DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, only the story that popped into my head one day. Labyrinth belongs to Jim Henson.

PART ONE: KEEP ME NUMB.

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Sarah wiped the last of the tears that streamed down her face with the back of her hand, and then, let out a heavy sigh.

"Well Toby, it's just you and me now kiddo." she said putting her hand on the six year old's shoulder.

"Why did he have to die Sarah?" he sniffed and scrubbed his eyes with his sleeve. Sarah let out a shuddering sigh and replied sadly. "Because it's not fair Tobes...it's just not fair."

Thunder growled and rain began to fall heavily. "C'mon Toby, let's get outta here." She said as she pulled off her hat and put it on her brother's blonde head. Toby didn't move.

"Toby, come on, it's pouring," she said, bending down to his level so that she could look him in the eyes.

"No Sarah," was his simple answer. He turned towards his sister, tears in his big, innocent eyes. "I'm not leaving Merlin here!" he wailed, as tears began pouring down his face again and he covered his eyes with his hands. Sarah's eyes watered up again at this, and she gently took the boy's gloved hands in her own.

"Toby...Merlin lives here now... remember how much he loved the park, Toby; it was his favorite place. He is happy here," she said, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Look Toby, I tell you what; we'll come here and visit Merlin as often as possible. And we'll bring him his favorite treats and place them by his grave...I promise we will."

Toby nodded sadly, turning his head to look at the gravestone once more, then took his sister's hand, and they both walked sadly out of the park.

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Sarah unlocked the door to her small apartment, and took off her boots and soaked coat. Once Toby had done the same, he walked slowly into the living room. Sarah heard him switch on the TV, and she smiled. Television was his safe haven she thought as she hung up her coat. It helped him forget for a while...just like alcohol had done for her.

At the thought of the liquid she began to crave it, and she felt her mouth dry up. She needed a drink. She had never been much of a drinker; in all honesty, she never used to like the taste of it. But when her parents had died in a car accident two years ago, she found it was the only thing that seemed to help with the pain, and now she was addicted to the stuff. She felt her heart twist with pain at the thought of her parents, and she quickly had to set her mind to something different, anything, just to get them out of her head.

Sarah turned around and saw Merlin's basket in the corner of the room. She felt more pain rise in her heart, and her eyes stung with tears. Merlin's death had come as a complete shock to her; he had been a very healthy dog all his life. He ate and walked daily just like any other dog, showing no signs of illness. Only yesterday she took him on a walk to the park as usual, when she had noticed his breathing was harsh. When she took him home that night, he wouldn't eat or drink, and he would whine whenever she left his side. She ended up sleeping on the couch next to him, so that she could keep an eye on him.

When she had woken up the next morning, he had died in his sleep.

Sarah had quickly phoned the vet, and he had come over to her house and examined the poor lifeless creature. When he was done, he explained to Sarah that Merlin had passed away very softly in his sleep. But Sarah couldn't help but blame herself for his death; perhaps, if she had of taken him to see a vet that night he would still be alive now... But then again, he was very old. She was only ten when he had been introduced to the Williams family, and he had remained a loving and loyal dog all her childhood. He had lived a good, long thirteen years.

Sarah sighed; her head was swimming with emotion. She ran her fingers though her hair and picked up his basket, putting it safely in the cupboard to keep it out of sight. She couldn't cope with seeing it empty there in the corner anymore.

"What are we having for dinner, Sarah?" Toby called to his sister, pulling her out of her thoughts. She smiled, putting on a mask, so that Toby couldn't see her sadness. He had gone through enough. She smiled; she was pleased to hear he still had an appetite. Unlike herself.

"I don't care; what do you fancy?" she said as she locked the cupboard door, and walked into the living room. Toby sat on the two seated red couch, the TV remote in his little hand.

"How about chicken nuggets and fries? And a big glass of soda?" she said smiling, knowing it was one of his favorite dinners. Usually she would make sure he ate food that was good for him, but tonight, he needed comfort. Toby grinned and clapped his hands together.

"Yeah! And ice cream or pudding?" he beamed. Sarah scuffed up his blonde hair.

"Sure thing, but only if you promise that after dinner you'll brush your teeth and get yourself to bed, okay? Because you have school in the morning, and I have work."

Toby frowned but agreed.

After Toby had eaten his fill and finished watching his favorite Disney movie, Aladdin, he had done as his sister had asked, brushing his teeth and putting himself to bed. Sarah had given him a good night kiss as she always did, and tucked him up, whispering in his ear that she loved him. Then she cleaned away the dishes and put out the lights, before she headed to the bathroom and ran herself an extra deep bubble bath.

Sarah stripped herself from her clothes, tossing them into a washing basket, then put on her favorite relaxation CD, turning up the volume to the maximum; it helped Toby fall asleep. Sarah lowered her body into the tub, and for the first time that day she was able to relax.

As she lay there the events of that day flew into her mind again, and she began to cry. This was the only time Sarah would let herself go, when she sat in that bath with the music turned up so loud so that Toby wouldn't hear her sobs. Black tears made their way down her face as she thought about the last two years... So much had happened, her dear Father and Step Mother passed in the car crash when they had gone away for the weekend, leaving her and Toby as orphans. She had taken full responsibility for Toby because she couldn't cope with losing him.

Not again.

Not after how hard she had fought to get him back from The Goblin King.

She couldn't bear to lose another member of her family. She had already lost her Mother, Linda Williams, then her Father and Step Mother, then her best friend, and now Merlin.

Sarah took a shuddering breath and opened a small built-in cupboard she had beside the bath. It was full of shampoos and soaps that had belonged to Karen. Sarah hadn't always liked Karen. Sarah had resented her for taking her father away from her, but that hadn't meant she wanted her to die. It wasn't until Karen's death that Sarah realized how much she had grown to love her.

Karen had been a good Mother to her, trying to understand her and her teenage temper tantrums and fits, trying to be kind and understanding, washing her clothes, and making sure she had food on the table when Sarah arrived back from school. Sarah regretted how she had acted towards her then, even though she hadn't always been nice to Sarah, and sometimes she wouldn't let her leave the house, making her do housework as well as school work before having her babysit in the evening. It had all been too much for Sarah at the time, as she was missing her real mother, and she was so hormonal it was unbelievable.

But still, she shouldn't have been so rude to her. Sarah pulled out a bottle of vodka from behind the shampoos and various body washes. Opening the lid, she drank straight out of the bottle. She felt the liquid burn the back of her throat, and she swallowed, loving the burn. She felt content for a moment.

She hated to admit that every night she lay in this bath, drinking herself into oblivion to stop her mind from wondering about the past and helping her to feel numb while she slept without dreams. She drank some more as she thought about Merlin again; she didn't need to feel any more pain tonight.

She was tired. Her eyes were swollen from crying and she had an emotional headache. She couldn't get upset anymore; she needed to sleep, as she had work in the morning…. Like I need that, she thought.

Sarah drank down some more vodka and started to feel rather numb. That was good. Sarah climbed out of the bath, pulled out the plug, letting the water drain away. She wrapped a warm towel around herself. She brushed her teeth and washed the makeup off her face.

Sarah slipped into a red silky night dress, and put on a huge soft black robe that used to belong to her father. She hugged it around her slim body. She walked into her bedroom and got into bed, pulling the blankets right up to her neck. She sighed as the alcohol went straight to her head, and she fell into a deep sleep within two minutes.

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END OF PART ONE.

AN: Well that's chapter 1 up! let me know what you think :)

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