth was taken by surprise by Sarah's sudden boldness and he silently prayed she would retreat before he tore off her clothes. For he was sure that if she didn't stop him, he would take her sweet virginity, and ravish her right on the sofa. Her passionate kiss was full of raw desire and it consumed him. In an act of self-defense he tore his mouth from hers, trailing searing kisses over her jaw and down her throat. He heard her sharp intake of breath. The feel of his warm lips on her bare throat was more than she could stand. She breathlessly whispered, "Jareth..." Not sure if she was pleading for him to stop or begging for him to continue. Hearing her call out his name so breathlessly only amplified his need of her. He wanted to give her so much pleasure that she would scream it over and over again. Sarah grabbed the fabric of his shirt tightly in her fists and tried again, "Jareth..." His hips came in contact with hers again and she felt the aching pleasure wash over her, stronger this time. Without meaning to, she moaned aloud. Frantically she pulled on the collar of his shirt. She had to stop this right now even though it was the last thing she wanted to do, "Oh...Jareth. No...we have to stop." Just then the loud doorbell sounded. Jareth quickly looked up as if trying to figure out where the sound had come from. Sarah's first thought was panic as she thought of her Dad and Karen coming through the door. No they are a thousand miles away on a cruise. What the...the food! Her mind felt hazy as she slid out from under Jareth, muttering, "Food's here." Her hands were shaking as she took the money from her wallet. Jareth sat back on the couch as Sarah answered the door. As Sarah opened the door, she was practically panting, as she tried to catch her breath. No doubt her hair was all messed up as well. This caused her already flushed face to blush even redder. Despite being mortified, she was half glad that the food had arrived when it did. She gave the delivery boy a hefty tip, as she figured he deserved it for interrupting whatever was about to happen on her parents couch. She shut the door, setting the bag of food down on the table. She couldn't bring herself to look Jareth in the eyes, but she had to say something after what had just happened. She was still trembling as she smoothed out her hair. She took a deep breath, concentrating on Jareth's boots. "Okay, you've proved you are entirely in another league than the other guys I went out with. Are you satisfied now?" He shook his head taking a step towards her, "A vague question like that doesn't deserve a straight forward answer. In one sense I am infinitely satisfied, but in another I am thoroughly un-sated." She glanced up at him in surprise, and he raised his brow, confirming that his statement was to be taken as an innuendo. She clamped her mouth shut as he ventured, "Tell me Sarah, are you satisfied?" Her face grew even redder, if that was even possible. Totally flustered, she stammered, "I...uh...Jareth, I...don't know if..." He held up his hand in a patient gesture, "Sarah you don't have to explain." Sarah swallowed and finally met his eyes. How can he be so beautiful? "I don't?" He shook his head slowly, as his mouth turned upward in an amused smirk. God, how can he be so charming. She took a sobering deep breath and protested, "No, there is something I need to say." His eyes remained fixed on her as he listened intently. "Look Jareth, I know that before, I didn't really know you...and that we've only just started getting to know each other. But so far I...like you, and I really would like for us to be friends. I'm just not sure that it's a good idea for things to get...physical between us er...just yet. I don't know what's going on or why you are here any more than you do, and I think it would be wisest for us not to...complicate things." She was disheartened to find that she couldn't read his expression. Rather than showing any disappointment or relief, he simply seemed calm. Nervously she continued, "I mean, you are from the Underground, you are Fae, King of the Goblins. I'm mortal, just human, and I live aboveground, surly you can see how any relationship between us, is bound to be riddled with complications. I mean, what if in a couple days this Lachesis shows up, and sends you back underground, and what if it isn't possible for us to ever see each other?" He hated to admit it, but she did have a point. He had had been so obsessed with winning her heart, that he never stopped to think of what the consequences might be. The only time he had ever heard of a mortal and a Fae being together was the case of his parents and things did not end too well for them. Be that as it may, he was not about to give up on Sarah. Maybe she was right though, at least for now, maybe the best thing to do was keep things on a platonic level. There was only one problem, How on earth was he supposed to restrain himself, especially now that it was apparent that the attraction was mutual. Jareth's face had become the expressionless mask again and his lips were drawn into a thin line as he