Worries about the future...

Jareth looked at her, passion in his own eyes. She expected him to bring her to her bedroom, or maybe even his castle. She expected him to make love to her. She didn't expect to hear that words that fell from his lips. "Now is not the time or the place Sarah." He told her. She could see the disappointment, the hurt in his eyes. He wanted her, wanted to give into her. But something held him back.

"When will be the right time and place Jareth?!" There was anger in her voice. Anger from being denied once again to feel his arms around her as he claimed her as his own. "Why won't you finish what you've started??" She was trembling. Why did he tease her like this? He hungrily attacked her and then he retreated.

He sighed. "Because I love you Sarah and I know that even though at this moment you believe that you are ready to take the next step, I know in my heart that you are not."

"Who are you to tell me when I'm ready or not?" She growled.

"Push the desire aside for a moment and think about how you feel. Can you truthfully tell me that you have no doubts about me making love to you? That you feel no fear and no uncertainty? If you can tell me truthfully that there is no doubt in your mind than we will continue this." She stopped, closing her eyes for a moment. She trembled. She wanted him so badly yet there was a voice in her head telling her it was not the time. She wasn't ready for this yet. They still had not talked about so many things that could end up changing or ruining their relationship. They should not share such intimacy until they had settled the things that they both had been pushing aside. Fears and problems they chose to ignore rather then discuss.

She let out a sob and collapsed against him. "Its not fair.." She sobbed.

He took her into his arms and tried to still his racing heart. He wanted nothing more then to take her to his castle and make love to her like he had dreamed of making love to her. But she wasn't ready and neither was he. They had not talked about the future. Where would they live? His castle, her house? What about Aryanna? Would the little girl enjoy hearing that her mother was in love with the Goblin King or would she be upset? Would she accept him as her father if Sarah chose to marry him? He closed his eyes trying to still the thoughts that raced in time with the beating of his heart. He needed to stop teasing her like this, even though he didn't mean to. He needed to stop teasing himself.

"It's late. Let me take you home." She nodded against him, still clinging to him. They appeared in the upstairs hall once again.

"Stay with me tonight Jareth." She whispered against him.

"Sarah..."

"Just lay beside me, like you did today at the beach. That's all I ask." He nodded. "Let me go change for bed." He nodded again and she disappeared into her room. He let out a deep sigh. It would take all his will power to keep his hands to himself tonight. But he would do it.

"Ok you can come in." She called after a short while. Jareth entered. She was pulling down the sheets of her queen sized bed, dressed in a silk nightgown that was lavender in color. She turned and noticed that he had changed as well. He wore a loose fitting shirt and loose fitting pants. Both were white and made of silk. His feet were bare as well as his hands. She smiled at the change. "Is that what you normally sleep in?"

"At home I do." She smiled and turned on the lamp beside her bed. She got up and flipped off the switch of the big light that hung in the center of the room. Jareth swallowed as she plopped herself on the bed and stared at him.

"Are you coming or not?"

He hesitated. "Sarah, I still think this is a bad idea.." She frowned but got up from the bed moving towards him. She took his hands into her own.

"I trust you Jareth. We're both adults. If we can't handle sleeping in the same bed without being touchy, feely in an intimate way, than we have a problem." He nodded and she released his hands, moving back to lie within the sheets. He moved toward her, slipping into the sheets on the opposite side of the bed. She lay on her side and she shut off the lamp beside the bed. He laid on his side as well, his chest against her back. He draped one arm over her and she took his hand in hers, pressing it against her face.

"Good night." She whispered softly.

"Good night Sarah." She was sleeping minutes later and he hated her for that. Sleep had claimed her so easily while he now lay on his back, one hand buried in the top of his hair in desperation, looking up at the ceiling. There was so much to talk about and still neither of them wished to discuss what needed to be said. He knew it was for fear of the consequences, for fear that they could not love each other the way they both wanted to. For fear that circumstances would pull them apart once again. It frightened him, but he knew he could not live without her.

He sighed and rolled over, facing the opposite side of the room. He wanted nothing more then to take her and Aryanna to his castle. He wanted Sarah to be his queen. Aryanna would be a princess living out her fairy tales and he and Sarah could conceive a child together, an heir to the throne. He could picture Sarah, dressed in a gown fit for a queen, a slight swell to her belly where their child grew. A child created from their undying love for one another.

He squeezed his eyes shut, the image in his mind shattering. He needed to be realistic. Sarah wouldn't just let him sweep her off her feet to be taken to the underground. She wasn't a teenager anymore who lived for fairy tales. She was an adult who's had her share of hardship. She wouldn't want to live in his filthy castle over run with stupid, annoying goblins. She would want to stay here in her own world, where everything was clean, familiar and where her brother, her work, her daughter's school were. He let out a shuddering sigh. She would never want to go back with him...

He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Are you still awake?" He glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall. He had been awake for nearly two hours.

"Go back to sleep Sarah." he told her softly, unable to keep the fear and hurt of his previous thoughts hidden.

He heard her sit up in the bed and she squeezed his shoulder with a small amount of pressure. "Jareth what's wrong?"

He turned his head to regard her worried expression. He reached up to touch her cheek and gave her a warm smile. "I can't sleep is all. Happens every so often. It's nothing for you to be concerned about. Go back to sleep." He gave her a reassuring smile and she smiled in return, lying back down on the mattress. She was asleep again minutes later and he sighed softly, closing his eyes and begging for sleep to take him away from his thoughts.