A/n: Righteo ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my first Labyrinth FanFiction, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it. Just a side note, this is about Jareth needing an heir but don't worry your pretty heads, this is not a clichéd Sarah having his spawn type thing. It's also set three years after the film. So I suggest you put your feet up, grab some munchies (I suggest Oreo's, I'm newly obsessed with them), and we'll get on with the show!

Damn everyone to hell and back!

The Goblin King was furious. In fact, he was more than furious. He pushed the front doors open with such force that the wooden foundations seemed to shudder, as though they too were feeling his rage. He stormed out of Fae palace that was the home to his mother and sibling and pushed a passing Fae woman out of his way as he went towards the waiting carriage, ignoring her muffled surprise. He only visited this place when he was summoned and couldn't even remember an occasion where he'd left happily. That foolish old woman! How DARE she order him about? Him! She didn't have a drop of royal blood in her delicate veins so why was she commanding him? He was royalty by birth. His father had been the king of all Underworld and he was heir to it. No matter how much she dressed herself up or how many graces she learnt, his mother Esold was a commoner. How his father, who descended from countless kings, fell in love with such an inferior being was beyond Jareth's understanding. And his brother…that scheming undeserving fool…he actually considered himself the true heir! There was no way Jareth would consider it.

He stepped up into his coach unaided and immediately the goblin driver sitting above thrashed the reins and they were off. Of course he could've just transported himself home but at the moment the long ride sounded like a good idea. He could use this time to think. What should he do? The old hag, as irritating as she was, had spoken some truth. There was no way for sure of knowing how old Jareth was (which wasn't uncommon for immortals) but he was sill considered a young man and in mortal years he was roughly the equivalent of thirty. His claim to the throne was stronger than anyone else's but to secure it…he needed as heir. A son or daughter to rule after him. The thought repulsed Jareth who was not exactly the most family-oriented person about. The idea of being a father was quite off-putting. Of course, to make the situation even worse, his brother was already married to a reasonable looking woman and there were whispers she was already with child. Jareth's hands unconsciously balled into fists. Now he was alone he could let his guard down. He closed his eyes and thought about different possibilities.

The first that sprang to mind was to find some willing girl and sire a child with her. He could easily arrange to have her live away from him after it was born and there were more then enough girls to choose from. He'd never lacked attention. The problems with this idea, however, was that he'd have to marry her and put up with her for nine whole months, and all the girls he knew were silly simpering things that would no doubt drive him insane. Jareth found it increasingly difficult these days to get along with anyone. He opened his eyes slowly and glanced out of the bare window, deep in thought, as the baron wasteland rushed passed. In the far distance dark mountains blocked the sun for times, so that for short periods the land was covered in shadow. Time made no difference here so he had no idea how long the journey took, not that he really cared.

When they reached the Goblin City the coach pulled to a stop and Jareth stepped out. He ignored the many welcomes and the few guards waiting for him and strode up to his castle. He was home, yet with this mater on his mind he didn't feel comfortable. Unlike Sarah, Jareth knew the way around his castle like it was the back of his hand. He barely noticed where he was going until he entered the large stone throne room. Annoyingly, it was filled with Goblins who looked as though they'd been there for a while. Some where dancing around, some were sleeping and one or two were drinking from a large keg. Jareth slammed the doors open and made them jump. "Out!" he shouted and they all rushed passed him. It was never a good idea to keep the Goblin King waiting. In the moving crowd of fur he noticed a slightly balding dwarf wearing spectacles and scooped him up easily by his collar. When they were alone he slammed the doors shut and dropped the creature on the dusty floor.

"Your majesty! How l-l-l-lovely to see you home s-s-s-safely," it stuttered and made something that resembled a bow.

Jareth ignored this and sat down on his throne, not even bothering to take off his heavy travelling cloak. He leaned back and studied the dwarf in front of him. "I need an heir, Ziggy." It was said calmly, but the dwarf could tell his young ruler was troubled. He didn't know exactly why the king was sharing this news with him but Ziggy was the oldest dwarf in the realm and probably older than many of goblins too. Many times the king had called on him for advice.

"An heir? But, respectfully speaking, you aren't married…"

"I'm aware of that fact, thank you very much!" he snarled. "No, I've had another idea."

"What might that be?"

Jareth smiled, his lips curling cruelly as he leant forward. Out of nowhere he summoned a crystal ball and made it glow weakly. He held it so that the dwarf could see. Inside was foggy but it fined after a few seconds and Ziggy could clearly see the outline of a human child asleep in his bed. "A ready made child."

"But your majesty! You know you cannot just take what you haven't been offered."

The dwarf was troubled by what his king was suggesting and Jareth picked up on it. With a flick of his wrist the orb was gone. "And that is exactly why I need your help."

What the hell?

Sarah winced when she tried to open her eyes but had to shut them quickly due to the morning sunlight which streaked in through the window. She had the taste of wine in her mouth and it was starting to make her feel ill. How many glasses had she drunk last night? Last night she'd bee dragged to a friend's flat warming party. She could remember arriving, greeting everyone, she'd danced to a few songs…and then somebody had given her a glass of wine. Sarah wasn't a drinker but everybody else was doing it and she was feeling pretty depressed anyway. It made her feel better. More confident. She forgot about her terrible week and got to live in the moment. Two days previously she'd been dropped from her Acting Troup for "unreliability". That was their excuse anyway. She knew it was because of Vanessa Duke taking her place. Sarah had given her life to acting. In consequence the only friends she really had were in the industry themselves, and her dating record was pretty…slim. She had yet to tell her father and Irene about being unemployed and was dreading it.

She attempted to move and this time was successful although her head was spinning. It felt as though there was a little pixie inside her brain that was trying get out. She put a hand up to steady it and felt her messy hair. She could only imagine what she looked like. She'd worn make up last night and experimented with her dark red lipstick. She'd only used it a few times before but only when dressing up at home. She could see now the lipstick marks on her white pillow. She groaned when she felt a stirring within her stomach and quickly rushed to her small bathroom so she could be near the toilet in case she threw up. So this is what hangovers were like? She couldn't say she enjoyed the feeling. She leant against the tiled wall, shivering slightly in her underwear. She glanced at the mirror above the sink and sighed when she caught her reflection.

Who was this girl? This was so unlike her. She usually spent her nights curled up in bed with a book or watching some sitcom on her small TV set. She'd never even worn heels before last night, let alone dance in them. She wrapped her pale arms around herself and felt her whole body ache just as the phone rang.

She screwed up her face and made her way towards the shrill ringing on her bedside table, damning silently whoever it was. "Hello?" she answered quietly, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

"Sarah? Oh gawd; ah bet ya'll feelin' terrible! Ah was just ringin' to make sure ya got home okay?" The Texan accent confirmed it was her friend Rachel, who'd held the party.

"I think so," she mumbled. "My head's killing me."

"First hangover?"

"Yes."

"Drink lots of water then, it usually makes meh feel loads better," she advised. She paused and then added slyly, "Did Joshua stay over?"

"Joshua?"

"Duh, that guy that left with' ya last night. Ya'll were all over him, hunny."

Sarah blanched and almost dropped the phone.

"Sarah?"

"Oh sorry, I was just trying to remember," she confided. "I can't believe I did that."

"Don't worry ya'self. It's the eighties. Ya'll gorgeous, he was handsome…add alcohol into the equation an' its not that uncommon."

"Hmmm," Sarah wasn't so easily persuaded. "I'm going back to sleep. Thanks for ringing, Rachel."

"See ya!"

Rachel put the phone back on the hook and groaned as she lay down on the bed. How could she have forgotten that! Joshua…she vaguely remembered a tall man with very blonde hair. She flushed with shame. This just got worse and worse. How would she ever be able to show her face again? She'd slept with a man she didn't know. She didn't even know his second name. Of course, she'd slept with a man before so it wasn't a big thing in that respect but she'd been eighteen and in her first proper relationship…not a one night stand. That phrase, which she'd read countless times in magazines, made her feel terrible. Why didn't anyone stop her? Surely they'd seen she was drunk…but maybe they were in the same state…or maybe they didn't think it was a problem. She was nineteen now, not a child.

She recalled now how handsome Joshua had been. How softly he'd kissed her…and how light and good his touch felt against her skin.

She sat up and looked at the front door. He must've snuck away whilst she was still asleep.

Two hours passed in which time she'd showered, drank a lot of water, and dressed in a pair of jeans and a red silk shirt with long full sleeves. She let her long brown hair dry naturally and took to the task of packing an overnight bag. She was supposed to be looking after her little brother for the weekend whilst her father went away with Irene to Hawaii for their 5th wedding anniversary. Sarah hadn't complained too much since she was excited about seeing Toby again, plus it would be nice to spend some time at home. Living here in her one person flat got quite lonely sometimes and would get worse now she had nothing to do during the day. No, she told herself, think about that later. Now was not a good time to get weepy about that no good Troupe.

She attempted to eat a bit of dry toast but found she couldn't stomach it. Abandoning herself to an empty stomach, she put on her black sequined waistcoat, hitched her little bag over her shoulder and locked the apartment door behind her. All in all she thought she was doing pretty well with the whole hung-over thing. She signalled for a cab and told the moustached driver the address. She settled in the back and silently said goodbye to the hustle and bustle of the city. It was a great place to work if you enjoyed that sort of thing, and she genuinely did, but it was nice every so often to escape to someplace quiet.

"Mind if I put the radio on?" the driver asked grumpily. He hated his job and the only thing keeping him going was the fact that he'd get an earful from his wife if he lost another job.

"Go ahead."

She glanced at her watch. The journey would take around an hour and she'd forgotten to bring something to read. She would have to make do with looking out of the window as there was no way she was going start a conversation with this man…

Ill paint you mornings of gold
Ill spin you valentine evenings
Though were strangers till now
Were choosing the path between the stars
Ill leave my love between the stars

Sarah sat up abruptly as the driver fiddled with one hand on the radio controls. "Oh, leave it, please!" she asked, her eyes fixed on the radio. She knew that song! Years ago…but where from? She wasn't sure what the bands name was as she wasn't exactly the most up to date person when it came to music. But somehow this song seemed to immediately catch her attention. Almost as though it reached out and gently plucked at her heart. "Do you know who sings this?" she asked curiously.

"Nope, but then again it's not really my thing. You kids today don't know the first thing about music, I can tell you that. Why, when I was younger, the misses and I could dance up a storm, 's long as the music was right…"

Sarah didn't hear the man's ramblings as the song continued.

As the pain sweeps through
Makes no sense for you
Every thrill has gone
Wasnt too much fun at all
But Ill be there for you-oo-oo
As the world falls down

As the world falls down? She leant back in her chair with a sigh. Whoever wrote those lyrics was obviously in madly in love with somebody and, in Sarah's opinion, that person was extremely lucky. Guys today never said that type of thing although she wasn't really the best judge. What was it she'd been told once? Romance was dead? Very pessimistic but no doubt true. Even with her first and only boyfriend Steve that type of sentiment was never spoken. Sure she'd blushed when he first held her hand or kissed her but her heart never leapt with joy. She'd expected passion and was left disappointed. She put it down to the fact that she was an actress. Being passionate was who she was.

Still she couldn't get that song out of her head.

When the taxi drove into her home town, Sarah was distracted from her thoughts by the familiar scenery. They came to a halt in front of her old home and she grinned as she almost sprung from the car. Almost. Her body was feeling too weak to do any actual springing and she's found a rather nasty bruise on her side in the shower from last night. The driver already had his window down and she paid him. She didn't mind that he drove off without another word because the anticipation of seeing her father and Toby was too great. Her relationship with her step mother Irene was still cold and she had no intension of being anything more than civil to her.

She knocked on the front door and only had to wait for a moment before the door was opened by her father. "Hey, Sarah!" He gathered her into his arms and kissed her forehead. He took a step back and looked at her. "My, you've grown. Where's the little girl I knew who used to tell me the bedtime stories?"

"Hey, Dad," she grinned and stepped inside. Immediately she noticed that the place had been decorated. The cream walls were now pale pink and the furniture had changed. For some reason this bothered her but she didn't say anything. Just because her mother was the one who'd decorated it didn't mean anything. She couldn't resent her father for wanting a spring clean. In the middle of the room was Irene who was packing a few final things tidily into a suitcase. Sarah noticed that she'd had her hair highlighted again.

"Oh there you are, Sarah, good journey?" she asked, and then added without pausing, "We have to leave in a few minutes. Everything is where it should be but give us a ring if you need any help; the hotels number is by the phone. Toby's upstairs napping. We'll be back Monday evening."

"Right," she answered simply and made her way upstairs to find Toby. Toby was now four years old and was so proud to sleep in a real bed instead of his "babyish cot". There had been a time when Sarah couldn't stand him. He felt like an invader to her but after having a terrible dream where he was stolen she'd come to love him very much. He was a lovely child and secretly if she honest she hoped that if she ever had a child it would be just like him. His curly blonde hair fell down to his shoulders and he had the largest dimples whenever he smiled. Sarah walked into his room and found that it had been decorated as well. The walls were blue with little green goblins panted around the bottom. "Toby?" she whispered incase he was asleep.

"Sarah?" came the little mumbled response from the bed. Sarah flipped the light on and her brother whooped when he saw his big sister. He jumped from his bed and ran over to her where she caught him in her arms. Sarah lifted him up and cuddled him. "You smell funny! Like yucky strawberries."

"It's my perfume, and it smells nice," she corrected. She held him out and looked at him. "Such a big boy now! You'll be the one picking me up soon…wait…what happened to your eyes?" His usual sparkling blue eyes were gone and now replaced with a set of brown ones, although the one on the left looked much lighter then the one on the right. The almost looked like different colours…

"Mummy says they changed. I like them," he added proudly.

"Yes, I like them too," she assured him, recovering.

"Are you gunna' look after me all weekend?"

"Going to, not gunn'a. And Yup, you okay with that?"

Toby grinned and hugged his sister again. "Its gunna' be so much fun! We can play with my new train set, or listen to my records… I've got a new swing outside! Daddy built me it. You'll like that."

"I bet I will."

"Sarah?" Irene was calling. "The taxi's here, we're leaving now."

"Okay!" she shouted back. She carried Toby into the hallway and they both looked out of the window overlooking the street. Toby waved his chubby hand at his parents who were getting into the yellow car but they didn't see him. He frowned and Sarah's heart ached for him. "It's okay, kiddo," Sarah soothed. "How about we go downstairs and see Merlin? You can show me your new swing."

The rest of the day passed easily. Sarah pushed him on the new swing which she had to admit was pretty cool, they played with Merlin whose old age never seemed to stop him from catching their sticks, they baked cookies (Sarah baked, Toby licked the spoon), and finally ended up on the couch watching one of his cartoons. As Toby stared at the screen, mesmerized, Sarah picked up one of their cookies and took a bite. She allowed herself to think about their relationship and how it'd changed after that one dream. The dream had been bizarre, no question about that, but she couldn't remember much about it. She knew that Toby had been stolen and she'd had to go and rescue him but nothing else. Ever since then she knew she loved him as a brother and no longer thought of his as the enemy who wanted to steal her fathers love. She reached over now and hugged him. "Time for bed."

"But Sarah the cartoon's not finished!"

"You can watch it another time, and if you don't fuss then I'll tell you a story."

"Promise?"

"Scouts honor," she assured him and she carried him upstairs into his room. Whilst he got into his pajamas Sarah examined the room and saw that he had a few goblin toys. "You like goblins, Toby?"

"Sure."

"Good, because this story is about them," she grinned and she tucked the blue covers up around him before perching on the side. "Once upon a time….there was a beautiful girl…" and so she told the tale of the Labyrinth, not noticing the snowy owl outside that was perched on a branch, watching them. She only reached the part where the beautiful girl had to fight her way n through the Goblin city when she realized Toby was already asleep. She kissed his forehead and snuck out of the room quietly. Her own room had barely changed at all. Apart from her clothes, record player, and other things she'd taken to the flat, everything was where it was supposed to be. She touched the wall gently, admiring the pink delicate wallpaper, before sitting in front of her vanity dresser. Automatically she reached down and opened the single draw. Inside were a few photographs, dried flowers, pens, hairclips, and a plastic tiara. She looked at it fondly and remembered countless hours she spent playing with it. She closed the draw.