pondered what she was saying. When he finally spoke, his voice was once again the cold even tone of the Goblin King, "You raise a valid point. I tend to agree." That was not what Sarah had expected. She had been mentally preparing herself for a heated argument. So, he could be reasonable. She was almost disappointed. Sarah shifted her attention to the bags on the table. "Well, since we agree...let's eat." She pulled out the cartons of Chinese food and grabbed some plates from the kitchen. Chapter 12: The Sarah Williams School of Driving Sarah handed a plate to Jareth and started opening the cartons. She offered each of them to him and he put a little of each on his plate. Sarah helped herself to some lo mein and chicken fingers. She dumped the remainder of the bags contents on the table. There were a few fortune cookies and some chop sticks. Jareth picked up a pair of sticks from the table, "What are these?" Sarah replied, "Chop sticks. Some people prefer to eat this type of food with them. I'm not very good at using them, but you can try them if you like." Jareth looked at the sticks and then at the food. He started to spear some chicken with them but Sarah quickly stopped him with her laughter, "No, not like that. Here...you are supposed to hold them like this, I think." Jareth watched as she demonstrated. She was just barely able to pick up some rice. When she handed them back to him he replied, "Surely you cannot be serious." Sarah was once again using a fork and right before she took a bite she replied, "Seriously, that is what they are for, but if it's too difficult for you just use the fork." Of course he was not about to admit to her that he couldn't do something, so he struggled with the chop sticks as Sarah fought to keep a straight face. Just as they were almost finished eating, the inevitable happened and Jareth dropped some food on his shirt. He sighed in annoyance, and Sarah could no longer contain the laughter that had been trying to surface. Jareth slammed the chop sticks down on the table before he stood up and angrily began to unbutton his shirt. Sarah quickly exclaimed, "Wait. I have something that can get that out. Hang on a sec." With that she ran into the kitchen and reemerged with a little wipe. She tore open the paper pouch as she strode over to where Jareth was standing. She held the bottom of his shirt and started wiping the fabric with the damp paper cloth. Jareth watched silently as she cleaned the stain and soon it was starting to disappear. "These things are the coolest. I always bring one with me when I have get dressed up to go somewhere." Jareth was suddenly aware of how close she was standing and he caught the scent of her hair. She smelled like flowers and springtime. As Sarah finished she let go of the material and looked up. "See, piece of cake." Her green eyes sparkled with mirth as he recalled she had said that same phrase to him once before. Sarah quickly broke their eye contact and started to pack up the cartons of left over food. As Jareth helped her clean up she noticed the fortune cookies still sitting on the coffee table. "Oh Hey, I almost forgot about these." She handed one to Jareth as he approached. He opened the wrapper as she continued, "Break it open before you eat it. There is a fortune inside." Jareth watched as she broke open her own cookie and then he did the same. Jareth glanced at the paper and read his fortune. "Fate will present you with an important choice." He looked at Sarah as she read her own fortune, her face turning serious. The paper in her hand read, "You won't stray from the path of your destiny if you follow your heart." "Sarah, What does it say?" Sarah swallowed hard, the fortune seemed a little too appropriate. She didn't want to worry Jareth so she replied, "Nothing important...What does yours say?" He looked at it again and crumpled it in his hand, "Fate will present you with an important choice." Sarah blinked as she felt goose bumps inching across her skin. She couldn't shake the eerie feeling that perhaps their destinies were no longer in their own hands. But then again who was to say that they ever were in the first place. Sarah laughed nervously, "Right well...I don't know about you but getting out of the house doesn't seem like a bad idea. How about I take you for a ride in the car." Wanting to give him some incentive, she added, "I'll let you drive...After, I teach you the basics." Jareth nodded, "I'd like that." A few minutes later Sarah was flying down the back roads of her town. The area was heavily wooded and Sarah figured the parking lot of the gun club would be the perfect deserted location to show Jareth how to drive. She parked in the middle of the lot and started to explain the basics. She showed him the pedals and demonstrated how to shift gears. After a couple times around the lot, she decided to let him have a go. She switched seats with him and talked him through starting the car. He managed to do it on the first try and he successfully got the car in first. It was a bit jerky but Sarah had to admit that for a Goblin King who had never even been in a car before today, he was doing quite well. Soon he was going pretty fast around the parking lot and was successfully changing gears. As he momentarily braked Sarah asked, "So what do you think?" Jareth looked over at her, smirking arrogantly, "Piece of cake." With that he quickly shifted gears and peeled out of the stop. Sarah couldn't help but laugh out loud. It was so like him to be gloating over the fact that he had learned to control the car. Sarah gave him the satisfaction of letting him maneuver down some of the adjoining streets before having him go back to the lot so they could switch places. As Jareth put the car in park Sarah showed him the rest of the controls like the automatic door locks, windshield wipers, and the radio. He was especially impressed with the windshield washers and the rock music. Suddenly, Sarah caught sight of a flashlight coming toward the car. Her first thought was panic as she thought maybe it was a police officer. The fogged windows prevented her from seeing who was out there. "Shit! Switch! Quick!" Jareth didn't question her, and immediately shifted under her to the right as she slid over him to get behind the wheel. Sarah looked through the windshield and realized there was no sign of a police car, or any other car for that matter. The flashlight was now at the window as she heard a tap on the glass. Sarah tried to catch her breath as she lowered the window a tad. A familiar female voice cut through the cold outside air. "Hey Sarah! I thought that was your car." Sarah brought the window all the way down as she recognized the voice, "Jesus, Trina! You scared the daylights out of me. I thought you were the cops." "Cops?" Trina lowered her head and looked in the car, "Why? What're you doing out here?" It was then that she noticed Jareth sitting in the passengers seat. At the same moment she also noticed the fogged windows and Sarah's rattled state. Sarah opened her mouth, about to say something but quickly thought better of it as she suddenly realized how it must look to her friend. Trina's eyes had widened, "Hey Sarah, who's your friend?" Sarah's face turned scarlet as her friend burst into a fit of giggles. Sarah sighed heavily, wishing she could disappear. There was no way this was going to end well. "Ah...Trina this is Jareth, Jareth this is my friend Trina." Trina nodded to Jareth and dropped her voice low so only Sarah could hear her, "Where've you been hiding him? You said you weren't seeing anyone?" Sarah gave her friend a look that shot daggers and hissed, "I'm not. This isn't what it looks like..." At that Trina just giggled more. Sarah was flustered but she continued. "Jareth is a friend from...ah college, he's just visiting from... London." Trina smiled smugly, "Ah that's right, your Dad and step mum are away. Nice timing." Trina looked at Jareth again, a hint of mischief in her eyes as she asked, "Nice to meet you Jareth. Is Sarah here showing you a good time?" Sarah rested her forehead on her hand as her mortification was complete. She heard Jareth say something like yes, and then she heard Trina's laughter again, "Yeah, I'll bet she is..." Sarah widened her eyes at her friend, giving her the silent, "You'd better shut the hell up" look. Trina finally got the hint as Sarah changed the subject. "What are you doing out here, Trina?" Trina held up an almost empty beer bottle, "Well, I heard there was a party out there in the woods, so I thought I'd check it out." Sarah shook her head as Trina continued, "It sucked though. Nothing but a bunch of drunk seventeen year olds." Sarah faked a sympathetic tone, "Oh sorry, I thought drunk seventeen year olds were your favorite?" Trina laughed, "Well, maybe when I was seventeen, besides there wasn't a cute one in the whole lot. I've got to draw the line somewhere. I was just leaving when I saw your car." Sarah nodded, "Do you need a ride home?" Trina waved her hand, "No, I borrowed my brother's dirt bike. He lives right behind those woods. I only had one beer, so I'll be fine." Sarah nodded, noticing the dirt bike parked behind her. "Well, be careful, and wear you helmet." Trina gave her a mock salute and replied in a saccharine tone, "Likewise. Well, goodnight. Have fun, and don't do anything I wouldn't do." With that she pulled on the helmet and gave Sarah a wink as she started the bike and sped off. Sarah heaved a sigh of relief as she started the car and headed toward home. She glanced at Jareth who seemed quite amused by the whole situation. "Interesting company you keep, Sarah." Sarah was still blushing at her friend's attempt to embarrass her. "Yeah well, subtle is one thing that Trina is not. I'm just glad it turned out to be her and not the police. That would have been a nightmare to explain. I can just hear myself now. Oh, I'm sorry officer. I was just showing my friend here, the Goblin King, how to drive. No, he doesn't have a license but he's from the Underground, a land full of goblins and dwarves. Yeah, we'd get put away for sure." Jareth could see how her explanation wouldn't have made much sense to anyone from