The usual disclaimer... I don't own the characters, places, or words. I just arranged them.

Sarah braced herself for she knew that trouble had come. She turned slowly, hesitant to face him.

He was not far behind her, standing on the water as though it were perfectly natural to do so. Luckily, his eyes did not descend to meet her and she was spared his glaring fury.

Nerissa, the object of his hatred, greeted him saying, "Hello brother."

Sarah spun around and exclaimed, "Brother!? You tried to kill him!" Suddenly it made sense why Jareth stole children. To have shared a house with the murderous Nerissa would, no doubt, have convinced the infant Jareth that it was better to be stolen away than to remain in a house where a sibling hated you to the point of wishing your end.

"Father is not pleased with you." Jareth informed his sister. "You know the law about attempting to overthrow another kingdom."

"I thought I was doing Father a favour." Nerissa chided.

"Father?" Sarah asked.

Jareth stepped around her so that he stood face to face with Nerissa.

Her hands tightened on the twisted blade she had already used to injure him. She felt its hunger for goblin blood and could not resist satiating it. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the blade flying.

Sarah dove away, thinking the Faerie Queen was attempting to murder her a fourth time. She was drenched in warm fluid, which she believed to be her own blood. But no, it was just the pool's water.

A squeal of agony told her that the same could not be said of another. The goblin, whom Jareth had changed into a child, wheezed its final breaths. Nerissa's sword protruded from its chest.

"No!" Sarah cried out. Though she did not particularly care for goblins, she did not wish to see the creatures dead. Her eyes stared accusingly at the Faerie Queen, but if she had hoped to find some remorse, she was badly mistaken. Nerissa's chest rose and fell in heavy breaths as though drunk on her own power and her eyes seemed to glow red with the blood of the slain goblin.

A song echoed in Sarah's mind. Your eyes can be so cruel. Just as I can be so cruel... Worse was yet to come.

"You shed my blood in exchange for my Sarah's killing of your faerie. Now you have killed one of my goblins. Did you think I could overlook that?"

"I will have your death Goblin King!" Nerissa roared as she thrust her hands forward. As before, the sword appeared again.

But Nerissa was not the only one with that ability. Jareth's own blade countered her strike.

"Though you do not deserve the warning, I cannot help but inform you of your inevitable failure." Jareth mocked in a cool tone. "Father has given me permission to dole out whatever punishment I see fit. There is but one rule we must keep and you broke it. There is no victory for you."

"Your death will be victory enough." Nerissa snapped. Her hands imitated the assault of her words. Three quick strikes had forced the king back and placed Nerissa between Sarah and Jareth.

Sarah leapt to her feet searching for a way to aid the Goblin King. She loathed Jareth but at least he did not want to flay her. Nerissa continued her forward assault, pushing the Goblin King further and further back.

With a powerful overhead stroke, she shoved him down so that he lost his footing on the water and sunk into it a few inches. Sarah ran towards them with a hope of grabbing Nerissa's legs, but she moved with the lethargy of one having to tread through water.

Jareth saw her attempt though. His malicious smile crept onto his face and he clucked his tongue, "Tsk, tsk, tsk Sarah. I'm touched, but this is not your place, you precious thing."

He flicked his wrist and she was out of the pool and back in the castle.

"No!" She screamed in defiance. "It's not fair!"

Her life depended on the fight that was happening between the Faerie Queen and the Goblin King. How could he just flick his wrist and send her away like a common slave? It just wasn't fair.

Her eyes focused on the table in front of her. She was back in her chambers that the Goblin King had so carefully crafted to imitate her fantasy. Atop the table was the food that Sarah had requested Ant to fetch. Remembering her minion gave Sarah an idea. She called his name and he appeared.

"Take me to him." She instructed.

"No." Ant shook his head.

"Goblin King not like that."

"But you have to do what I say." Sarah stamped her foot. "That was Jareth's and my deal."

"You already get Ant in trouble when king return."

"Just do it."

Ant shook his head. "You not make me."

"But maybe I can help him!" Sarah insisted.

Ant flashed Sarah the most incredulous look. "King not need help from stupid girl. You wait like all others in throne room. King always come back to throne room first. Come."

Though it was hardly the answer Sarah wanted, she let Ant lead her out of the room. She was halfway to the throne room when she had a thought. Like all fretting humans, Sarah had found herself quite incapable of replaying the words of her last exchange with the Faerie Queen. Nerissa, like all magical beings, had hinted rather than explained how Sarah could be free.

The first part of Nerissa's message was clear: One who has the rights to you may wish you back. A child could only be wished away by family. That is why Winston could not wish her away but could send his sister to the Underground.

But that was not all of Nerissa's message. There was something about magic not being written down and Jareth's Library. Then Sarah understood.

Promising to follow as soon as she could, Sarah turned back down the hall to find another room. She had to do something before the Goblin King came back – it might be her only chance.

She scanned the rows and rows of books the Goblin King had carefully constructed. She needed a certain title, one that was not her own. Grabbing the book from the shelf, she made a little addition – her only hope.

Replacing the book back on the shelf, Sarah mustered her courage. Then she found her way to the throne room.

It was filled with goblins and though they stared at first, they soon became acclimated to her presence. Rumours had spread that she was to be queen and so they shrugged her off.

Sarah, however, found it hard to be among them. They were never quiet and caused quite a ruckus. But she wanted to know what was going on with the king and faeries so she decided to wait. She paced back and forth, not knowing where to sit or stand. As time wore on she grew more nervous and her pacing became more frantic.

When the wait grew to more than an hour, Sarah's legs began to tire. There was but one seat left and she barely considered the foolishness of sitting on it. Eventually her legs ached too much and her mind was too weary from worry that she just wanted to rest for a minute.

Sarah perched herself on the throne. The goblins took turns gaping at her boldness, but if she was to be queen then it seemed reasonable that she could sit where the king sat. They did find her pose quite unusual though for Sarah sat on the throne like it was a chair not a recliner.

Her eye started to flutter with sleep. They closed for a second and then snapped open. Her heavy lids drifted again, remaining shut again for a minute or two. Finally, she began to drift and then a heavy weight landed on her lap.

Sarah's eyes flew open. The goblin king, covered in slices and cuts, reclined on her lap the way he normally reclined on his throne. His eyes were shut but his mouth opened to say, "Ah thank you precious, the throne is much more comfortable this way."

Sarah squirmed trying to push him off, but the task was herculean in nature.

"You could thank me." He instructed. "I saved your life."

"And Nerissa?" Sarah asked.

"She won't bother you anymore. I promised to protect you."

"She was your sister."

"No matter, I have several hundred others." Jareth shrugged.

"What?"

"There's the Nymph Queen, the Sprite Queen, the Dryad Queen, and hundreds others that you haven't even heard of..." His voice drifted as though he had fallen asleep. But then one of his patent mood shifts happened and his eyes flashed open. At once, he was off her lap and standing before her. She, following him, leapt off his seat to avoid a repeat of the situation.

"You stole my children." Jareth stated.

"Life's not fair." Sarah challenged. She straightened so that, standing a step above him, she could meet him eye to eye. The goblins grew silent as their king and Sarah exchanged glares. Both were haggard figures: Jareth wounded from Nerissa's fierce assault and Sarah still bearing the marks of faerie teeth. Yet neither had lost their pride or stubbornness. "And..." Sarah continued. "You have no power over me."

At the sound of her words, the world did not shatter. Jareth was not defeated. She was not free.

They were not the key to her freedom and she knew it. There was only one way she could be free.

Nevertheless, her lips turned up as the words slipped from her mouth. To her, they were a reminder that she had beaten him once and she would do it again.

But she was not the only one to whom the words brought joy. The Goblin King allowed a cruel smile to light his face. She was his and not even her words could save her.

Allowing as much spite as she could possibly manage to filter into her tone, Sarah addressed her captor. "So Goblin King, what next?"

Winston pored over the Labyrinth book by the light of his desk lamp late into the night, as he did every night. Beside him were pages of notes, diagrams, and scribbles he had made in his attempt to find a way to free Sarah. But nothing, absolutely nothing seemed relevant. What did it matter if Jareth believed sheep were the most bizarre of all living creatures? Or that the goblins considered a kick from the king to bring eight years of good luck?

He flipped to chapter thirteen. If there was anywhere he expected to find answers it was there. At least it had somewhat useful information.

Winston blinked.

The page was different.

There was a new paragraph, written in a different typeface. He was certain it had never existed before.

Winston, it read, I hope you found Keira. She should be back. As for me, the only way I can be free is if Toby wishes me back. My father would never believe in the Labyrinth, but Toby might. Please do me this last favor, when he is old enough, tell him. -Sarah

Winston dropped the book, barely able to finish the paragraph after reading that Sarah expected Keira to have been returned. But where would she be?

Winston did not even bother to put his shoes on before racing out the front door. He was almost down his driveway before he heard her whimpering. Winston followed Keira's voice into Sarah's backyard where Ant had unceremoniously dropped both children.

"Winnie?" Keira whimpered as she spotted him.

"Yes!" He cried out as he reached her. He grabbed her in his arms and spinning her around until she giggled with delight. "Winnie is here." He kissed her cheek.

"We go home?" She asked.

"Yes," Winston agreed. His attention turned to Claude's brother who had paused his own weeping to stare at the brother and sister reunion. "You should come too Darren. We'll make sure you get home."

That night, Winston crawled into his bed with his cheeks tight from the delighted expression that had not left his face. His parents and police had asked questions about the childrens' return but neither had remembered much. Overall, the joy of having Keira returned made the questions seem irrelevant. In fact, Winston had forgotten the whole Labyrinth ordeal and the cost during his excitement. But his eyes were drawn to the red covered book that lay on his desk.

Winston automatically climbed out of bed to retrieve it. It felt wrong not having the book in his hand. He had grown rather fond of it of the past few days.

Then he remembered how he had hastily skimmed through Sarah's words. He opened the book and found the thirteenth chapter.

As for me, the only way I can be free is if Toby wishes me back.

Winston looked out the window to Sarah's house. Toby was an infant. It would be years before he could speak coherently and even longer before he could be taught about the Labyrinth.

It would be years before Sarah returned...

For those of you who requested a sequel, it's on its way. Look for Episode Two, entitled The Taming to find out how Jareth plans to make Sarah his queen.