Sealed with a kiss...

It was nearly 6 when Sarah got home. She was tired and a little cranky from such a long day. She was glad that Ary was at Toby's. She needed the peace and quiet as much as she loved her daughter. Her boss Jake had once again asked her to type up and work on a report for him. He was pleased with her work and had given her an assignment to work on over the weekend. He promised her extra pay for her time spent on it. Extra money meant buying extra groceries or being a step closer to having the mortgage paid off.

She walked into her home to find Jareth sitting in the recliner his boots crossed at the ankles and propped up on the foot stool. He was involved in a movie and he didn't even notice her come in. It wasn't until she opened the hall closet and hung her coat up that he realized she had come home.

"Sarah. How was your day?" he got up quickly from the chair, remote in a gloved hand, and he fiddled with the buttons trying to shut the damned thing off. He finally figured it out and tossing the remote back onto the chair, he followed her into the kitchen. "Can I make you some dinner?" He offered eagerly.

"No thanks. I'm not very hungry right now. I'll have some soup later." She walked slowly to the table and put down a folder.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm just tired. Long day and I have some work to do." She glanced up at him noticing that his hair was damp. "Took a shower?"

He nodded. "I must get one of those for my castle." She grinned, but it faded quickly. She walked into the living room and returned with a large black case.

"What's that?"

"A typewriter. I think I'm the only one I know of who can't afford a computer. This still works though so I'm fine with it." She opened the case and he watched her pull out the strange looking machine with buttons that had little letters on them. She opened the folder and sat down pulling out papers, beginning to work. Jareth sighed.

"You just got home from work and you're going to work more?"

"I want to get this done so that I can have the rest of my weekend off. I have laundry to do tomorrow and the floors need cleaning, the house needs vacuuming."

He nodded and left the kitchen so that she could work, but she could tell that he was unhappy with her decision. Truth be, that what she told him was only half of the truth. She did need to clean and do laundry, but she was also a little worried about spending time alone with him. She knew that she was an adult but she was also one who had not been in a man's arms in 8 years. Not that she had much time to dwell on that fact. Aryanna needed constant love and attention. She knew she could control herself, but what about him? He had said that he never stopped loving her. Was that true now? She shook her head, banishing the thoughts and watched him head back into the living room. He didn't put on the tv but instead sat down by the bay window in the same rocking chair he had seen Sarah rocking in days before.

He listened to Sarah type away for over two hours. The steady sound of her fingers hitting the keys relaxed him. He finally got up from the chair and went to see how she was doing. She was in the same position, sitting and typing away.

 He walked to the sink and realized that he had forgotten to wash Aryanna's breakfast dishes. He decided to wash them by hand so he could watch her work. She looked so serious when she typed and so beautiful. She had written something by hand and was copying it and typing it up. Her long dark hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail with a few strands dangling in her face. Every so often she would tuck a strand behind her ear, just to have to have it fall forward for her to tuck back later. As he was drying the last dish with a dishtowel he noticed that she appeared to be in discomfort. She kept reaching for her neck, rubbing the back of it with her fingers.

She was nearly finished. One more page and she would be done with her extra work. She felt rather then heard her stomach growl but it was forgotten an instant later as soft leather encased fingers touched her neck and began to massage the sore flesh. She tensed immediately.

"Relax." His voice was a soft whisper, his warm breath traveling down her neck and under the top of her sweater. He seemed to know exactly where she hurt and his touch felt so good that she couldn't help but relax. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the moment. He massaged the muscles in her neck for a while longer, kneading carefully with his fingers the tender flesh. Sarah's head fell back and she repressed a groan. "Better?" he asked slowly pulling his hands away.

"Yes...thank you.." he nodded. She flushed as he stood beside her, gazing down at her with those beautiful mismatched eyes. His hair had dried and it fell in soft wisps around his face. Her stomach growled again and she grinned, thankful for the distraction. "I guess it's telling me it's hungry."

"It's telling you that you eat like a bird. You're going to get sick if you don't eat something."

She stretched and gazed at the type writer. "I only have one page left, I'll finish it and then eat." She turned her attention back to the type writer and he sat in the seat beside her, resting his elbow on the table and his face in the palm of his hand as he watched her work.

"You're exhausted." He said just after she had finished.

"I'm all right. Besides I can sleep in the morning. Ary won't be waking me up early to watch cartoons with her so I can sleep."

"Maybe I'll wake you up to watch cartoons with me."

One of her brows rose. "Do you even know what cartoons are?"

"No." he told her casually. "But the thought of waking you up is an exciting idea."