Aboveground. Sarah continued, "That was a close call. I hope you don't object to going home. I've hade more than enough excitement for one night." Jareth smiled and shook his head, "By all means." Sarah suddenly looked worried and whined, "Oh No. Trina has got a big mouth, I hope she doesn't tell anyone." Jareth looked thoughtful, "Well if she does you'll just have to stand by what you told her, that I'm a friend from...London was it?" Sarah had insisted that they get some rest when they arrived back home, and Jareth had to admit that he was tired. Sarah wearily got into her bed, trying to silence her buzzing mind. To her dismay, she couldn't stop thinking about him. She had already slept poorly the night before, and it was looking as though tonight was not going to be any better. What she didn't know, was that Jareth was having an equally difficult time falling asleep down the hall. Chapter 13: Corn Dogs and Thrill Rides Sarah slept very late. When she opened her eyes she noticed the clock read 11:34. Well, it didn't surprise her, considering how tired she had been. What did surprise her was that the Goblin King didn't drag himself out of bed until shortly after Sarah had showered. By the time they were dressed it was getting on into the afternoon. Jareth examined the crystal again, and to his dismay it showed him nothing. At least he could look forward to spending the rest of the day with Sarah at the fair. They walked to the local fair, which wasn't too far from Sarah's house. As they walked, Sarah kept the conversation light and told Jareth about what they could expect to see at the fair. It was strange to see Jareth wearing faded jeans and a black sweater, but as different as it was, it suited him. As they neared the fair Jareth stared in wonder at the tall thrill rides. Soon they were standing at the entrance. Sarah paid for their tickets and lead Jareth through the gate. "Well, What do you want to see first?" Jareth pointed in the general direction of the rides. As they neared the rides, they passed several food vendors. Delicious smells of carnival food permeated the air and Sarah realized that she was rather hungry. She dragged Jareth over to a nearby cart and asked, "You hungry?" He nodded and replied, "A little." Sarah smiled and whispered, "Well you can't go to a fair and not try a corn dog." She politely asked the vendor for two, and handed one to Jareth. He simply looked at it for a second and replied, "Sarah, I don't eat dogs." Sarah laughed and nearly choked, "It's just a name for the meat in the middle. We call them hot dogs, but they aren't dog meat." Jareth took a tentative bite and found it was actually really good. "Well, what kind of meat is it?" Sarah shrugged, "Good question. Beef. Pork. Who knows? Personally, I don't really want to know exactly what's in them, all that matters us that they taste good." Jareth suddenly laughed, "Why do you call them dogs then?" Sarah thought a minute, "I don't know, but it's better then some of the other things people call them." Jareth looked at her curiously, "What do you mean?" Sarah scrunched up her nose, "Oh let's see, names like wiener, or weenie, franks, frankfurter, or tube steak...that's what my dad calls them." After they had finished their corn dogs Sarah led Jareth over to the rides and for a moment they just watched. Jareth stared in amazement as the great machines tossed and spun the human riders around in the most unnatural ways. Sarah smiled up at him as she leaned forward on the rail in front of them, teasing, "Well, What do you think Goblin King? Are you brave enough to try one?" Jareth was apprehensive, but he wasn't about to let Sarah know that. "Certainly, which shall we try first?" Sarah pretended to think for a moment and then pointed to a nearby ride that was blasting loud rock music. It had seats that were flying around a circular track with metal ramps. "How about that one? The music express." There were much worse rides, but she figured she could at least start off easy on him. There wasn't much of a line and Sarah figured that they would easily make it on the next turn. Jareth simply nodded as Sarah lead the way into the line. When the ride stopped and the passengers got off Sarah gave a few tickets to the attendant. Jareth looked down in surprise as she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards an empty car. Jareth looked at her and pointed to the seat, "Do you want the inside or outside?" Sarah smiled. She had been on this ride before so she quickly replied, "Inside." They got in and Sarah pulled the bar down. In a moment everyone was seated and a new song started. Sarah couldn't help but notice that Jareth was already gripping the bar as if his life depended on it. As Sarah recognized the blasting music as Motley Crue's "Kickstart my Heart" the ride started to move. She flashed Jareth a demonic grin as he gripped the bar tighter. In a moment the ride had picked up speed. So far, Sarah had managed to hold onto the side, to keep from sliding into Jareth. But as the ride sped up to maximum speed she could no longer hold herself. When she finally let go, she crashed full force into Jareth, managing to surprise him and knock the wind out of him at the same time. She couldn't keep from laughing, and when she looked over at him she found that he was laughing too. Blasting music assaulted them as they continued over the bumpy track at breakneck speed. As the ride finally slowed and stopped both Sarah and Jareth were laughing aloud. Sarah ignored the dizziness as she struggled to walk straight to exit the ride. Jareth was walking next to her as they headed away from the music express. She smiled and turned to him, "Well what did you think?" Jareth was still smiling, "That was fun." Sarah eyed the large rollercoaster behind him, "Are you ready for something a bit scarier?" Jareth had not yet glimpsed what she was looking at and prematurely replied, "Very well. After you." Sarah grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the roller coaster. When he finally looked to see where Sarah was leading him he visibly paled. Sarah clutched his hand tighter and teased, "C'mon it's not that bad..." Jareth clenched his jaw and followed, he wasn't going let her know that he was nervous about it. As they stood in line Jareth decided not to look up at the track above him. As they were about to get on the coaster Sarah pulled him towards the head car, "Let's sit up front, It'll be more fun." Jareth thought she had to be out of her mind, but he was determined to remain calm. Sarah would taunt him endlessly if she knew he was hesistant. As the car ascended the huge hill Jareth fought the urge to close his eyes. Sarah was looking at him. There was no way that he was going to let her know that he, King of the Goblins, who could touch the sky in his owl form, was afraid of being so high up in the rickety contraption. As he looked over at Sarah he realized that she was no longer smiling. In fact, her eyes were screwed shut and she seemed to be swallowing with dread. So, this scared her too. Suddenly, she opened her eyes and looked at him. Their eyes met for a moment before he felt her hand clutch his tightly. For a second he forgot his fear. That was until they had reached the top and he found himself looking down the almost vertical track they were about to careen down. As they made the first and farthest drop, his hand grasped Sarah's tighter, and he was overcome by the feeling of weightlessness. He heard Sarah scream. Suddenly they had reached the bottom of the drop and the car swiftly changed direction and climbed another hill. The rest of the ride was curvy and fast, but none of the drops were nearly as bad as the first. It did not escape his attention that Sarah was still holding his hand. She didn't let go until the ride stopped. As they descended the steps, Jareth leaned in close to Sarah's ear and remarked, "Why Sarah, I do believe you were frightened." Sarah brushed a stand of hair behind her ear, averting her eyes, "Maybe just a little..." After a ride on the bumper cars, Sarah decided to get some fried dough. She convinced Jareth to try one as she loaded hers with powdered sugar. He put some cinnamon on his, remarking that the powdered sugar would be too messy. She would have expected as much from him. As they headed back over toward the rides, Sarah heard her cell phone ringing. She stopped, and moved over to the side of the midway where it was quieter, just in case it was her parents. Jareth stood silently as she answered her phone. "Hello?" "Hey Sarah, it's Kim." "Oh hey Kim, What's up?" "Not much...out shopping. Where are you?" "At the fair." "Oh...Are you with Jareth?" "What? How do you know about him?" "Trina called me last night and told me that she caught you parking with a British guy, and that he's shacking up with you while your Dad is out of town." "Do you believe everything she tells you?" "No, That's why I was calling to get the real story. So tell me Sarah, who is this guy? Trina said he's a hottie." Sarah tried not to look at Jareth, the amused expression on his face was too unnerving. "Kim, first off, he's just a friend...visiting from London, and I was not out parking. I was letting him drive my car." Kim sounded hurt, "So you are with a guy...why didn't you tell me the other night?" "There wasn't time, he just sort of dropped in after the party. I didn't know he was coming to visit." "Uh-huh sure...always an excuse. How long is he staying with you?" "I don't know for sure, few more days maybe..." "Well in that case, I want to meet him. What are you doing tonight?" "Ah...I don't know...nothing, I guess." "Great, then why don't you bring this mystery guy to meet Trina, Brian and I at the Inferno." "What? The inferno? You guys are going clubbing?" "I thought you'd be game. Excellent! Oops, I gotta go. I'm about to get a parking ticket. We'll meet you out front at ten. See you then. Bye Sarah!" Sarah looked at the display. Kim had already hung up. "Shit. I hate it when she does that." Jareth was still wearing an amused grin, "I take it that was another friend of yours?" Sarah angrily nodded and put her phone back in her pocket. She sighed as she