Chapter Eighteen: Goodbye is Not Forever

It was nearly 7 o'clock that morning when two figures appeared in the Aboveground, side by side. It was a beautiful day already, with a soft breeze tugging at the leaves of the trees, and the beginning rays of the sun peaking up from a cloudy bed to welcome them. It was a perfect morning, and both human and Fae that stood to see it were silently agreed that it was a special morning.

Sarah looked around the place where Jareth had transported them, and felt her breath catch slightly in her throat. They were in the park where Sarah had spent countless hours reading and acting with Merlin watching. It was a rather stirring sight, with the familiar pond and bench and evergreen grass eagerly awaiting her as if she had never left. . . As if her whole adventure with Jareth hadn't happened. But it had, and Sarah would never forget what had occurred between herself and the Goblin King. Things had changed, and with those changes Sarah bitterness and anger towards Jareth had dissipated. Now a clear slate took the old emotions' place, making the young woman internally celebrate at what was to come. She was making her decisions, and she was sure of what she wanted. She was exactly where she needed to be.

Jareth watched Sarah as she looked around the park, and felt his heart begin to cave in his chest. Everything he had ever wanted was standing before him, and he the Goblin King knew that it would forever remain just out of reach. His chance for happiness was gone, and Sarah's was just beginning. She didn't love him, nor should she. But for a time he had dreamed.

Darkness began to build in the Fae's mind, but he pushed it back to its deep recesses. He wouldn't let his despair swallow him whole until he returned to the Underground. Jareth would enjoy the moment. He wouldn't ruin his last minutes with Sarah with bile or venom; he would make them count. . . And it was at that exact second that his beloved Labyrinth Champion spoke.

"It's seems as if I never left," Sarah said quietly, turning to regard Jareth with a small teary smile. "Everything is exactly the same as the day you took me."

"It is the same, precious. From the clouds and sun fall, down to the birds singing their morning song outside of your bedroom window."

"How?" Sarah's brow crinkled slightly.

"I've reorder time for you, Sarah. To the loved ones in your life- with the exception of your friend Tetra Grace- it will seem as if you haven't been gone at all. I thought it would be better for you not to have to answer pesky questions concerning your whereabouts."

"Thank you, that was very considerate," Sarah said. ". . . But I thought you moved the stars for no-one?"

Jareth snorted, his mismatched eyes showing both amusement and melancholy. "That was before I fell in love, precious. Universal rules don't have as much meaning as they once did."

Sarah stared at him for a moment before she moved closer and reached out a hand to take his larger one in her own. The Goblin King sighed as his hand was encased within her smaller one, and let his eyes once more take in the beauty before him. After a moment, Jareth knew he couldn't stall anymore.

"I'm going to miss you, Sarah Williams," he said softly as he raised a forefinger to brush the stray tear from the corner of her eye. "You willful, beautiful, precious thing."

Several new tears fell down the young woman's cheeks as she shook her head. "Goodbyes don't last forever, Jareth."

"They will be for us, dear one," Jareth whispered forlornly as he leaned his forehead against the girls' lovingly. "You will move on with your life and forget all about me, as was always intended."

"I could never forget you. . . Not now or ever, Goblin King."

Jareth was about to disagree, but Sarah moved fast and was almost instantly tangling her hands in his hair. Usually this would have been a capital offense- the King's hair was a sacred thing after all- but when the young woman angled his head and moved her lips to meet his own, Jareth couldn't say that he was upset.

Her lips were so soft and tender against his own- so intoxicating with so much passion that at first Jareth was lost. After living nearly a thousand years, all his kissing skills and knowledge of pleasing his partner went out the window. All he could do was hold her to him, and flounder along like a drowning man. She had him heart and soul, and Jareth was reduced to a hopeless, star-strung romantic. This girl with certain, special powers had conquered him, and there was nothing to be done. He had truly become hers to toy with, and the Fae King couldn't even bring himself to hate her for it. Oh no, there was only love for Sarah Williams, and that was the thing that was killing him.

Finally when Sarah pulled away from the kisses, Jareth knew that their parting had come. From the way her beautiful green eyes shifted and she looked up at him, he knew without question. . . She was going to leave now. This was the end.

"Goodbye, Sarah."

"Goodbye Jareth-" the Goblin King mentally cringed at the words he had most loathed to hear, but then to his complete surprise Sarah didn't turn away. Instead, the wonderful thing said something that made his heart surge with hope. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Pardon?"

"I will see you tomorrow," Sarah repeated with a soft, knowing smile. "After all, if I'm going to become the Goblin Queen one day, I'll have to get to know the King really well in our period of courtship."

Jareth was silent for a moment- the shock making him still- before a shaky laugh escaped his mouth. Then, the hesitant chuckle became the Goblin King's full-fledged laugh. It was deep bellied and happy, and Sarah watched him with a private little laugh of her own.

"Do you mean it, precious," Jareth asked some minutes later when he was once more able to control himself. "Do you really wish for me to . . . visit you in future?"

Sarah stood on tip toe and placed a soft peck to Jareth's cheek before she took several steps back. "Yeah, though you'll have to change your appearance somewhat when you meet my dad and stepmother. I don't think they could handle seeing my boyfriend in overexposing leather pants and not have a come-apart."

Jareth smirked despite himself, and shook his head in awe. For it appeared that his Labyrinth Champion had thrown him for a loop again; the lovely, magnificent little devil!

"I told Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Diddymus, before you and I left the Underground this morning, that I wanted to change my life. That I wanted to start over with all my relationships and try to make them better," Sarah said. "Did you think that that resolution excluded you?"

"Yes, actually . . . though now I am certainly happy that I was wrong."

Sarah's green eyes twinkled merrily as she winked at him, and then turned on her heel to leave the park and return to her home. "See you tomorrow, Jareth. Don't be late, okay?"

"See you then, precious thing," Jareth called after her, observing her retreat with hopeful mismatched eyes that now shone in the morning light.

The Goblin King watched his beloved Sarah go with a full heart, knowing that despite the past he was getting a second chance. It would take time for them to build a new relationship after the past they had shared, but it was a start. They would do it together, and then someday down the road Jareth would ask her to marry him again. (Unforeseen to the Goblin King, Sarah had already decided her answer for when he did ask again, and it would be the answer he craved more than anything.) But that was the future, and this was the present. There was only now. And Jareth had never been so relieved or excited for what lay ahead. His chance at happiness hadn't left him, or at least not permanently.

The Goblin King then shape shifted into his owl form, and flew high into the morning sky, singing joyous songs on the wind as it gaily caressed his feathers. He had loads to prepare for tonight, and a Kingdom full of goblins to help him do it. Then with in a blinding flash of brilliant white and gray feathers, Jareth disappeared in a puff of magic.

He was no longer worried about what the day would bring. For Sarah had perfectly designed the remainder of their story, and oh what a beautiful story it would be.

A/N: Well this marks the ending of Goodbye is Not Forever, my darlings! *cries both happy and sad tears* It has been wonderful and I'm going to miss this story. I hope you have enjoyed this journey as much as me and that you have some fond experiences with it. ^^

Love you all, hopefully I'll see you down the line for more Labby one day.

~Lyn Harkeran