"Hardly." She told him, rolling her eyes. "And if you try it tomorrow, you will see why my brother nicknamed me 'Morning Bear.' "

Jareth smiled sweetly and she caught a glimpse of his teeth. "How is your brother? He must be 20 years old by now."

"Yes. He'll be 21 in a month and a half. Time has certainly come and gone. It seems like just yesterday, he was still in diapers. Now he's an adult and watching my daughter."

Jareth was quiet for a moment and then he regarded her thoughtfully. "Do you ever regret wishing him away to me?" She didn't answer him right away and to him it felt as if his words had been a shout, still lingering in the quiet air.

She shook her head, more strands of hair escaping from her ponytail and falling into her face. "No. Wishing him away was one of the best things I ever did." She answered honestly.

A brow rose over a blue eye. "Really?"

"Really. I didn't like Toby at first. I didn't like much of anything back then. My mom left me when I was 10, she was always off touring with Jeremy, her co worker. She was too busy to take care of me so my dad got custody. Then he met Karen and before I knew it they were married and then Toby was born. I hated it. I was always an only child and suddenly this little brat comes along and gets all the attention and all the best toys. But after I won him back, we became really close. Babysitting him wasn't such a big deal anymore. I would tell him stories and we would watch movies. We grew up and as we both got older he became my best friend. We could tell each other anything. Things we couldn't tell Dad or Karen. I hate to think about what would have happened if I hadn't wished him away. My decisions with Toby were some of the only right decisions I've made in my life and I wouldn't take them back for anything."

"Give yourself, more credit." He reached across the table, tucking the loose strands from her ponytail behind her ear. His touch amazed her, so soft, so gentle and not the least bit frightening to her. He gave her a slight smile and then stood, moving to the cupboard opening two of the doors. "Which kind of soup would you like?"

"Jareth I can make my own soup." She said, collecting her papers and putting the typewriter away in its case.

"I'm sure that you're quite capable, but then again so am I."

"Jareth, you burned your hand the last time you cooked." She rose from the chair and moved to him, standing by his side. He watched her with a growing curiosity. She reached for his hands and took them into her own, turning them so that his palms faced up. "Which one did you burn?" she looked from one to the other.

He pulled his hands away from her quickly and she reached for them again and this time she didn't relinquish her hold.

"You can either tell me or I'll remove your gloves one at a time until I find the burn myself. Either way I'll find out."

He let out an aggravated sigh and pulled his left hand from hers leaving his right. She carefully pulled the glove back and off.

"Dear God Jareth!" She gasped. The underside of his pale hand was red, raw and blistered in a few places. "You should have told me, this could get infected." She touched the flesh gently with her fingers and he winced trying to pull his hand from hers. "I need to put something on this. Come upstairs with me." He followed her obediently up the blue carpeted stairs, his hand still within her grasp.

They went into the bathroom and Sarah walked with him to the sink, gently resting his hand against the cool white porcelain. She reached above the sink, opening doors to a small medicine cabinet and pulled out a few bottles. "This is going to sting, so be forewarned." He nodded and clenched his teeth together as she dabbed the wound with medicine. Then she put gauze and a large band-aid over it. "That should help it heal. I'll clean it twice a day."

"Sarah I'm fine, there is no need to fuss." He told her pulling his hand away possessively. She just watched him. God he acted like a child sometimes.

"You're not fine." She put the bottles back into the cabinet and shut the doors. She turned to him, leaning against the sink and counter. "Couldn't you have healed that with your magic?"

He shook his head. " I can take the pain away for short periods of time but I couldn't heal the injury completely."

"You can reorder time and all that other fancy stuff and you can't heal yourself?"

"I told you I have limits. Besides I'm not a healer; I'm a Goblin King."

"Yeah well you're at my mercy then Goblin King, until this heals." She grinned. He didn't reply but quickly pulled his glove back onto his hand.

They made their way back downstairs where she pulled out a can of soup and divided it into bowls. She heated each of them separately and placed them on the table along with two glasses of juice, spoons and napkins.

"I'm not an invalid. I could have made dinner." Jareth told her as he took a seat. He was supposed to be helping her, not the other way around!

"I didn't say that you were." She tested her soup and found it just right and sipped it slowly. "How did things go this morning with Ary?"

"Fine. Although one of your neighbors decided to make an appearance." He told her taking a sip of his own soup.

Sarah lowered the spoon from her lips. "Oh no. Who?"

"Linda. Nosy woman. Asking me question after question. I told her I was a friend of the family and Ary was kind enough to follow along."

"Ugh, Linda always has to be in the center of everything. She's a trouble maker."

"She gave you trouble when he left you didn't she?"

