I will only say this once so listen closely I DO NOT OWN THE LABYRINTH ANYONE WHO SAYS DIFFERENTLY IS LYING! I just like messing with the characters.

A/N Sarah is slightly different, I made her more selfless, plus I changed her looks an little bit (please don't kill me!) just gave her curly hair and hazel eyes (that's it! I swear!), in this one Karen is more the teenage brat then Sarah is. And Jareth has never seen Sarah before.

"Through dangers untold," I recited, advancing on an imaginary Goblin King. "And hardships unnumbered. I have fought my way here, here to the Goblin City, to take back the child you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours! And my kingdom as great!"

I heard thunder rumble in the distance as Merlin barked.

"Kingdom as great…" I reached into the back pocket of my jeans, wishing I were wearing a white gown that would fit with the story. I read the words I was constantly forgetting out loud: "You have no power over me."

But he does, I thought. He has her brother, he could use that against her, doesn't that mean he has power over her?

I looked up at the sky, wondering what was wrong with the princess, after all, he was offering her everything she ever wanted. She wanted her brother back, so wouldn't she get him back if she accepted the Goblin King's proposal?

I looked up as I heard the church bell ring several times. Seven times.

Oh no! I groaned. Karen's going to kill me!

"C'mon Merlin!" I yelled to my sheepdog as it started pouring.

It wasn't far to the Victorian house we lived in-but it was raining so hard I was soaked to the bone by the time we got there.

"You're late," I looked up, squinting through the rain to see my step-mother on the porch, hands on her hips.

"I'm so sorry!" I hoped she would just take the apology and just go out with dad like they had planned to.

"Well come on in and get dry," she sighed, before sending Merlin into the garage.

"Sarah," I turned to her as I reached the door, just before hearing her hand meet my cheek. "Don't ever be late again."

My eyes prickled. Why was I so late? Why couldn't I live up to her expectations-they weren't that hard to reach. They weren't that demanding. Just take care of Toby, watch Toby when they went out, just get up in the middle of the night with Toby, just make breakfast and keep your things in your room, don't be too loud, don't cry, don't fight. It wasn't that hard to do.

I felt the pain as we walked into the livingroom where dad was pacing, a bawling Toby in his arms.

"Oh Sarah," he sighed in relief before kissing my stinging cheek-making pain flare up worse than before-and handing me Toby. "We have to leave, just let me get our coats."

He said the last part to Karen, as he went down the hall.

"Ugg," she stamped her foot. "Just make sure he's not making that...racket when we get home."

"Of course," I bounced Toby in my arms as I walked around the living room.

"I wish the goblins would take him away right now," she snapped as she walked out. I rolled my eyes, knowing she would be in a better mood when she got home. It was always this way, she would say something about Toby going away and then doting on him when she got back from where ever she went. Though wishing him to goblins was new.

I followed Karen into the entry hall as dad walked in from the study where he kept the raincoats.

"Here sweet heart," he passed Karen her coat and they walked toward the door. Dad turned as Karen walked out. "We'll be home late-sometime after midnight most likely."

"Okay, just have a good time," I smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"You know you're the light of my world," dad told me then laughed. "You and Toby both."

"Thanks dad, now go before you're even later," I laughed. He smiled at me, and left.

I couldn't even hear the car leave, it was pouring so hard. I hoped that it wouldn't thunder too much-Toby wouldn't be able to sleep if it did.

I shivered as I walked back into the living room, realizing I was still in my wet things-and therefore getting Toby soaked as well.

"C'mon," I told him, knowing he probably didn't understand me anyway. "Let's get dried off."

I walked up the stairs, and into Toby's room first. I changed him into a red and white stripped onesie, before realizing that the reason he was so upset was because he needed a diaper change-badly.

"You poor little guy," I cooed, as I changed him, he protested the diaper change, sniffling as I picked him up off the table. I blew his nose, and then whipped the crocodile tears away, before I set him in his crib to dry off myself.

I couldn't help but smile at him. "Boo."

Toby laughed and clapped his pudgy fists. "Oo!"

I ducked down, and popped back up. "Boo!"

Toby laughed, and I bobbed up and down several times before I started shivering uncontrollably.

"I'll be right back," I promised, dropping a kiss on his head. I swooped down and grabbed Lancelot, handing him to Toby who accepted him automatically.

Smiling to myself as I changed into an old pair of faded ripped jeans and a "Bon Jovi" t-shirt, I thought about how wonderful Toby was. I would never understand how Karen could wish him away. He was far too precious.

I pulled on my ankle converse and grabbed a light jacket to keep my wet hair off my favorite-and currently only clean-shirt, before heading back to Toby's room.

Huh, that's weird. I swore I left the light on.

I flipped the switch-before realizing that it had been flipped to 'on'. For a split second I wondered if the power was out before I realized that the only source of light was coming from the hall.

"Toby?" I whispered, feeling a little scared as I walked foreword. I saw that the covers were pulled over a form. Toby's I assumed-until it moved and the blanket lay flat on the mattress.

I jumped back with a startled gasp as I heard an unnatural gasping noise. I reached foreword-seeing the thing move between the bed and the blanket-and pulled the blanket off-

-only to find nothing.