turned to face Jareth, "Yeah my friend Kim. Apparently Trina has already opened her big mouth, and now Kim thinks I was out parking with my mysterious foreign boyfriend and insists on meeting you." Jareth was confused, "Parking?" Sarah kept forgetting that he was unused to slang. She tried to keep a straight face as she attempted to explain, "Fooling around in a parked car...Ugh, you know what I mean..." Jareth's smirk was intolerable, "So, she thinks we are lovers?" Sarah suddenly found the dirt on the ground very interesting as she weakly replied, "Yeah, something like that." Jareth continued, "And they insist on meeting me?" Sarah simply nodded as he replied, "I'd be delighted to meet your friends." Sarah shook her head in frustration, "Well it's not like she even gave me a choice in the matter. She's expecting us to meet her tonight, and if we don't show up, the rumors will just get bigger. Maybe we'd better go and set the story straight. I hope you are up for some serious acting, because there is no way my friends are going to believe the truth." Jareth quickly retorted, "Well, would you believe the truth, if you were in their situation?" Sarah bit her lip, "No I guess not." Jareth crossed his arms over his chest and regarded her, "It's settled then. We'll adhere to the story you gave Trina, and hopefully meeting me will satisfy your friends' curiosity." Sarah snorted and muttered under her breath, "You obviously don't know my friends..." Jareth ignored her last comment and asked, "Where exactly are we meeting them?" Sarah threw up her hands, "Yeah, well that's the best part," She began sarcastically, "They want us to go with them to a dance club!" Jareth thought a moment, "So. I don't see why that worries you. I'm an excellent dancer." Sarah rolled her eyes then looked at him as if he had three heads, "Well I'm sure you are. Forgive me if I don't exactly recall...that peach made my memory a bit hazy." Her tone had a touch of acidity and Jareth suddenly realized that she must've harbored some anger over the incident. His smirk vanished and he quietly stated, "Sarah, I admit my intention was to make you forget about the task at hand. But in my defense, it was your fantasy, not mine..." His eyes darted over her form and he continued, "That's not to say that I didn't enjoy it." Sarah had suddenly seemed to lost her breath, "I really don't want to talk about this now. We have more pressing things to be concerned about. For one thing, I can guarantee that you are not going to see that type of dancing at this place tonight, in fact I doubt you've ever seen anything like what we will encounter tonight." Jareth noticed the worry in her voice. He gently tipped her face up, so he could look in her eyes, "Don't worry. I'm a fast learner. I'll follow your lead and all will be well." He grinned at her and added, "You taught me to drive, this should be a piece of cake." Sarah couldn't help but smile. "Alright, how about one more ride before we head home?" Jareth stepped aside and gave a slight bow, "After you..." Sarah was already feeling a bit better about meeting with her friends. As Sarah lead Jareth to the Skydiver she continued to mentally tell herself that everything would work out. Jareth glanced up at the large ferris-wheel-like ride and decided it didn't look so bad. It wasn't moving terribly fast so he felt no apprehension when he and Sarah boarded the ride. He was slightly puzzled as he looked at the wheel in front of them as they strapped themselves in. As soon as the ride began to move Jareth immediately began to regret getting on. Sarah had taken hold of the wheel and started to turn it, causing their whole car to spin on its axis as the large wheel brought them up and around. Jareth tried to stay calm, but the motion was making him terribly dizzy. He leaned forward and held on, hating the feeling as the car was dropping as it was spinning. Sarah seemed to be enjoying herself, laughing and spinning the wheel furiously. Suddenly Jareth lunged forward and grabbed hold of the wheel tightly, "I think that's enough..." Sarah noticed that his face had paled and suppressed her laughter, "What? You're not having fun?" Jareth tried to keep the wheel straight. The spinning motion of the car had stopped, but Jareth felt as though his head was still spinning and he started to feel a bit nauseas. Sarah was about to tease him but then thought better of it. He didn't look so good. When the ride finally stopped moving, the man opened the car to let them out. Jareth didn't take his time getting out. As she hurried to his side she asked, "Are you alright?" Jareth, looking quite pale shook his head. "Do you feel sick?" Jareth nodded and replied, "a little." Sarah replied, "Well, lets go home so you can rest. It's just motion sickness it will go away in a little while." Jareth was feeling a little better by the time they had walked back to the house. Sarah insisted that he rest, even though he assured her that he was fine. He finally gave in deciding that some sleep may not be a bad idea since Sarah was pretty certain that they'd be out late.