She quickly looked away from him, and concentrated on stirring her soup. "Jareth I don't want to talk about this right now." Damn him. Why did he need to know about things like this?

"All right, but should you change your mind. I'm here to listen, to anything, anytime."

"Thanks." He nodded and they ate in silence.

"Well that hit the spot." She announced standing and gathering her dishes. "Would you like to watch a movie?" She asked walking to the sink.

Jareth stood, following her to the sink with his own dirty dishes. "You really should get some sleep."

She smiled. "I can sleep in the morning, remember?"

"Not if I wake you up.." he teased.

She came very close to slapping him. She started to fill the sink but he gripped her gently by the arms, pulling her out of the way.

"You made dinner, I will wash the dishes." He told her. He snapped his fingers and the dishes were gone.

"That's cheating."

"Your point?"

"That's not fair." Jareth grinned at her as the words fell forth from her lips.

"The old Sarah hasn't gone anywhere." He smiled.

She shook her head and he followed her into the living room. Sarah sat on the couch and he sat beside her, but not too close. He watched her as she flipped through the channels. By the bog, she was beautiful. Her long dark hair, creamy skin, those hazel eyes that made him weak in the knees when they focused on him.

"Jareth?"

"Huh?" His eyes widened and he glanced at her.

"I asked if you wanted to watch First Knight. It might be a movie that you'd like." He nodded and she got up, putting a tape into the VCR. She pushed play and sat down beside him on the couch.

Both Sarah and Jareth were very interested in the movie. They made small comments about this or that as they watched but for most of the time they remained silent, watching and listening. Jareth tried to pay attention to the movie but his eyes had a mind of their own and they kept focusing on the woman sitting beside him. How would he survive this weekend without touching her or holding her? Without telling her how much she meant to him?

The movie finally ended and Sarah reached for the remote to rewind the movie and shut the tv off. She flipped a light switch on the wall beside her and a lamp across the room lit up. She glanced down realizing that during the course of the movie she had stretched out over the couch, leaving Jareth very little space. The gentleman he seemed to be, he had given her all the space she needed without complaint and he was nearly sitting on the arm of the couch. He sat up just watching her. She stared at him and a lop-sided grin touched her lips.

"What?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

"This is just so weird. The two of us sitting here watching a movie."

"Is that bad?"

"I didn't say it was, just weird."

"How so?"

"Jareth, C'mon, you have to admit that sitting here and watching a movie with me is strange."

"It's not what I am accustomed to, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable."

"I didn't say that either. It's just felt like the last few days have been a dream, that..." She flashed him a brilliant smile. "That I don't want to wake up from." He opened his mouth to protest and she waved a hand at him. "I know I know. It's not a dream, it's real." She sat up and moved a little closer to him. "Why is it that you won't tell me why you're helping? Why does that make you so uncomfortable?"

"Does it matter why?" He asked.

"I suppose it does. This just doesn't seem like you. I know that you have changed, but still, this is just really weird. You were so cold, cruel, manipulative and arrogant. But now...I don't see any of that. Why are you so eager to do what Ary wants? And why on earth would you want to help me after what I did to you?"

"Sarah..."

"No seriously Jareth. You were trying to tell me you loved me and I said the words. I turned your world upside down."

Jareth shifted, moving closer to her and pulled one knee up toward him, resting his boot on the edge of the coffee table. "You did turn my world upside down Sarah, but not in the way that you think. I realized that you were too young, I realized it too late. My pride blinded me and I tried to win and tried to admit what I felt at the same time. I failed with both miserably. But it isn't about winning or losing anymore. It's not about mazes of stone, screaming babies or pride and deceptions. This certainly isn't a game anymore. It's real life."

"But life is a game. We're all pawns on some board and someone else is in charge, moving the pieces around, shaping our future."

Jareth shook his head. "We may not be in charge of specific events but in the end we are in charge. We are in charge of how we handle situations, if we move on or stay in the same place."

Sarah lowered her eyes from him. Her voice came out as a whisper. "Do you think that it's my own fault that I fell so far? That Adam left me?"

He shook his head and reached for her, brushing back her hair from her face. "If you want my honest opinion, the man who left you was an idiot. I don't know the exact situations and your past together but I know any man who left you, is a fool. He left you with child, no less. As far as I'm concerned he's lower then the slime on the bottom of the bog of eternal stench."

Sarah let out a soft chuckle, and tried to hide the tears that formed in her eyes. Jareth didn't miss them and he touched her face smoothing her cheek with a leather encased thumb.

"Sarah you are too strong of a person to carry on the life you are leading." He told her. "The Sarah I knew would never have allowed me to see her cry, she would never have been so calm in my presence."

