For his part, Gib simply grinned toothily at Sarah before flashing a much nicer smile Toby's way. "C'mon, let's go play."

Sarah watched as Gib and Toby walked away, shaking her head as she spotted the teenager already speaking animatedly to his companion. "He's so different here," she murmured.

Jareth used Sarah's inattention to step closer, stealing a quick sniff of her hair before he murmured a soft, "What do you mean?"

Startled by his sudden closeness, Sarah stared at his face for a moment, then inched away, trying to create some space for herself. Nervous without the buffer of someone else in the conversation, she fidgeted with the edge of her sweater. "He's just...well. Quieter, I guess. He smiles and there are things that he likes to do, but he seems almost like he's more alive here."

"That," Jareth said, not bothering to hide his amusement at her movement away from him, "is in part due to the Labyrinth's influence. Her magic speaks to him on a rather personal level. He feels more comfortable here."

"Do you even have any idea how galling that is?" Sarah asked, her mouth tightening into something approaching a frown. "That he can be like that here, but not at home? I can't imagine how our parents would feel if they heard you say that. If they could see him. They'd be happy he's happy, but..."

Shaking his head, Jareth said, "I think you'd find their reaction would not be quite as you anticipate. As with the toys, the reaction is somewhat magnified here. True," he added before she could protest, "he would be the same while in the Labyrinth herself, but you must also keep in mind that a good portion of this is simple, youthful exuberance. I would not be surprised to find that Gib is correct, that young Toby has been thinking about this place for quite some time. To finally be allowed to come here is naturally going to contribute something to it."

Brow furrowed, Sarah looked toward Toby and Gib once again. "I suppose. I wish I could say that makes it better..." She trailed off and, at length, looked back at Jareth, to find that he'd crept his way closer to her once again. "Okay, really," she huffed, side-stepping away, "stop that. Please."

"If you insist, precious."

"And that!" Sarah snapped, stomping her foot. "Stop that, too! We've already established that I'm not your anything."

Amused, Jareth gave a wry quirk of his lips, one that could almost be called a smile. "I didn't call you 'my' anything. I would also like to clarify your point: you provided your opinion on that subject and I did not respond. We have not established anything. However," he held up a hand to forestall any reply, "in the interests of civil conversation, I will abide by your request."

The 'for now' was unspoken, but Sarah could practically hear the words anyway. Still, she inclined her head in a rather regal nod, "Thank you your majesty."

"Come, come," Jareth waved a hand in impatient dismissal, "there is no need to be quite as formal as that. You may call me Jareth." He paused and leaned forward, mischief flashing in his eyes. "Unless there is some term of endearment which you would like to apply to me. I assure you, unlike yourself, I would not object, Sarah."

Sarah, as annoyed as she might have been with his comment, closed her eyes momentarily at the honeyed way his voice lingered over the soft notes of her name. "Okay then, Jareth. Help me understand this...this...thing." She waved her hand between herself and Toby, who was now cackling along with something Gib had said, causing a momentary smile. The smile faded, however, as she looked back to Jareth, whose eyes were intently upon her. "Since you've already arranged it so the two of them are talking-very smooth, by the way-you might as well elaborate. What exactly is the goal?"

Jareth slouched against the shelf for a moment, then frowned. "Hardly comfortable," he muttered to himself, and ignored Sarah's brief flash of fear as he casually summoned a crystal, which he used to conjure a pair of chairs, set at right angles to one another. He claimed one while waving a hand toward Sarah to indicate that she should occupy the other, and leveled an expectant look upon her when she hesitated. "May I point out once again, Sarah, the desire for civil conversation? Come, sit, you'll be more comfortable." Unable to resist the urge to make just a bit of mischief, he couldn't help but add a saucy, "I do promise not to bite."

Rolling her eyes, Sarah huffed an amused sigh as she sat. "Fine, I'll concede this one, but just this one. Can we please get back on topic?"

"Very well," Jareth replied agreeably, shifting in his chair so one knee was resting over the arm-the very picture of relaxed attention. "As I mentioned, the goal is twofold. The Labyrinth, by some magic of her own, identifies the potential Toymaster and Queen pair. In part, it is done this way because it is best if the Toymasters are young. Human children are able to perform their best in my kingdom when we are able to train them from a young age. Before you ask," he added, spotting Sarah's questioningly raised eyebrows, "Toby is a very notable exception. As I was saying, once the pair is identified, the toys are activated, and once the girl reaches her breaking point, those 'special powers' are granted, giving her the ability to call upon me."

This time Sarah couldn't help but interject, sounding almost amused. "Some special powers, if they've been granted to twelve girls, including myself."

Jareth grinned. "Don't think of yourself as one among only twelve, Sarah. Consider this: the toys have been sent to a much larger number of girls than you might otherwise believe. Only a select few have the necessary...skills, perhaps you could say. Keep in mind as well that a Toymaster is rather long-lived. That there have been eleven other runners means only that, since this method was first devised, there have been only eleven Toymasters." He paused for a few moments to allow that to sink in. "You know some of the rest-you lived part of it. Had I been successful in my attempt to seduce you into leaving Toby behind, he would have become a Toymaster, and once he was ready to retire, the Labyrinth's cycle would have started again."

Sarah's brow furrowed as she tried to decide which question to ask first. "What happened to the girls who lost? Did they get sent home with a little bauble holding onto their dreams?"

"While the spirit of competition might compel me to leave them empty-handed in their defeat, I am not as callous as that, Sarah," Jareth chided gently. "When they are returned home, it's as if the younger sibling never existed. A bit drastic, perhaps, but consider the alternative. The girl would have no way to reassure her parents that their youngest child was safe and well, and imagine the crushing guilt that she might feel, knowing she'd had the opportunity to win their sibling back and was unable to. It might not seem so to you, but the magic the Labyrinth works to make this possible is a great kindness."

Sarah's silence was contemplative as she worked to process what she'd been told thus far. Though she still didn't entirely agree with the process-and was still unaware of the full extent of it-she couldn't deny that forgetting would be a kindness, particularly in that situation. "And the Queen part? How does that come into it?"

Jareth was pleased to see that Sarah was taking the time to consider his responses. While he waited for her next question, he glanced toward the boy and the goblin, grinning amusedly as they were still laughing together about something, completely oblivious to the serious conversation taking place on the other side of the store. At Sarah's question, he allowed a faint smile. "Usually, my only involvement is the seduction, the attempt to get the girl to leave the child. In your case...well, let us just say that the Labyrinth is looking for a certain...strength of character."

"Well. That was a lovely non-answer. And isn't that a bit backward? Seducing us into giving up our siblings-and being nasty about it-but at the same time knowing that one of us might end up your Queen."

Laughing, Jareth replied, "Nasty? Truly? Sarah, you wound me, I was trying to pay you a compliment. Perhaps, yes, it does seem a bit backward. The intent, however, is to ensure that the potential Queen has the ability to withstand that kind of manipulation. Do consider that being Queen does mean being exposed to politics; this is merely one of the Labyrinth's ways of separating the wheat from the chaff."

"Making me the wheat, I assume?"

"Tsk," Jareth made a soft noise of disapproval. "I'll leave aside the typical reply for one who engages in assuming. As to your question, not to put too fine a point on it, but yes, you are the wheat. Sarah, in the hundreds of years that the Labyrinth has been hosting this trial, you are the only one to have overcome the challenge. That is, in part, why it has been so difficult for me to find another alternative. As I said, I have made several attempts to do so, but the Labyrinth has rejected them all. Since the Labyrinth and I are dependent upon each other for survival, I have found it best to acquiesce to her wishes whenever possible."

Sarah's jaw dropped open. "Hundreds of years? How is that even possible?"

Jareth chuckled. "Sarah, Sarah. All things are possible. If I had known that it was impossible for me to get around this," he said, putting a slight stress on the word 'me,' waiting to see if she'd pick up on that, "I wouldn't have waited so long to try and reach you. As it is, our conversation has been delayed by several years because your parents would not allow Toby to come here."

"And why did you wait so long?" Sarah wondered, either missing what he'd tried to get her to catch, or filing it away for later.

"Fifteen years is nothing to me. I am immortal, after all."

A loud burst of laughter from Toby and Gib distracted Sarah's attention for a moment, and she was quiet for awhile as she once more mulled over his words. "How would that work? The girls who run the Labyrinth are all human, right? Or was that just me? Either way, I'm not immortal, so...what? You get a Queen for as long as I live, and once I die, the whole mess starts over, like it resets when you have to get a new Toymaster?"

"You're speaking in 'what ifs,' Sarah," Jareth chided gently. "If you are truly so curious, it will no doubt disappoint you to know that I am not entirely certain. I did mention, did I not, that you were the only one to win? There are some things which, unfortunately, must be discovered as we go."

The grin that curved Sarah's lips at his response was one of wry amusement. "Oh, and I can tell just how much you like discovering things as you go. But...if you don't know, does that mean you've never had a Queen?" Something flickered in Jareth's eyes at the question, making her wonder if she'd overstepped. "If you want to talk about it, that is."

