Giles and Buffy had been very supportive with Sarah’s training as the day progressed. She was able to catch on to the fighting techniques that they taught her very easily. Sarah was quite impressed with her newfound abilities, though she still felt wary about the whole idea of having to fight and kill demons, vampires and the forces of evil. Yes, she had figured out the Labyrinth, defeated the Goblin King and rescued her baby brother when she was only sixteen but this new adventure that was starting within her life was something totally different.

Plopping herself down onto the couch Sarah lay back into the couch enjoying the break that her and Buffy were finally given. Buffy sat down beside her smiling to Sarah’s show of exhaustion. Sarah looked to Buffy, “I won’t be able to walk tomorrow after this.”

“Nah, you’ll feel fine in a few hours. It’s one of the perks of being a Slayer. We heal a lot faster.”

Whipping her head with the towel that Buffy had thrown to her Sarah looked around Giles living room looking for where he had gone. “Where did Giles go by the way?”

Buffy smiled, “Oh, he probably went to recuperate.”

“But we did all the work. He just…OH! I hope I wasn’t too hard on him with those punches.”

Buffy looked over towards Sarah, “He can handle it. By the way I’ve been meaning to ask you about something.” Sarah’s brow rose at this. “The first day we met you were drawing a picture of some guy. What was with the reaction?”

Sarah got up from the couch not really wanting to explain her actions of that day but not wanting to lie about it. “Shouldn’t we get back. I would like to take a shower before you introduce me to your friends.”

Buffy looked to the smiling Sarah in thought, ‘Ok, so she doesn’t want to talk about it. I wonder why? Oh well, we’ve only known each other for a couple of days can’t expect her to tell me everything.’ “If you want. Go ahead and we can meet back here later tonight.”

She was grateful that Buffy wasn’t trying to pry any further into it and was in a hurry to leave. Best get going before she changed her mind and ask again. “Ok, till tonight then.”

Buffy watched as Sarah left then shrugged it off as nothing. Giles came down the stairs from his bedroom fully changed and showered from the activities of the day. When he saw Buffy and no Sarah he seemed a little disappointed, “Oh, did she leave?”

As she walked towards the college Sarah looked up at the clear blue sky inhaling deeply. So far there had been nothing strange or unexplainable happen and thankfully no sign of Jareth. She thought that maybe when he saw what she was capable of he probably thought it best not to trifle with her. She laughed at herself for that idea, “Yeah right!” If there was one thing she was sure of was that Jareth was not one to walk away from a challenge. ‘I wonder what he wants. I can’t get that man out of my mind. God, he’s even causing me problems when he’s not inflicting them. Maybe…maybe he’s not the villain that I keep making him out to be. What am I thinking? He’s the Goblin King. He steals unwanted children and turns them into stupid horrid goblins.’

Before she knew it she was at her dorm room and she rushed into it to gather her things for a nice long shower. Taking her shower she returned to her dorm room, wearing her white bathrobe that came down just past her knees.  Sarah had never before been so relieved to see her bed as she laid back into its comforting embrace. Closing her eyes she let herself enjoy her moment of silence when she felt something soft and gently caress against her cheek. Her eyes shot open at that moment as she quickly sat up from her bed.

Jareth sat at the edge of her bed holding a peach colored rose in his black gloved hands with a devilish smug about his features. She wanted to hit him right then and there but held restraint against that little impulse. She might be the Slayer but he was Fae, a very powerful Fae and she wasn’t sure how he would react to her doing that little action she was urging at the moment. Instead she settled for words, “What do you think you're doing? Get out!”

He did not move from his sitting position and looked to her as he tilted his head to the side, “Now Sarah, why the hostilities.”

She was speechless at this point she was boiling over with anger. ‘The absurdity of this…this…’ Sarah bolted out of the bed glaring down at Jareth not sure what she was going to do. 

Jareth’s grin deepened when she did not answer him. With her newfound strength she could have easily pushed him off the bed and tried to fight him out of the room. He knew that she was unconsciously holding back, which pleased him. Though he was curious to see just how strong she was and dared to rise to the occasion of baiting her.

Sarah almost sighed with relief when Jareth vanished from the bed but her relief was very short lived when he appeared just behind her. She froze. His warm breath drifted over her neck as he traced the delicate peach rose across her cheek. Her heart raced at his actions and part of her wanted to swoon under his attentions but she refused the sudden emotions, turning to face him.