'The old Sarah is gone, Jareth and she isn't coming back. That was 20 years ago."

"I realize that."

"Do you? Or are you stuck in the past? Too much crap has happened and it changed me. I'm not the person I used to be." She pulled away from him drawing her knees up to her chin. "I cry a lot, I break down easily, I'm an easy target for public and work related ridicule. I'm not the spunky, strong willed teenager that I used to be. I'm a middle aged, single mother.....who is..." She squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to cry. She would not cry. "Who is totally lost....I don't know if I'm coming or going. If it's day or if it's night. There are only two things that I am sure of in my life right now."

"What are you sure of Sarah?" He moved closer to her, letting his hands gently slide up and down her arms.

"That I love my daughter and....and" She turned away from him, gathering the little courage she could find within herself. When she found it she looked at him, tears still blurring her hazel eyes. "I know that I don't want you to leave me..."

Jareth blinked, surprised by her words but he forced himself to recover quickly. He didn't want to give her the wrong impression "Sarah, I'm not going anywhere." He said softly. "I will stay as long as you and Aryanna want me to stay."

"I don't even know you. I don't know what your favorite color is, or your favorite food. I don't know what makes you angry or happy. All I know is that... I don't want you to go."

"Then I won't." He ran his thumb over her cheek again and she let her face rest in his hand.

"I can't give you any promises for the future Jareth. I...I don't even know what I feel for you right now. I like you. I know I like what you have become, but I can't promise anything more then friendship. I can't and I won't offer anything more right now. Aryanna comes first. Before me and before you."

"Then we shall be friends, and we will stay such until you decide otherwise." She smiled brightly and Jareth felt his breath catch in his throat. God he loved her and he would do anything for her. "Let us seal our friendship with something. Something that will never happen again unless you will it."

She nodded and took a deep breath. He hesitantly leaned his face closer to hers. She knew what he was going to do and the truth hit her hard, but she wanted him to do this. She closed her eyes and she felt his breath warm on her cheeks. After what felt like minutes his lips gently and hesitantly touched hers. It was a soft, gentle and completely harmless kiss he placed on her lips. A kiss from a friend. He began to pull back but she leaned forward kissing him in return. She could feel and hear his gasp of surprise but she ignored it and concentrated on him, pressing her lips against his.

It had been 8 years since she had kissed someone; 8 years since she had been in someone's arms. 3 of those years, she had not been selfish. She had not dated, even when she wanted to because of Aryanna and her fear. But Aryanna didn't fear Jareth so neither should she. She would accept his help and she wasn't afraid to show him that she wanted it, more then anything else she wanted right now.

He didn't return her kiss at first, due to shock or because he didn't want to push her, she didn't know. All she knew was that his hair tickled her face, and his lips were soft and warm against her own. He smelled like her herbal shampoo and like Dove soap. He slowly began to return her kiss, gently moving his lips over hers as if she were something fragile and he was afraid that she would break.

He let her make the decisions. She broke the kiss first, taking a quick breath and immediately leaning back into him, not just with her lips, but with her entire body. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to her. She could feel the warmth of him against her, his hands, one in her hair the other slowly sliding down her back. Her kisses became more demanding, as she wanted more of him. Her breathing and heartbeat quickened and then suddenly his lips were gone, the warmth, the feel of his body was gone and she felt cold and alone.

She opened her eyes to see him sitting at the opposite end of the couch trying to compose himself. Trying to slow his breathing and his racing heart. He watched her as she gazed at him. She looked disappointed.

"We have to stop Sarah. You don't know what you feel for me Sarah. I will not let something we both may regret happen."

She nodded, thankful that one of them had come to their senses. She realized it should have been her. They sat for a short time, their breathing returning to normal. She reached for him and he watched her curiously, his glance and position guarded yet not unapproachable. She leaned against him, her head resting on his chest beneath his chin.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" She whispered. He shivered as her warm breath brushed over the exposed skin of his chest.

He smiled to himself, but didn't answer, instead gently running his gloved hands over her, soothing and relaxing her. Her breathing became shallow and he knew that she had fallen asleep. He held her for a while longer and then he carefully lowered her onto the couch, laying her head on the pillow and draping 2 blankets over her. He smiled as he watched her roll over and begin to dream.

"You loved me Sarah.." he finally answered. "Even though I didn't learn that until 20 years later.. you once loved me." He leaned over placing a soft kiss on her forehead and then he moved to the recliner. He sat, leaning back and he put his feet up on the footstool He watched Sarah sleep for a little while and then his own eyelids felt heavy and he let them fall. Sleep took him quickly and soon he was dreaming of the raven haired woman who lay a few feet away from him...