Disclaimer: The Labyrinth and all related material do not belong to me. They belong to Jim Henson and George Lucas. I wish I owned Jareth.

I Saw My Baby

"Oh, Conner…" Kate bounced her fifteen-month-old son on her hip as he screamed. She grabbed his teething ring out of the fridge and put in on his swollen gums. "I know, new teeth hurt."

He sucked on the ring, tears dripping off his cheeks. She smiled and grabbed tissues, wiping his face.

"Poor baby."

She bounced and hummed until his tears stopped and he was contently sucking on the ring, his head resting on her shoulder.

"There's my sweetheart."

She set him down in his bouncy seat and placed him at her feet as she sat down. Bouncing him with one foot, she opened her laptop and flipped through her open documents.

"The bills, the wishlist, the story…" She minimized them one by one. "Here's my book review."

Conner stared up at his mother as she typed, reading over the review she did for the blog site she worked for. And extra $20 an article wasn't much, but she wasn't one to sneeze at money.

"Where's Daddy, Conner? He needs to get home so I can get to the wonderland world of retail."

He giggled as she blew a strand of hair out of her face. "And he's always complaining there isn't enough money."

Thank God she wasn't married to him, yet.

She shook her head.

Conner was unplanned. She had never intended to become a mother at 23, and Charlie had never wanted children ever, 23 or any other age. Everyone (a.k.a. his and her Catholic families) had insisted that they get married, do the right thing.

She had refused.

But they had an apartment, three jobs between them and a baby. She had given up school, but as far as she was concerned, her baby was worth it.

She wasn't sure Charlie felt the same.

"Conner, if Daddy is in a mood when he gets home, I swear, I might kick him out."

She was pretty sure they could manage without him.

At the very least it would make the apartment less depressing.

With a last check, she sent the review to the editors and opened up her personal story. It didn't cost her a thing to keep writing and she could send to as many agents as she wanted.

"It doesn't hurt to dream and who knows, maybe someone will say yes. Wouldn't that be exciting, Conner? Mama getting a book deal? I could go back to school, possibly, around my work schedule. Maybe I wouldn't have to work."

She sighed.

No, it never hurt to dream, as long as she remembered reality.

He giggled as she bounced him a bit harder, banging the teething ring against the tray.

"I saw my baby, crying hard as babe could cry. What could I do? My baby's fun had gone and left my baby blue! Nobody knew!"

Conner squealed as she began to sing.

"What kind of magic spell to use? Slime and snails, or puppy dog tails. Thunder or lightening… And baby said…"

"What are you singing?"

Kate closed her mouth so fast her teeth clicked. "Nice to see you too."

Charlie grunted and dropped his briefcase on the table. Kate saved her work and lifted Conner into her arms. He snuggled close to her, hiding his face in her neck.

"Did you do anything today? This place is a mess."

She glanced at the main room and raised her eyebrows. She had vacuumed, but Conner's toys were still on the floor from when she was trying to distract him.

"I vacuumed all the rooms and did my review. But Conner's been fussy today. He's got more teeth coming in."

Conner threw his ring on the floor.

"You use him as an excuse."

She bent and picked up the ring, dunking it in the rinse bucket in the sink. "He's a baby; he takes up a lot of time."

"Like you would know."

"Well, most of my aunts didn't work when they had small children and I've baby-sat most of my cousins, so yes, I would say I know."

Charlie snorted and kicked his shoes off.

"Put them in the closet. Conner will lick them if they are out and I don't want him eating more dirt than necessary."

"Whatever."

"I swear…"

Conner began to cry.

"Shut him up."

"If you would stop yelling, it would be easier."

She bounced Conner as she slid on her boots. Vermont was slushy and she needed to walk to work. Conner cried louder, clinging to her neck, pulling hair out of her ponytail.

"Shh, baby, shh…"

She sat down and rocked.

"This is what you worked on!"

"Charlie!"

She reached over and shut her laptop. "Only for five minutes."

"These stories aren't going anywhere, Kate!"

"You know, I get everything else done first, and then I work on those." She set Conner in the bouncy chair again; he flung himself back, screaming. He was turning red.

"Please, baby, shh…" She bounced him gently. "It doesn't take a lot of time to send a query or a sample to an agent."

"And you always get rejection letters."

"I don't know why what I do with my time concerns you. Besides, what do you do around the house?"

"I go to work!"

"So do I!"

Conner screamed louder.

"Sorry, baby." She glared at Charlie. "I work six days a week, over 40 hours a week and I have the book reviews. I clean, I cook, I look after Conner. Last I checked, you go to work, come home and do nothing!"

She took a deep breath, turning back to Conner. She slowed her violent bouncing. Tears burned the corners of her eyes.

"Just who the hell do you think you are?" she hissed. "To order me around and complain. If you don't like something, take care of it yourself. I'm not your mother; I'm the mother of your son. Grow up!"

With a sigh, she lifted Conner out of the seat again, rocking him. His screaming reduced to sniffles.

"There is salad and pasta in the fridge. The sauce is on the stove. Try and remember to stir every hour or so. I'll bring home bread and some other things when I get off."

"Whatever. I don't care what you do."

"Maybe if you did, maybe if you paid attention to our bills and debts, money wouldn't be so tight!"

"Do whatever you want, Kate! Keep dreaming; keep wishing for Prince Charming to save you!"

"I don't need to be saved."

Conner sniffled and wiped his nose on Kate's shirt.

"Conner…"

She sighed and carried him into her room. She set him on down on her bed and pulled her shirt off. First she wiped his nose and face and then she pulled on a new shirt, buttoning it quickly. She carried him back out and set him in the rolling chair. He reached for her.

"Not now baby." She opened the fridge and pulled out another teething ring. "You be good."

He sucked the ring and grinned at her.

"I wish he wasn't here."

She whipped around, hands on her hips, glaring at Charlie. "You know what, I wish you weren't here!"

"Sure you do."

Feeling spiteful and insulted about her work, Kate spat, "I wish the goblins would come and take you away, right now!"

The lights went out.

"Oh, shit."