A/N: * This has been revised. I needed to fix Sarah's age. I accidentally made her still in her teens when she is supposed to be 21. Thank you Amethyst Phoenix for pointing it out.*
I hope you enjoy. I have been wanting to do a Labyrinth fic. so here it is.
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN THE LABYRINTH.
Toby's age is based off the fact that I think he was 1 at the time of Sarah's travels through the labyrinth. If anybody knows how old he actually was please let me know.
TOBY'S BIRTHDAY
A young woman stood at her dark window staring at nothing but memories that played only for her deep sorrowful brown eyes to see. Her hair that was at one time done up into a tight French braid was now loose and unruly, and in her hands she clutched a small red tattered book. Since she is still lost in her thoughts she doesn't hear the commotion in the hallway in front of her door that warns her of someone fixing to barge in, ignoring the knock first sign placed on the door.
"SARAH, SARAH! Look what Dad bought me today for my birthday!" yelled the blonde little seven year old boy that just threw open woman's door and sat on her bed.
Startled from her trance Sarah jumped and spun to face her younger brother ( never dropping her book) who was waving around a blue and gold five inch superhero action figure.
"That's wonderful Toby. Did you get anything else?"
"Yeah, Mom got me an En-encleepeda-" "Its an Encyclopedia, Toby." "Yeah, that thing, and Michael got me this really cool spaceship; it makes sounds too!"
"It sounds like you have had a good birthday Toby. I bet you don't even need my present, do you?"
"Sarah, of course I do it wouldn't be my birthday without our story." Toby whined as he gave her his infamous puppy dog pout.
Sarah shook her head and laughed, " Toby you'll get your story like always. You just have to wait until you go to bed like every year."
Smiling, Toby asked, " How was play practice today Sarah?"
"It was good. Everybody is learning their lines and trying their hardest. It's sad that I had to miss your birthday because of it though."
"That's alright Sarah, you didn't miss much. The movie mom chose wasn't all that great anyway, besides it's still my birthday."
Sarah was about to say something when Karen stalked into the room and demanded Toby go to bed since it was already nine o'clock, his curfew. Toby knew better then to argue with his mom, because she'll just yell at him and then Sarah later, even if Sarah wasn't in involved. On the way out of the room he looked back at Sarah in reassurance that he would still receive his story tonight. Karen pushed him the rest the way out of the room just after he saw Sarah nod. Once out they were out of the room and the door was shut Sarah walked over and sat down in front of her vanity table mirror. She pulled out the right drawer and placed the red worn book in to the drawer very carefully, and then closed the drawer.
"She can be such a strict woman." Sarah spoke to the mirror.
"Wha' she do this time Sarah?" spoke the gruff voice of Hoggle as his image appeared.
"It's Toby's seventh birthday and she can't even let him enjoy staying up an hour later than normal. I remember I could always stay up a hour later on my birthdays. Plus she bought Toby an Encyclopedia for his birthday."
"Maybe she has her reasons. I mean you were a spoiled child when I saw you." joked Hoggle, " By the way wha' is tha' En-en- Pedia thing you mentioned?"
" A heavy book that has nothing but facts about everything. Its like a - a- book that would be in a court's or a ki- library." explained Sarah as she turned a bit red at her mention of a king, knowing she meant Jareth.
"Oh, okay. Now I's know wha' your talking about. Why would she go an' do a thing like tha'?"
"I don't know. It s probably for him to get better grades. She is always on him about her grades, and they are near perfect. Hoggle, I need to tell Toby his story. I will talk to later."
"Alright, Sarah. Tell hi' happy birthday for me."
After Sarah nodded her head to Hoggle she stood and made her to her brother's room, which was three doors up from hers. As she walked through the hallway she looked at the photographs that displayed both Toby and herself growing up, while humming an all to familiar tune. When she finally reached her brother's room she knocked on the door and waited for Toby to tell her she could enter.
Once Toby's excited voice told her to enter, she did and sat down beside Toby's bed, at his desk, and turned to face him.
" You ready Toby?"
"Of course. I can't wait to hear our story again."
Sarah smiled and started telling Toby about how she wished him away and her trials to get him back. As she talked she reminisced about the first time she told Toby about how she wished him away. He was four and didn't take it well at first, but then again who would? It took a week for Toby to talk to her again, but when he did he let her know that it was okay and that he understood why she did it. Since then she had been telling him the accounts of her journey through the labyrinth instead of reading the red book to him like she had previously done.
When she arrived to the part about the ball she let her mind wonder to the Goblin King who danced with her. She knew she did what she thought was right, but she couldn't help but wonder if things could have been done differently. If maybe there was some way she could have saved Toby, but have been able to stay with the mischievous king as well.
Toby always noticed that whenever somebody mentioned a king or she mentioned Jareth or the Goblin King, as she always calls him, since she is afraid to say his actual name in fear he'll come, she'll turn a light shade of red and then probably stumble over her words, since her train of thought was momentarily lost. Toby listened intently to the story, analyzing everything Sarah told him. To him Jareth wasn't the bad guy, but merely a man who wanted to teach his sister a lesson and happened to lose his heart along the way or even earlier if he was to go by the red worn book that was tucked nicely into his sister's vanity drawer. He watched his sister closely as she reached the end of her tale, where she won him back from Jareth, by breaking her heart (even though she hadn't known it yet) and the heart of the Goblin King. Her eyes always became glassy, which was caused by unshed tears, at this point. After Sarah finished the tale she bid him a happy birthday and passed on Hoggle's happy birthday as well before kissing his forehead and telling him softly good night.
