Disclaimer: All songs and anything from the Labyrinth things do not belong to me. The songs are Last Christmas, Step Into Christmas, Little Saint Nick, Snoopy's Christmas, and Baby It's Cold Outside.
I realize that it's April, not December, but I wrote this a while ago. It's just a bit of silliness really. Also, as my sister pointed out, "Hair" implies that it is one strand. Therefore, we will be using "hairs."
'Thoughts'
"Spoken"
Christmas Eve'Babysitting on Christmas Eve,' Sarah thought, sitting down on the couch. 'It's not fair, but I guess that's the way it is.'
It had been two years since Sarah had wished Toby to, and saved him from, the Labyrinth. She had learned a lot and started treating Karen better. Sarah had told Toby all about the Labyrinth, and he remembered things she forgot. She had learned how much she loved her brother, but that didn't mean she wanted to spend Christmas Eve babysitting him.
"Step into Christmas, step into Christmas," Toby sang as came around the corner. He crawled up into Sarah's lap and she gave him a quick hug. "That's my favorite Christmas song, Sarah. Where'd Mommy and Daddy go, Sarah? What's your favorite Christmas song, Sarah?"
"Karen and Daddy went to a Christmas party," Sarah answered and wondered at how quickly the boy could change thoughts.
"The news had come out in the first world war," Toby sang, "The bloody red baron was flying once more." That's daddy's favorite Christmas song.
"Come on Tobe," Sarah said, standing and picking Toby up. "Time for bed."
"Oh, can't I stay up later?" Toby whined, giving Sarah his best puppy-dog face.
"No, but you can sleep in my room," Sarah said. She carried the boy up to her room and laid him down in her bed.
"It's snowing, Sarah!" Toby exclaimed.
Sarah turned and looked out the window. "So it is," she said turning back and pulling the blanket over Toby.
"Sarah, there's an owl out there," Toby pointed to the window. "Is it Jareth?"
"It just might be, Toby," Sarah walked over to the window. "Should we let him in?" she asked the boy with a smile.
"Yeah!" Toby said, sitting up.
Sarah opened her window and stuck her head out. "Hello," she said. The owl hooted in response. "You can come in if you'd like," she said, and backed away from the window.
The owl flew into the room and around it once. In a flash of glitter, the owl had transformed into the Goblin King. He stood with his back to Toby, facing Sarah and shivering slightly. "Thank you, Sarah," Jareth said with a smile. She nodded and closed her window.
"Hey!" Toby said indignantly. "I'm the one who saw you!"
"Of course," Jareth said playfully, turning and picking the boy up to twirl him around. "How could I forget you, Tony?"
"Toby!" the boy laughed.
"Oh no," Jareth said teasingly, pretending to collapse on the bad. "I've just called my favorite five-year-old by the wrong name. What shall become of me, now?" He looked at Toby. "Can you ever forgive me?"
"If you stay for Christmas," Toby said, wrapping his arms around Jareth's neck. "Jareth, you're shaking!"
"Shivering, Toby," Jareth said, hugging the boy, as Sarah sat down beside the two males.
"Why?" Toby asked with a sincere look.
"Because it's cold outside," Jareth said, ruffling the boy's hairs
"That's mommy's favorite Christmas song!" Toby exclaimed. "Baby, it's cold outside," he sang, sitting in Sarah's lap so he was facing Jareth. "What's your favorite Christmas song? Not a carol!"
"I don't have a favorite," Jareth said.
"Why not?" Toby said.
"Because I like all that I have heard," Jareth said, smiling at the boy.
"I'm sorry," Sarah said as Toby yawned, "but it's time Toby went to bed."
"Are you staying for Christmas, Jareth?" Toby asked quickly.
"I can't," Jareth said regretfully. "I am sorry, Toby. However, I will visit tomorrow night. But for now, you need to go to bed. I have kept you awake long enough. Besides," the king lowered his voice to a whisper, "I met Santa Clause on the way here. He said to tell you he's not coming until after you are asleep."
"He's the little Saint Nick," Toby sang tiredly as he crawled under the covers. "Jareth, that's your favorite now."
"Oh, is it?" the Goblin King laughed. "Sweet dreams, Toby," he said as he ruffled the boy's hairs gently.
"Goodnight, Toby," Sarah said, and kissed the boy's forehead. She grabbed Jareth's hand and walked out of the room. Closing the door gently, she said, "Thank you, Jareth."
"For what?" Jareth asked, wrapping an arm around Sarah's waist.
"For helping me with Toby," Sarah replied as the two walked down the stairs. "For coming tonight."
"Sarah," Jareth said, sitting down on the couch and pulling Sarah with him. "I came to see him. And because you shouldn't be alone on a holiday. I was here last Christmas, too. You had your boyfriend here then."
"Sarah," said Toby from the top of the stairs. Both Jareth and Sarah turned to look at him. "Jareth's someone special."
"Toby, go back to bed," Sarah said, standing up.
"Jareth, did you really see Santa?" Toby asked, choosing to ignore his older sister.
"I did," Jareth said in a firm voice. "Listen to your sister, and go back to bed." He, too, stood up.
"But that's Sarah's song," the boy said, coming down the stairs.
"What do you mean?" the king asked, picking Toby up and heading back up the stairs, Sarah following close behind.
"Last Christmas," Toby said. "It's about Sarah. Because last Christmas she was really nice to her boyfriend and he - "
"Toby!" Sarah said quickly. "That's enough. It's time for bed."
"I'm gonna sleep in my own room tonight," Toby said, " 'Cause I'm a big boy now."
"Alright," Sarah said. "If that's what you want." She walked into Toby's room and pulled the covers back on his bed.
Jareth laid Toby down and pulled the covers to Toby's chin. "Stay in bed this time so that I can see how much of a big boy you are," Jareth said. Toby nodded and closed his eyes.
"Goodnight, Toby, " Sarah said as she turned off the light. She closed the door and grabbed Jareth into a hug. "You'd make a good father."
"Are you offering to be the mother?" Jareth teased.
"I'm not ready to be married yet, let alone have kids," Sarah said honestly. The next sentence came out with a yawn, "When I am ready, I'll let you know."
"Come on, little girl," Jareth said, gently guiding Sarah to her room. "Let's get you to bed."
"I'm not a little girl anymore." She said with half-hearted defiance.
Jareth laid Sarah on her bed, pulling the blankets over her, and said, "No, my dear, you're definitely not." The Goblin King turned off the lights and lay down next to Sarah on top of the blankets.
"No!" Sarah said suddenly, fighting the blankets.
"What is it, Sarah?" Jareth asked, trying to clam the girl down.
"I have to put on my pajamas," she said, relaxing.
"What's wrong with what you're wearing?" Jareth asked with a smile.
"I wore it all day, and," Sarah stopped speaking when she looked down at her clothes. Instead of the jeans and sweatshirt she had been wearing, the girl saw a deep crimson colored nightgown made of a satin-like material, but warmer. She looked back up at Jareth. "How and why did you do this?"
"Magic," Jareth responded, "and as a Christmas gift." The Goblin King wrapped one arm around the girl beside him and said, "Got to sleep Sarah. I'll watch over you and Toby." He kissed each of the girl's eyes, and she promptly fell into a deep sleep. It was only when the front door opened that an owl flew out an upstairs window, the window closing behind him, as if by magic.