Deciding to read in bed, she changed out of her clothes and dressed in the over-large white shirt she often wore in bed. It barely reached mid-thigh but tonight she didn't care. It wasn't as though anyone was going to see her in it. Unknowingly to herself, over the last three years she had blossomed into a beautiful young woman. Her hair remained long and straight, and it was such a beautiful shade of dark brown that she'd never wanted to colour it like a lot of her friends had done with theirs. Her childish freckles and baby fat were long gone, leaving behind fair, delicate features and almost-womanly curves; among other developments. Mentally, she was ever the dreamer, but hopefully with a more rational head on her shoulders. She brushed out her long hair a few times, closed the patterned curtains, and then slid into the familiar sheets before starting to read. The only light she had on was her small nightlight on the bedside table. Every so often she would tear her eyes away from the story and listen to make sure that Toby was still asleep but all was well.

Or so it seemed.

After an hour or so, she heard a little tapping noise. She looked up reluctantly –Tess was just about to reveal her past to Angel- and then heard it again. Frowning slightly she marked her page and put the book aside. She moved the blankets and got up, looking to the window where the noise was coming from. If it was a tree branch then she'd have to see somebody about cutting it back because she wouldn't be able to sleep with the noise. She drew back the curtains and then gasped-

Outside on her window ledge was a beautiful white owl whose amber eyes were staring at her.

Sarah had never seen an owl so close before and wondered if it would fly off as she unlocked her bedroom window. "Come here. Come on, come to me. What a beautiful creature," She added to herself. She wanted to stroke its glossy feathers but there was something about this bird that unnerved her. She didn't like the way it was looking at her.

Suddenly the bird's wings outstretched and flew into her bedroom! It landed on her bed and then- before she could blink- it was no longer a bird…

"Good evening Sarah."

It took every nerve she had not to scream as she didn't want to scare Toby. Where the bird had once been was now…well, a man. He was extremely handsome with light blonde hair that seemed to fall at different lengths around his shoulders. His face was ageless and smooth but it looked hard at the same time- like marble. His attire was like something from out of a fairytale; black breeches, black heeled boots, a black armor-like top and cape that she supposed fell to his feet. He was sitting but she could tell that he was very tall. Overall his appearance was fantastic…it was just that arrogant smile that sat on his lips that she did not like. Not one bit.

"W-Who are you?" she demanded, trying to control her voice so it didn't sound scared. She failed. "Get out!"

"Tut tut," he murmured, his eyes were fixed on her and she saw they were just like Toby's. "And after I've travelled all this way too. You need to practice your manners, Sarah."

Her green eyes widened, "How do you know my name?"

"Oh I know more then that," he chuckled. "Don't you remember?"

And then suddenly, like magic, she did. She remembered everything. Everything about the Labyrinth, about her friends, about him…

As the world falls down

She breathed. "Jareth!"

"Ah… so you do."

"What are you doing here? I didn't make any wishes!"

He sighed dramatically. He was stretched across her bed as gracefully as a cat; a cat that could and would pounce any second. "Why must you presume everything resolves around yourself, dear heart? It's not you I'm interested in tonight."

"But you were at my window."

"To have you let me in, nothing else."

Sarah kept back and swallowed. As she spoke the words she knew what the answer was in a second, "Then who…?"

Jareth gave her one of his cruelest of smiles and she shivered. "Why… Toby, of course."

A/N: Da na! Like it? Hate it? You see the little blue box below? I love that box, seriously, and reviews are greatly appreciated. Even if it's just to say "you suk, go away". However, if you are going to type that then please write Suck not Suk. I am crap with text talk. Little notes: 1) Ziggy the dwarf is named after one of Bowie's amazing creations Ziggy Stardust, 2) I'm so sorry about that Texan accent if it's wrong. I was just going back to how I wrote Rogue. If it's wrong then feel free to throw cowboy boots at me (I own a pair but they are getting kinda' small), 3) The book she's reading is Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles. An amazing book.

Toodles for now X