Hi all! So this is my VERY FIRST fanfiction. I've had this written out for a few months now but I've been a little worried to actually let the world (or... the fandom) see it. But I decided "Hey why not, you only live once right?" Anyways, I own none of the Henson characters mentioned, but there are a few that are completely my own brain works. I hope you enjoy, and I'd love to hear your feedback, the good the bad and the ugly. Well, actually maybe not the more terrible side of bad or the really not nice side of ugly... I don't know if I should continue with this story or try something else, I'll leave that up to your feedback.

Note: This is set in modern day, but Sarah is only about 6 years older than she was during her journey through the Labyrinth. So don't be confused, ya hear!

This chapter was updated 2/4/2017.

Chapter 1

The phone rang for the third time that morning in the shared West Hollywood penthouse of Sarah Williams and her best friend Maya Aldea. Sarah groaned and pulled a pillow over her head. Probably just the agency calling about interviews or a paparazzi shoot set up in some upscale part of town. Or, her least favorite calls, her agent telling her she needed to get a high profile boyfriend to carry around her arm. She had grown into a beautiful young woman over the past few years. She was newly 20 with a solid career in modeling. She was among the most sought after models in the industry, and it was all by accident.

Sarah had moved to the west coast only 2 years prior to attend an arts academy in Southern California. Karen was more than willing to send her, they mended their relationship, but it was never anything more than tolerant. Karen wanted Sarah out, both because she was just another financial burden as well as she made Karen very jealous. Her father always commented on how she was growing up into an even more beautiful version of her mother, and it infuriated Karen.

During the first few months of Sarah's absence from home Karen didn't even bother to call, until her hometown newspapers caught wind of Sarah's success in California.

Sarah didn't intend on becoming a model. After about a year of school Sarah heard of an upcoming audition for a major role in the musical Chicago that would play in Hollywood for 12 weeks. She jumped on it immediately and when auditions rolled around she went down to the studio where she thought she would audition, only, it wasn't.

"Are you the replacement for Anna?"

Sarah was swept into a fitting room before she could get a word in edgewise.

"What's your name hon? I need to tell the agency you made it."

"Um, I'm Sarah but I don't have an agency, what is this?"

A professional looking lady with a short bob walked around the changing curtain and looked Sarah up and down.

"You're not the replacement model? You fit the description of her. Hmm"

She walked around Sarah and tapped a pen to her cheek.

"Well, we don't have time anyways, you're our girl. I'll get your information to the agency as soon as we're done here."

As soon as she walked out a very petite young woman with berry colored hair and deep olive skin stepped in and spun Sarah around. She shoved a top and skirt in her hands, along with tall socks and some platform ankle boots.

"Well? put them on!"

Sarah almost jumped at the power behind the girls voice, she was so small, but definitely packed a punch. Sarah quickly changed into the outfit, not exactly what she figured to be her style, but she liked it. She was pushed into a chair as a team of artists dabbed makeup on her face and pulled her hair into a high ponytail. "Ok, you're on."

Sarah had never modeled before, but two other girls and a guy dressed in similar fashion stood in front of the backdrop. She was told to stand this way and that. Pose and express. They put her in several other outfits and posed her with one or two other models.

When it was all over she heard the professional looking lady talking on the phone.

"..yes, I understand that it's not what you wanted but I assure you she's got a future in the biz... no... yes, I'll get her info... alright, I'll bring her into the office tomorrow for some portfolio shots.. you too Mr. Wiliston, have a nice day." She hung up the phone then reached in her briefcase, pulling out some paperwork. "Miss Sarah, come over here please."

Sarah walked over to the lady.

"Well, now that things have died down we can formally meet. I'm Victoria Elmwood, I work for Kingdom Modeling Agency."

She stuck her hand out to Sarah. They shook hands briefly.

"I'm Sarah Williams, I'm... well I was under the impression that there was an audition for Chicago here today. And I'm not really a model.."

"Oh, Chicago? That finished its run here two months ago, you must have mixed it up. We're glad you came though, we want to sign a contract with you."

Sarah was shocked. She was 18 and in a place she just started to get used to, and her career may have just taken a big turn. Sarah spent the next few hours reading contracts, listening to Victoria talk about modeling, and signing contracts.

Sarah was officially a model, and according to Victoria, a good find.

Sarah grabbed her bag and started to leave.

"Wait hun! I forgot to tell you some stuff! Tomorrow morning I need you to meet me at this address."

She pointed to one of two written down on a fancy business card. Nodding Sarah turned to leave. Once outside she let out the breath she'd been holding in for hours.

Fast forward to present time. Sarah rolled out of her bed with a moan. She shuffled to the white makeup counter along her far wall where her personal phone sat. The screen showed up with 3 missed phone calls from Victoria and 1 missed call and a voicemail from Karen. Sarah yawned and opened her phone to listen to the message but decided instead to text Maya, who was out for the week in Puerto Rico visiting her home and family. As much as she wanted to she refrained from texting Maya and switched back to her voicemail.

Karen had started calling more frequently and started being much more lovable to Sarah once the news was out that she was making plenty of money and had a career with status. Karen doted on Sarah, always asking when she would be back home so they could go downtown together or drive to the city so she could be seen with her stepdaughter. Sarah rolled her eyes every time but always promised her that when she was back on the east coast she'd make sure to spend time with everyone.

Sarah's manager Victoria, though business like and professional, had a major weak spot when it came to gossiping with Karen. The two had met when Sarah was in New York last fall for fashion week, as she stopped by her hometown for a weekend before she flew back to LA. Karen and Victoria hit it off immediately, like two long lost friends who had reunited. The bulk of their conversations had to do with Sarah though, and boys. Always. Boys. If ever asked what their strengths were it would be persistence, because they never gave up trying to find someone for Sarah.

"Hey Sarah, it's Karen call me back when you can, we have big news!"

Sarah sat puzzled for a second, but decided to go find something to wear instead. She walked to her closet and found a pair of black skinny jeans, a metallic emerald green top, and an oatmeal colored vest that was split up the sides in three parts that flowed all the way down to her ankles. A casual look for Sarah who had a meeting with Victoria at 2:00PM to go over a few contracts for some possible shoots.

Sarah decided to go with a more edgy but free spirited look, opting for a high top knot, a black choker with an emerald dangle, and some tan leather heeled booties. She finished off her look for the day with her favorite matte lipstick in a purply nude shade which paired well with her color scheme.

Finally finished and calmed down Sarah walked out into the main living space and sat down on a stool by the window, deciding to call Karen back so she wouldn't have to deal with it after dealing with Victoria, since the two of them tattled on Sarah to one another all the time. She touched Karen's contact and took a deep breath while the phone range.

"Hello? Oh Sarah I'm so happy you called me back, I just picked up Toby from class for the last time this month and I was hoping you'd call while he was with me oh this is such good timing let me put you on speaker hold on a second." Sarah could hear Toby trying to help Karen to put the speaker phone on, happy to get a break from Karen's bombardment of words.

"Hey Sarah!" Sarah pulled the phone away from her ear when she heard him yell into it, obviously excited about something. The month? She thought.

"Hey Toby! Hey Karen!" She said, finally able to get a word in. "So what's this big news you need to tell me?" Sarah could practically see Toby's smile through the phone when he asked if he could tell Sarah.

"Sarah! Guess what! Guess guess guess!" He exclaimed excitedly. Sarah truly had no idea, usually things that were this important as Karen said would have been easy to figure out, like if she found a new guy for Sarah to meet or was going on a trip somewhere. With Karen it was usually always something fairly insignificant or superficial, but that was what made Karen… Karen.

"I have no clue Toby, you really got me on this one!" She said, she heard Toby pause and she could almost imagine him right now, bubbling over with joy in his booster seat in the back of Karen's car, looking at Karen with huge expectant eyes, waiting to be given the green light to tell Sarah.

"We're going to Disneyland! And we're going to see you Sarah! We'll be there for a whooooole month!" Toby was so excited, Sarah on the other hand was not feeling quite as excited. But for Toby she told herself to be excited.

"Wow no way! That's awesome! When will you guys be here?" Sarah was talking in her excited voice, not the one she talked in when she was truly excited, but the one that she used on the phone when talking to Karen, because Karen wouldn't know the difference one way or another. Heck, Sarah could be yelling at Karen and she'd probably interpret as Sarah being just over excited or surprised.

"We leave Sunday evening and we'll be in at around 4 am there" Said Karen who had since taken back the phone. "We have a hotel planned for the first two weeks in LA, but then we're planning on going up the coast to sight see for the rest of the month so we have a few days at each different location…" Karen went on talking about all their plans for about five minutes, by which point Sarah had already found her refrigerator to focus on. She made her 'okays' and 'mhmms' as if they were scripted to Karen's rambling.

When Sarah finally said her goodbyes and hung up the phone it was 12:45. She walked back to her fridge and opened it, looking into its depths trying to decide between a cup of berries and some yogurt or a bowl of cereal. She went with the berries and yogurt and sat back down only then to get her 4th call of the morning from Victoria. Sarah pushed the button for the call and listened to Victoria remind her of their appointment at the office building, saying to at least look like a human and not wear just her sweats because there was someone important there who she needed to meet. Sarah said she'd get there early and clicked the phone off. It was always the same little lecture from Victoria, look good and make appearances, don't be late, don't forget. Though Sarah had never missed on any of those things Victoria still insisted on lecturing her about it.

And at that Sarah was headed out the door on her way to the office.

So there it is, the first chapter! I'm not exactly planning on writing on a schedule, I'm a college kid with lots of homework and I write between 10:00pm-2:00am, aka: my creative hours, so I hope to update at least every other week, but if I don't please don't come looking for me with torches and pitchforks! :)