Once Sarah left the room Toby rolled onto his right side and looked out his window.
"I know you're there Jareth. Thank you for showing up on birthday, but you showed up on the wrong person's birthday. Also, I know you only came to see her, because I saw you earlier while I was leaving the movies with Mom, Dad, and Michael. Jareth, she would enjoy your presence more than you think. Good night Goblin King, may you fly well."
Toby then turned back to lay on his back as he saw the barn owl twist its head as if in confusion and then fly off.
"Sarah if you only knew…" thought Toby as he drifted off to sleep.
Sarah sat in front of her vanity undoing what was left of her braid after changing from her regular clothes and into her blue silk pajamas. Even while she combed out her braid, Sarah lost herself in her memories. She watched as she dance with Jareth in the ballroom. She knew how well she enjoyed that time even though she needed to get Toby back. Next, she watched how she pushed her desire to stay with Jareth down to win her brother back. Sadly, she now realized that in a place that was nothing as it seemed that his offer was as true as she. Sarah sighed and pushed those thoughts out of her mind and as she moved from her vanity to the window for the second time that night and for the fifth time that day.
"Goodnight, Goblin King." spoke Sarah before she forced herself away from the window and toward her bed.
She didn't see the owl sitting a few branches higher than her head next to the tree by her window. Jareth had been watching her since he left Toby's window seal. He watched her in person (in his owl form) on both Toby's and Sarah's birthday in hopes that maybe on one of those days she'll say his name, but like every year his is disappointed when all she says is "Goodnight, Goblin King."
Sarah didn't know why but she went back to the window before she even made it halfway toward her bed. As she looked out she sighed and spoke to herself, "Why do I do this to myself. Why do I always look for barn owls whether it be day or night. I know he won't come, and that I screwed up six years ago. So why on Earth do I keep doing this? Is it because I am nervous to speak his name, to see him?"
Thinking that was her problem she opened her window and said in her gentle-tired voice, " Goodnight Jareth."
That's all he needed to hear for his heart to skip and for him to take flight to Sarah. In a matter of minutes he was standing in front of her in all his regal and mischievous glory. His mismatched eyes carefully watched her face as she took in his sudden appearance.
"Why are you here Goblin King. You know as well as I that I only bid you goodnight." inquired Sarah as she awakened from her stupor with light red cheeks.
" Sarah, you are the one that called my name, so what is my reason for being here? Are we are back to Goblin King again my dear Sarah? Here I had hoped that you would start to call me Jareth. Oh, how I do adore my name when you say it."
Jareth smiled as he watched the emotions play across Sarah's face and her cheeks turned a little more red.
"Don't play with me Goblin King. You know I only bid you goodnight."
"Then, I bid you goodnight my Sarah. May you have pleasant dreams."
Jareth closed his eyes for a split second before taking a quick glance at Sarah before he made his way to the window. It was right when he got to the window he heard Sarah say, " Why did you come here Jareth."
Turning toward her Jareth saw the deep sadness that was always in her eyes when she stared out the window. Seeing this Jareth walked back over to Sarah and looked her in the eye before he spoke.
"It's because you called Sarah. You said my name."
"But your not supposed to come. Your supposed hate me for turning you down even though I couldn't comprehend what you were asking at the time and for beating your labyrinth."
Jareth's mismatched widen at her words. Where had to the headstrong and determined girl he knew before gone. Gently he raised his hand and cupped her cheek as how softly explained.
"My precious Sarah I could never hate you. Yes, I was sore that you rejected me and bested my labyrinth, but that went away when I realized thanks to someone, who I promised not to say, explained to me your actions. Sarah, everyday I watch you hoping you will say my name so I can come to you. Hi-Hoggle has even grown tired of my watching and inquires of you. Do you understand Sarah? Do you understand that I love you?"
"Yes, Jareth, I finally do, and from the day I first saw you I have loved you whether I have known it or not."
Jareth motioned for them to sit on Sarah's bed before he continued.
"Come with me Sarah and be my queen."
"I can't, Jareth. As much as would love to I can't leave Toby, nor my schooling. This is my second to last year in college."
"Sarah I would never ask you to choose between myself and Toby. You could always visit him anytime you wished. Your schooling however has to be settled differently. Could I court you until your schooling is over?"
Smiling Sarah but had to inquire what courting meant.
"Courting equivalent to your tradition of dating. I would date you at least until your schooling was finished and then I would hope to marry you."
Sarah eye's lit up when she heard his intentions, therefore she readily agreed. She watched as Jareth smiled and his eyes brightened. Then, she watched as he tilted his down and softly pressed his lips to hers. Needless to say Sarah was in heaven.
"I'll have to thank Toby later." whispered Jareth after he broke their kiss.
"Why, would have to thank him?"
"Because us coming together was his birthday wish, and all-" "All wishes come true." finished Sarah.
A/N: I hoped you like it, and I am sorry if the ending was a little cheesy. If there is something you don't understand let me know, because there might be a couple of places where it seems awkward.