"You ask a fair question, Sarah, and I can understand why you'd be interested." Jareth's voice was soft. "Since there have been no other winners to the Labyrinth's challenge, it does mean that I have never had a Queen. Thus, as you might imagine, I am not as unaffected by our situation as it might seem."

There was another lengthy pause as Sarah considered his words. Rather than continue to pry, she changed the subject. "You said a minute ago that it was impossible for you to get around this. Does that mean someone else could?"

Jareth's answering smile was genuine and without a hint of mockery. "Well done," he murmured. "Gib is correct, you are quite smart. I did say that it was impossible for me. If it is truly such an abhorrent option for you, Sarah, steps can be taken, but it must come from you. You would have to return to the Labyrinth to make your denial known before anything further can be done. Depending upon Toby's choice, your memory of his presence in your life would either be altered, or the both of you would be returned, and as close to normal as can be managed."

"Altered. You mean...removed? I wouldn't even know about him? What about our parents?"

Inclining his head in a brief nod to confirm Sarah's question, Jareth said, "Removed, yes. His parents' treatment would be the same. It will hardly be any reassurance, but we have done the same for each runner's family in the past. Since this...situation is somewhat special, we feel that an altered memory is better for all involved. Although it may seem very difficult for you to believe, you wouldn't remember him at all."

Sarah shook her head, her trouble in understanding the Goblin King's words clear on her face. "It is difficult to believe. It also seems so cruel. I know, you already said that it should be taken as a kindness, but…" Glancing over Toby's way, she had to swallow past a lump in her throat to continue. "We...didn't exactly start well, Toby and me. It was really hard for awhile...until we got home from the Labyrinth. And now, he's the one thing in my life that I love most."

"That," Jareth said softly, leaning close enough to momentarily rest his hand on Sarah's knee, "is why it is a kindness. I have no doubts that you love your brother a great deal, but should he choose a life as the Labyrinth's Toymaster, you would never see him again, nor would you be able to tell your parents anything about it. Is it not better, then, to have those memories completely removed from your mind? If it makes you feel any better, those memories are preserved, simply kept within the Labyrinth's archives, so while you would not remember your brother, or how you felt about him, there would be a record of it out there somewhere."

Startled to see his hand on her knee, Sarah dragged her eyes back to his and allowed a small smile. "Crazy as it might sound, I suppose that does make me feel a little bit better. How can I miss something if I don't know it's there to be missed in the first place?"

"Precisely. Does that mean, then, that you have made your decision? That you will elect to continue your life here, should Toby decide to take on the position of Toymaster?" Jareth's smile had faded, to be replaced by that locked down, stony expression he'd been wearing earlier.

"I've decided nothing," Sarah replied, taken aback by the abrupt change in Jareth's demeanor. "I'd like to see what Toby's going to do first."

After another shot nod, Jareth waved toward Toby and Gib, indicating that they should return. "Toby, I imagine that Gib has explained to you the reason why you find yourself here?"

"Yeah!" Toby enthused, grinning widely. "It's amazing. There's a lot of really cool stuff here, I'd love to learn how to make it all. Maybe come up with some new stuff. And I'd get to play all day, too, that'd be great!"

Sarah linked her hands together, both to keep herself occupied, and to hide the fact that her fingers were suddenly shaking. "So you're going to do it, then?" Her answer was a nod and a widening of that grin-his cheeks would probably hurt later, her mind volunteered, as she tried not to think about what his decision would mean.

Glancing between brother and sister, Jareth asked, "You do understand what Gib meant, Toby? You will not be able to stay here; the Labyrinth's Toymaster needs to live Underground."

Toby dropped to sit on the arm of Sarah's chair, nodding again. "Yeah, he told me. That'll be okay, I like the toys, and I'd love to make them. It just...feels right, you know? I can't really explain it. It's like I was just...meant for it. He said my parents'd forget about me, too. And..." He looked at Sarah, then at Jareth. "He said Sarah would have to forget. But does she have to?"

"That is the way it's done," Jareth replied.

Before Toby could object, Sarah reached out to squeeze her brother's hand. "It's okay, Toby. I figured that'd happen, we were talking about it before. It'd be for the best, and besides," she attempted a lighthearted tease, "you'll probably be too busy with the toys to think about me." Toby snorted, but before he could protest, she turned to Jareth and Gib. "Will he stay as he is now?"

Gib echoed Toby's snort and waved a hand at his wizened body. "Do I look like a human, missy? Toymasters are goblins, always have been."

"So...he'll change, then?" Sarah asked, hesitant.

"That is usually how it is done," Jareth admitted, almost reluctantly. Spotting Sarah's wince, he shot a warning glance at Gib and ventured a soft, "Perhaps...an exception could be made."

Toby made an immediate noise of protest. "Nooo, don't change things just for me. Sarah, tell him! I don't mind being a goblin; I think it'd be pretty awesome!"

"Toby's right," Sarah murmured, in spite of her expression. "If he's going to do this, then he should be whatever the Labyrinth intends for him to be. As you've been telling me since I got here, it's not my choice. If I do...take you up on your offer, Jareth, will he remember me?"

"Of course."

Gib made a noise of agreement, too. "Ain't our memories that get tampered with when things go down. I still remember my sister, so don't let that worry you none."

After a quick glance at Toby, Sarah looked back to the King and the Toymaster. "Could you give us a few minutes to talk, please? Alone?"

Rather than argue, Jareth simply nodded, and clamped a hand on Gib's shoulder before the goblin could offer any protest. "Ten minutes."

Once the Underground's residents had made their way to the other side of the shop, Sarah leaned against Toby. "Are you sure this is what you want, kid?"

"Sarah...I've been thinking about this place for months. It feels so good to be here. I know it means that you and Mom and Dad will have to forget me, but...it would really make me happy. Happier than I'd be if I stayed here. I know I'm not supposed to know this stuff when I'm only sixteen, but it's like...their world is out there waiting for me. Like it's my world too, and I belong there. If I said no, even if I didn't remember anything about the Labyrinth or anything else, I think I'd always know I was missing something."

Sarah bit her lip, thoughtful, and nodded. "I understand. It breaks my heart that you don't feel that way about your own home, but I guess you probably can't help it, can you? At least our parents won't ever have to know. It's bad enough for me; I can't even imagine how upset your mom would be, especially." Both siblings were quiet for a moment, then she grinned up at him, still sitting on the arm of her chair. "I might not have to forget you, either. According to the King, since I won you back, I could be the Goblin Queen."

Toby gaped. "Really? Sarah, that's beyond cool! You said yes, didn't you?"

"Not yet," Sarah admitted, cutting her eyes toward the pair across the store. "It's a little bit more complicated for me. You get to play with toys all day. I'd have to become a Queen...and the King's wife. I'm still thinking about it. It's not exactly an easy thing to change."

"No," Toby agreed, his eyes still wide, "but what would you miss here, Sarah? You don't have to tell me, but think about that. He looks like he's a nice guy, you know? I bet he'd be a real good husband. He's a great King, Gib was telling me how much they all love him."

Surprised, Sarah grinned. "The two of you talked more than I thought. I'll keep it in mind, Tobe. We'll just have to see how it goes." She stood up to hook an arm around his shoulders. "No matter what, I love you, kiddo. Always will."

"Aw, Sarah," Toby groused, but he put his arm around her nonetheless. "I love you, too, big sis. Come on, let's go tell them we're done. I'm starving!"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Somehow, I am completely unsurprised by that."

Brother and sister walked arm in arm together toward the King and the Toymaster. "Well, Toby's ready," Sarah offered, then grinned and added, "and starving."

Gib's grin was big enough that it overtook his whole face. "Can't say I ain't pleased to hear it. Glad to have you aboard, Toby. C'mon, I'll get you something to eat and get you set up-workroom, new quarters, all that stuff."

Toby gave his sister one last hug, then he and Gib were gone, leaving Sarah to stare momentarily at the empty space left behind.

"And what of you, dear Sarah?" Jareth asked, breaking into her reverie. "Will you return to your home and your life? Or will you take a chance?"

Sarah's eyes were wide and unfocused at first when they shifted from the last spot Toby occupied to Jareth. As she came back to herself, she smiled. "Can we...start small and see how things go?"

Brows raised, Jareth closed the distance between them and offered his hand. "Ahhh...you wish to be courted? I believe I can manage that. But, Sarah..." He seemed almost hesitant for a moment. "You'll have to come to the Labyrinth until you decide...the magic demands it. If you choose to return home, we can restore the memories of you to all of those here in this world, and you can resume your life now as you know it. If you choose to stay..." He trailed off, leaving the rest unspoken.

Once again, time seemed to slow down as Sarah observed the Goblin King. She couldn't put a finger on it, but something about his expression touched her heart, which was far more than anyone in her life now had been able to manage. He was still patiently waiting for an answer when she slipped her hand into his and gave a quick smile. "I accept your terms." She wasn't sure where it would lead her, but the answering smile that curved his lips made her feel like she'd taken the first step on the right path.

When the shop was finally empty, all within began to vanish, and a woman's voice, heavy with the wisdom of many centures, murmured a soft, "Welcome home, at last."

Reviews welcome! Many thanks to wiccarowan for some wonderful prompts that kicked my imagination into high gear.