She looked down at her leather book, it was worn and stuffed full of extra papers. Her tears fell upon the page she'd pulled out. It was a carefully sketched picture of Hoggle, his face scrunched in a rather annoyed look. The sight of her face in the mirror distracted her for a second, she remembered the last time she'd looked in that mirror. God, how things had changed.

Her long chesnut hair was up in a twist, accenting her much older face. It was hard knowing that four years had passed by in the blink of an eye. She'd hardly been home in those four years, her stepmother sent her to boarding school in order to straighten her out. Not that she needed straightening out, nobody understood what it was like to find out that your fairy tales were real and how much it hurt to pull away.

By time she got back from her first semester, she felt like a guest in her own home. They had given her room to Toby, so she ended up sleeping on the couch. The only person she remained close to was Toby, it was amazing to watch him grow. Still, even looking at him hurt, the mere memory of that labyrinth pained her.

Her face was tear stained, and for just a moment, she could see his face in her mirror again. "I need you, Hoggle." She whispered as he smiled and faded away. But this time he would not be sitting on her bed, waiting for her to turn around. Sarah stood up and walked out of her bedroom, searched for Toby.

Now a young boy of five, he was playing with his cars on the kitchen table. Silently, she leaned against the doorway and watched him. She had considered leaving, but that was impossible now. Thier parents had died in a car crash three months ago. Now that everything was settled, this was thier first real night back home.

He was silent, a sad expression on his face even though he played with his favorite car. "Toby." Her voice brought the boys face around to look at her. " Go get ready for bed."

He nodded and got up, running up to his room, his parent's room a few months ago. After fifteen minutes he came back down and tugged on her shirt. "Come tell me a story?" He asked quietly.

"I'll be up in a minute." She promised, kissing the top of his head. He was her responsiblity now.

When he was out of sight, she collapsed in the chair where he had sat. Taking deep breaths, she began to prepare herself for the pain that always came. She'd ask what story he wanted and he'd tell her he wanted the one about the girl and the goblin king. Of course she hadn't told him it was about them, not yet.

It was hard enough for her to survive without the story, she missed the people she met so long ago. They were still her best friends, even though she hadn't seen them in years. Her heart was breaking slowly, every day the crack became bigger. Deciding not to make him wait any longer, she started toward his room. On her way through, she picked up the book. "I can't take this much longer, I need you."

Heaving a sigh, she sat down on the edge of his bed. "Which story would you like tonight?"

"That one." He layed his hand on the book.

"Alright, try to go to sleep before I finish. " She tucked him in better. " Once upon a time, there was a young girl named Samantha. She was an angry girl, hateful and upset, but she had a good heart and never meant for anything to happen. It was only a story after all."

She dove into the story, ignoring the stinging in her heart, only barely registering that it was less than it should be. Just like normal, half of her story focused on her and her friends. At the end, after Samantha found herself back home, rethinking her life, Toby questioned the ending for the first time.

"Sarah," His voice was sleepy and stifling a yawn, " Did she just forget about them after that?"

"I like to think," She leaned in and pretended as if it was a secret, "That she went back one day. She didn't feel like she belonged anywhere else, so why not go to the place that feels most like home."

"You really think so?" There was a hopefulness that brought more pain to her heart.

"Yes." She kissed the top of his head, lied. "I think she did, how else would there be a happily ever after? Now, go to sleep."

He succombed to sleep as she tiptoed to her own room. Slipping the book into a drawer of her vanity, she turned to get a good look at her room. Toby had changed absolutely nothing and now, it would stay as a memorial toward her friends.

Overcome by the sadness she tried so hard to hide, she picked up a stuffed animal that really resembled Sir Didymus, and a bookend that looked just like Hoggle. