Threats and Promises

By: Me

Edited By: no one

Inspired by: all you reviewers

Chapter Twenty

Author's Note: LAST chapter! Hope you all like, please review.

Karen knocked on the door.

"Go away!" I shouted.

"Sarah, open the door," she sighed and I buried my face in my pillow again. It'd been three days and I hadn't come out of my room. "Sarah, Jareth told me what happened and I want to explain."

"There's nothing TO explain!" I howled, though I wasn't sure if she heard me since my cries were muffled. Really, there wasn't anything to explain though. He'd tricked me into loving him and… she shook my head. Why did I still love him? He must have not taken the spell off or something because I still loved him… which only made me hurt worse.

"Sarah," Karen walked right through the door "listen to me." I didn't say anything, I stayed quiet. "Sarah, I'm going to explain because, Jareth apparently didn't do such a good job of it. When you left the first time, Jareth was heart broken and he wanted you to love him so badly that he came to me and Elaine for help."

"To put a love spell on me," I whispered.

"Well no," she said "see, we were supposed to put both a spell on him and you. Him to have split personalities, and you a love spell, yes. But see, Elaine cast a spell on him, but I didn't cast the love spell on you."

"Why?" I asked quietly.

"Because you didn't need it," Karen laughed "you loved him already, you just wouldn't admit it." I didn't say anything, though tears fell again. "Sarah," Karen breathed "he loved you so badly he just wanted you to be with him. I know your upset but… don't break his heart again."

"He's not the heart broken one here," I snapped.

"Ah," Karen nodded "but he is. He was wrong for what he did Sarah but he loved you enough to let you go… to tell you the truth and not hold you Underground against your will. He still loves you, and by the looks of it, you love him. It'd be a shame for both of you not to be together." She paused. "I was shocked when you said you loved him, that's why I came by to ask you to say it again, for I wasn't sure exactly if you'd said it or if I was dreaming. You being stubborn and all."

"I don't think I can handle talking to him," I whispered.

"Just remember," she caressed my cheek with her palm "it takes a big person to forgive Sarah. It's so much easier to hate rather than love. Sometimes, even though your hurt, you've got to stand up for what you think is right. If you think you and he are right, if you love him… then you've got to do something about it because, Elaine will have him if you don't. She likes him you know, not love, not as you do but, well, you've seen him." I laughed a little, the first time in days. "Of course, any woman that lays her eyes on him is going to swoon, that's another thing both of you will have to work out. Jareth's a loyal man though Sarah, he wouldn't betray you. He loves you."

"Karen," I was quiet a moment "we've never been very close but-"

"Believe me," she said "I wanted to be but, I had to be the evil-stepmother type for this to work. You needed someone to nag you to keep you a dreamer before you go back Underground. Your father," she sighed "he's such a realist that if I hadn't nagged you, you would have been like him. Your mother would have been good for you, but she left…" Karen paused. "Now you've got Jareth, and believe me, you won't become a realist with him around." She gave a small smile. "But now we can be friends can't we? I mean, you'll be seeing me often, since, we'll be sharing a secret. We both being Underground so much."

"Does dad know you're a-?" I asked.

"No," she shook her head "and don't you dare tell him either. He'd freak."

"I wasn't planning on it," I promised. "Should…" I took a deep breath "should I call him?"

"I don't know if he'll hear you darling," Karen informed "he hasn't slept nor eaten in three days. Just sitting on that throne of his, zoning… miserable… I'll happily send you to his castle though."

"Does he know I wasn't under a spell?" I asked and she nodded.

"I told him when he told me what had happened," she explained "made it all the worse for him to know you really loved him." I bit my lip and nodded.

"Yeah," I said "send me there. Just, uh, not in the throne room please." Karen kissed my forehead and smiled at me.

"I won't spy," she said quietly "so don't feel out of place. Tell him what ever you feel you need to say without worry." She hugged me. "You're a brave girl Sarah." I hugged her back.

"Thanks," I whispered back and I felt her body disappear from my arms. Opening my eyes I was outside the throne room. The doors were shut tight and no goblin could be seen. It was dark, very gloomy and it was raining outside. Thunder boomed. I opened the door quietly and looked in. Jareth was on his throne, leg propped up, staring at the opposite wall. I opened it more but he didn't even seem to notice. Crystal shards were scattered against the opposing wall, and a glass was next to his throne. But he didn't appear drunk… only dazed. I walked in a bit, only half way into the room but he didn't seem to notice. It was dark, but not THAT dark. Though only a few candles illuminated the room. I walked up to him and squatted down to the side of his throne. He glanced at me.

"Great," his voice was groggy "now I'm SEEING her too." He covered his face with one of his hands and made a muffled sound as if he choked back a sob.

"Jareth?" I whispered. My voice was soft and hesitant. He muffled another sob and shook his head.

"I'm going crazy," he whispered and I put my hand on his. He paused a moment and looked up at me, his face white as he'd seen a ghost. "Your not real," he murmured "your…" I shook my head.

"When you say I starve and exhaust you," I muttered quietly "if I'd known you being literal I would have stayed."

"How did you get here?" he asked, looking depressed and shocked.

"Karen," I said quietly.

"By the gods," he muttered and covered his face again.

"No, no," I said quickly pulling his hand away from his face "she explained. That's not to say I'm not mad but, she explained everything." He just nodded.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"Would you rather I leave?" I asked quietly, feeling that maybe he didn't want me there anymore.

"No," he said blankly "but if you're upset with me why are you here?"

"To yell," I teased but he apparently saw no humor in it. "I'm kidding," I grumbled and he just nodded. "You know it wasn't a spell…"

"It doesn't matter," he sighed.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because you hate me," he said, as if it was common knowledge.

"Do I?" I asked quietly.

"Do you?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Well…" I thought a moment "no. I'm mad but I don't hate you." He was quiet a long moment and he just looked at me.

"Maybe you should go," he whispered.

"Why?" I asked "don't you want me here? Should we talk about this or… or something?"

"Just go," he murmured and my mouth fell open. What the hell? I was supposed to be mad at HIM, not the other way around. The door squeaked open and I turned around. Elaine looked at me in shock.

"Well," she said stiffly "I wasn't expecting to see you here ever again. Whatcha here for? To yell?"

"Well no," I said again, feeling slightly confused. "I came here because Karen said that-"

"Karen," she scoffed "still trying to get you to fall for him. Well, let me tell you he's no good. He's hurt you one to many times and… I say you should leave him now before anything else happens." She shrugged. "Besides, it isn't as if you love him or anything." Something clicked.

If you think you and he are right, if you love him… then you've got to do something about it because, Elaine will have him if you don't.

If I didn't love him, Elaine got him. She got to take him for her own… I was in awe. No WONDER Jareth looked so depressed! Words filled my mind, of what to say, of what to do, but five words came tumbling out of my mouth.

"But I do love him," I said strongly. Jareth's eyes lit up and Elaine gave me a nasty look. I didn't have time to say anything because I was picked up off my feet. Jareth turned me around and laughed. "Okay, okay," I muttered, holding onto him so I wouldn't fall "put me down." He set me down on my feet and kissed me. I was shocked at first, (I'm not really sure why, he'd kissed me before) and every hair on the back of my neck stood on end. But then I relaxed. When we (finally) stopped, Elaine was gone and I was left alone with him.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly "about what I did. It's just-" I covered his mouth.

"I know," I said quietly "Karen explained everything and-" this was the hard part. It would be hard to forgive him after what he did. I took a deep breath. Forgiving meant forgetting, and not bringing it up again. Not holding it against him… not hating him for it. And it was so much easier to hate. "I forgive you." He kissed me again and we both vanished.

I'm not at liability to say what happened with us that night, I've never been a kiss and tell kind of girl. All I'll say is, it was the most remarkable thing of my life. I finished high school, and needless to say, Karen and I got along much better ever after. After I finished high school I went on to collage to become a writer. Jareth and I are still together. We have planed to get married next fall. Karen says we'll have to tell dad eventually, personally I'm not sure how he'll react to me marrying a goblin king in tights (I'm not sure how he'll react to HIM being married to a queen). I'm not sure if we'll live happily ever after, that's a whole other story.

The End.

Author's note: Perhaps I'll make a sequel. All depends on how many of these stupid things I finish. :laughs: Conner says sorry for the plot twist, but uh, he's not too good at sex chapters so we had to switch it to make the chapter longer and… yeah well, here we are at the end. THANK you for reviewing. Hope you liked my story. I'll probably go back and fix grammar/spelling/ inc sometime but now I've got like… 6 other stories to finish. So review and MAYBE if you guys want, I'll tell you what happens after the wedding (and how her dad takes it, sheesh). :giggles: