I was panicking.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my freaking god!" I half-yelled, running around my apartment like some insane woman.

Emily watched me with amusement, leaning against the wall with a coffee mug in hand. "Geez, Sarah. This isn't some meeting with the president or anything. Chill, m'kay?"

"I WILL NOT EFFING CHILL!" I screamed, trying not to curse, due to my brother being in a ten-foot radius. "I CAN'T FIND MY SHOES, FOR CHRIST'S SAKES!"

"Look in the freezer," Toby suggested serenely, not even looking away from his video game.

I quickly move over to the refrigerator, throwing open the door to the freezer to see my red stilettos stuck in the ice machine. "Dammit!" I muttered under my breath, taking out my freezing shoes and swiftly going over to Emily to shove them at her.

"Blow dry these for me?" I asked with a pleading grin. She gave me a look that aptly expressed her hatred for me, but put down her coffee and took my shoes anyway, albeit begrudgingly. "Love you!" I said, running back into my room to find my purse.

Jareth was in my bathroom, just getting out of the shower (he does so appreciate the Aboveground, especially when he can rinse out his hair with peach-scented shampoo), and I rapped loudly on the door to let him know that he needed to hurry up.

I found my purse underneath my bed, of all places. At least I found it. I looked into the mirror and found that I was actually decent. Emily had practiced on my hair, and it didn't look terribly. But, like she had said, I'm not going to meet the president or anything.

My bathroom door opened and I turned around the see Jareth, dripping wet and clad only in a towel. I'm sure my eyes practically bugged out of my head. "Get some clothes on!" I hissed, frightened that Toby would wander in. I didn't want him to be scarred for life if he caught me pouncing on only a towel-wearing Jareth.

He flashed me a cheeky grin and moved to take the towel off. I made a dying animal noise and quickly covered my eyes. "I can't afford to jump your bones right now!" I wailed. "We're leaving in less than ten minutes!"

"That's plenty of time," Jareth cooed seductively.

"Shut up," I growled, throwing a shirt at him, a hand still over my eyes.

Five minutes later, I was standing by my door (thanks to Emily, in my now dry heels), kneeling down so that I was eye to eye with Toby. "Jareth and Emily are going to take you in the limo," I explained quickly. "You know what the rules are for riding in the limo."

"No running back and forth, annoying the driver, or falling out of the sunroof," Toby said dutifully.

I smiled at him. "That's my boy. Don't let Jareth spy on anyone in his crystals, especially me, and if you catch him, report him to Emily. She'll probably threaten to hide the chocolate stash, and that usually works. Use your best manners once you get there, and leave at least a couple of cheese squares alone. No looking up girls' dresses, and don't do anything Jareth tells you to do unless Emily agrees, okay?"

Toby nodded solemnly and Jareth appeared behind him, looking disgruntled. "Why does no one trust me around here?"

Emily and I both opened our mouths at the same time, but Jareth quickly raised a hand to stop us. "Besidesdoing what was asked of me . . . and stealing brownies."

I rolled my eyes. Emily looked like she wanted to hurt somebody; probably Jareth. By the way she gave him the finger behind his back, I would say definitely Jareth.

"I saw that," Jareth smirked. Emily rolled her eyes.

I kissed Toby on the head. "Be good. I'll see you in a bit." Jareth leaned forward hopefully, but I just blew him a kiss with a mischievous grin.

"Bye guys!" I said before going out the door.

After the whole "the Joker knows where you live and can break in and stalk you easily" incident, Emily and I decided to move. We left our apartment behind and moved just outside of Gotham to a small city called Liberton. We now occupied a slightly secluded cottage house with a small pond in the back, and we loved it.

When I went out of the door, I ran over to the helicopter pad. That was something I had put in.

Bruce was there, waiting for me. I quickly gave him a hug before getting into the helicopter. "These things still freak me out!" I yelled over the noise as he helped me get inside.

"But you sure can arrive in style!" Bruce yelled back with a grin.

We arrived quickly and I bustled into the building with the intensity of a rabid piranha. Everyone was already there, for the most part, and I was due to give a speech any second now. Bruce left me, heading into the party, as I went backstage and was prepared for my speech, which was going to be aired live on the news. Camera people and other personel put a microphone on me and pushed me around for quite some time until, finally, they pushed me towards the stage.

I put on my actress grin and walked out to the podium on the center of the stage as applause filled the room. I waved away their applause until it quieted down and I was given the sign to start talking.

"Hi," I said, with a small smile on my face as I took in my surroundings. "I . . . Well, I actually didn't write a speech tonight. In fact, I only knew about it a few hours ago." Emily was a good briber. Brownies are everyone's kryptonite . . . Well, except for Superman. Probably.

"I threw this party," I continued. "Mostly because, at the time I decided I was going to throw it, I was pretty high on adrenaline and was rather delirious thanks to the lack of sleep I was able to get as the crazed lunatic the Joker chased me around town." Some people laughed, others chuckled. I was being serious though, and hadn't expected laughter. I kept going, "But this party... this get together of the great people of Gotham, my personal close friends, and several people that Bruce invited that I have no idea exist," more laughter, "is why I kept going during that time. When I was being terrorized, it was you all that kept me going.

Some of you here gave me a free cab ride, even though I have more than enough money to pay for a thousand cab rides," I found Monty's face in the crowd, and he winked at me. "Some of you kept me sane by playing Go-Fish into the late hours of the morning," Amy laughed along with everyone else, clutching the arm of her now-boyfriend Josh the jock. "Others protected me, even when they shouldn't have," Seth shrugged good-naturedly, standing next to his wheelchair bound father, his mother, and his girlfriend with her own father, the Commissioner. "And some took care of me when all else seemed lost." Bruce smiled at me, and I grinned back.

"I persevered," I said, raising my chin and drawing myself up to my full height. "And so can all of you. Life is a precious gift that can be taken from you at any moment. So enjoy it. Live. Tonight, go out with friends. Call your parents. Cherish your loved ones. Tonight is a special night, but so is tomorrow night, and the night after that. Go out there, and take life by the balls!"

I was met with roaring laughter, and as I joined in the guffawing, I finally noticed the familiar head of unruly blonde hair I had been looking for. Jareth had entered, looking dashing in a tuxedo, Emily at his side and Toby on his shoulders. He beamed at me and I felt happier, right in that moment, than I had ever been in my entire life.

"So I hope you enjoy the rest of your night, people here and at home," I said, pausing, and then continuing with a mischief smirk on my lips, "I'm going to go make out with my incredibly good-looking boyfriend now. Good night."

And as people gasped in shock, roared in surprise, and chuckled in amusement, I practically flew off the stage and launched myself at Jareth, mashing our mouths together as quickly as I could. He smiled into the kiss, one arm wrapped around me and the other holding on to my brother, who proclaimed loudly, "Eww! Gross, Sarah!"

And as people judged, and laughed, and shook their heads, I kissed my boyfriend (what a funny word to call him now) right in the middle of the crowd of my closest friends.

It was going to be a good next six months.

I got home late, tired, alone. Everyone had gone to the after party at Bruce's, but it was late, and I wanted some alone time. I rarely got it anymore, and had no idea when I would get it again.

The first thing I noticed was that there were roses on my table. I smiled and moved to smell one quickly, and they smelled lovely, though different. I took the enveloped that was attached into my hand and opened it before taking out the card and reading it.

I'll be there for you
As the world burns
D
O
W
N

I shrieked when the roses suddenly erupted into flames. I ran quickly over to the kitchen to grab the fire extinguisher, but when I came back, the fire had gone out. My brow furrowed; all that was left of the roses were ashes.

I read the card again one more time. And I had such a sense of foreboding that I ripped up the card and through it out of the window, watching as the pieces fluttered away in the wind.

This is the end

My only friend, the end

It hurts to set you free

'The End' by the Doors

I wasn't kidding. I seriously hurts to set this free.

Haha, sorry for using a cliche song to close this up, but nothing else fit in my head.

I have had this written for about two years, but I have been incredibly loathe to part with it. It's nothing special, and it certainly wasn't worth waiting three years for. I'm rather sorry about that. I know it's rushed, and short, and... just blehh, but it's all I have to give. I've worked on it for years, and just couldn't make it how I wanted. But I hope it ties up a couple of the loose ends (haha - it doesn't. lulz I lied) and satiates you all for another three years. LOL, just kidding... kinda. ;)

I still have the intention of writing more for this story, in a continuing trilogy. I have the storylines in my head, I swear. I have so many drabbles, it's ridiculous. It's just that I look back at this and laugh - it's tongue and cheek, to be sure, and it's supposed to be funny. But I've changed so much over the last few years, I don't know if I'll be able to keep writing such as this up. I've matured greatly since my early teenage days . . . AtWB just isn't the same to me. But I still love it, of course! :)

I hope you enjoyed the ride. Please don't be discouraged - I'll write more one day. Hey - it's been three years, but I still put this out!

You all mean more to me than you could possibly know.

Thank you for the last few years,

Much love,

Becky