Turning to face him her eyes met with his, trapped within their depths once again. When would she learn not to do that? The words that she had planned to speak had fled from her mind as he started to close the small distance between them. Sarah backed up, not aware that she was backing up towards the bed. She felt flushed unsure of her self as he refused to stop coming closer. As the back of her legs met the bed she lost her balance falling back onto the bed.

Jareth continued his approach crouching over her lying form. Sarah’s eyes went wide when he continued onward. With her arms she pushed herself back away from under him until her back hit the headboard of her bed and still he continued. The look in his eyes made her heart flutter even more, if that were possible. His sensually accented voice broke the overwhelming silence within the room. At this point Sarah would rather he had not spoken for the sound of his voice alone was enough to drive any woman mad with desire.

“Sarah, why do you fight against your feelings? I have so much that I could give you, show you. My offer still stands.”

Sarah couldn’t believe her own ears, was he proposing that she go back with him to the Labyrinth, to be with him. She looked to herself unsure of the feelings that he was bringing forth. Her thinking stopped when she felt his lips against hers. At first it was as gentle as the rose he had traced along her cheek. She surprised herself as she returned his kiss. The intensity of his kiss deepened once she returned his kiss. After what seemed like a long moment Sarah found herself reluctantly pushing him away. He stopped and looked at her with such pleading she almost pulled him back but restrained herself and pushed him off of her completely. Climbing over her bed she came to her feet on the opposite end.

“No, you’re…This isn’t right. I can’t…I…” She was at a total loss now. Her emotions felt confusing and her mind was screaming at her for pushing him away but how could she. She was the Slayer now, she had responsibilities. How could she leave her world behind when the world she lived in needed her so?

Jareth was slightly disappointed but he was not about to give up. She loved him and he knew it. It would only be a matter of time before she realizes it and lets her world go to join him in his. “Very well,” he sighed then vanished from her room returning to the Underground.

Sarah’s legs gave out from under her as she started to break down into tears. Why now and why her? There was just too much going on at the same time it was so overwhelming. Glancing over to her alarm clock she saw that it was almost six and quickly brushed the tears aside to get ready for the meeting over at Giles's place. She just hoped that they would accept her as well as Buffy and Giles.

Jareth reluctantly returned to his throne room and was immediately greeted by a group of very unhappy elves. He was in no mood to deal with any of his subjects let alone the elves. They lived almost right beside his kingdom and often traveled across his. He glared down at them, not happy that they would have the nerve to come to his castle uninvited.

“And just what do you think you are doing?”

One of the elves stepped forward from his group to address the king, “Your Majesty forgive our rudeness for coming unannounced but we have good reason.”

Jareth’s brow rose at this, “Continue.”

“There have been a great number of our people killed or missing and we have found nothing to who it is who is responsible. We implore you to please look into this matter.”

Had he been so preoccupied with Sarah that he had missed this bit of information? There wasn’t much of anything that went on in or around his kingdom that he did not know about. ‘Did he say killed,’ “How many?”

Another elf stepped from behind the first, “Ten to our knowledge.”

“Ten, and how many of those have you found dead?”

“Seven.”

Jareth sat down in his throne deep in thought. For the first time in his long-lived life he was actually shocked, ‘Seven dead and three missing. This is impossible, the inhabitants of the underground have very long life spans.’ Jareth nodded dismissing the small group. They left with no other words spoken sure that if anyone could figure out what was going on and stop it, it would be the Goblin King.

Looking around his throne room he noticed something rather peculiar, “And where are those pesky Goblins of mine. Flim!” he yelled out for the leader of his goblin guard.

A tall goblin ran into the room his armor trying to fall off of him as he entered. Bowing to his king his head shot back up with wide eyes listening for his command.

Jareth looked to Flim with distaste, “Pick out the most capable of your guards and gather what information that you can about anything out of the ordinary.” Just as Flim was about to make an about face and exit the room to do his kings bidding he was stopped by Jareth’s voice, “Oh and Flim, if you fail me this service I will send you head first into the Bog of Eternal Stench.”

Flim’s eyes went even wider just before he ran out of the throne room to perform his duties for his king.

Jareth sighed heavily to himself as a crystal appeared within his hand. He knew that he would get little help from his goblins. The only things that they were capable of was gathering gossip and causing immense chaos.

Sarah stood nervously at the door not sure of if they would accept her into their little group. With a deep breath she rapped on the door and waited for the dreaded answering of the door. As the door to Giles house opened Buffy smiled warmly and took Sarah by the hand, “Come on, I want you to meet the gang.”

Sarah walked in not sure what to expect but was surprised by the warm welcome that she did receive. The red head that she remembered from her first day smiled and waved.

Buffy introduced her first, “You remember Willow.”

Willow smiled excited to receive the newest member of their group, “Hay, so you’re the new slayer huh.”

Sarah just smiled as Buffy moved around the room and introduced her to one guy with dark short hair, she noticed that he was kind of cute, “This is Xander.” Sarah noticed a girl standing by Xander stiffen just before she moved closer to Xander and sat on his lap wrapping her arm around him. She didn’t look like she liked Sarah very much from the way she was glaring, “Oh, that’s Anya,” Sarah noticed the slight distaste in Buffy’s voice when she introduced Anya.

Giles interrupted the introductions trying to get down to business, “Well, now that you’ve met everyone shall we get to the business at hand.”

Buffy and Sarah sat down on the part of the couch that was not occupied and waited for Giles to start to fill them in on what ever he had planned for this meeting. Sarah’s mind really wasn’t on the meeting within the room as she barely even heard Giles go on about strange disturbances that had been reported. He had mentioned something about her and Buffy looking into it but nothing more. She absentmindedly touched her lips remember the lingering kiss from just a few hours ago. The way his voice sounded when he proposed his offer to her and how much she wanted to say yes. Sarah’s daydream was broken as she noticed the silence within the room and as she looked around and saw all eyes on her.

Sarah’s face flushed, “Ah, sorry!” She felt literally awful, if there was anytime for daydreaming about a specific Goblin King now was not the time.

Buffy touched Sarah’s arm, “What’s up?”

“Why do you ask?” she tried to sound innocent not wanting to explain but knowing that she would probably have to and that she needed to make up something fast.

“Well, I don’t know, you seem to be somewhere else. You okay?”

“Yeah, I was just thinking of someone. Sorry.” With that said she made sure that her mind stayed focussed on the meeting from then on. “So, what was that about strange disturbances?”

            Willow decided that she wanted to fill her in, “Something’s been breaking into peoples houses and reeking havoc. Giles, that just sounds like a normal, well maybe not normal, I mean non-demony kind of thing.”

            Taking his glasses off for a moment he answered, “At first I thought it just a normal breaking and entering until I heard about a strange sighting at one of those break ins. They described it as being, let me see,” at this point he replaced his glasses and held the article of the newspaper up to read, “some disfigured looking child.”

            Sarah sat up at the description her back stiffening as she had the uncanny feeling that she knew exactly what that creature might be. Buffy noticed Sarah’s reaction to the description.

            “What, just a small disfigured thingy. Yeah, that’s a lot to go on. So, was this all Giles or are you that desperate for something to happen.”

            Sharply looking at Buffy for a moment, annoyed at her insinuation, “Buffy if you would let me finish…They said that this disfigured looking child had disfigured wings and flew away before they could get a picture of it.”

            “Sounds a bit freaky. So, Giles have you found anything in those little books of yours on what it is?” Xander finally said something but only succeeded in receiving a glare from Giles.

            Buffy stood pacing back and forth behind the couch, “So, I guess all we can do is keep an eye out for this thing while on patrol. Unless you know what it is?” she asked Giles.

            Giles tossed the newspaper down, “Not with the description in the newspaper. I need a bit more to go on than a short disfigured creature with wings.”

            Sarah was silent not able to shake the feeling that the very creature that was described was a goblin. The image of the goblin falling out of the large machine that guarded the Goblin City gates when Hoggle had thrown him out, kept leaping into mind. Wanting to get out and find out if she was right or not Sarah stood from the couch and addressed the group, “So, I guess me and Buffy should get going.”

            Giles looked up to her and then answered, “Yes, while you two are out patrolling Willow and Xander can help me see if we can find anything more on this creature.”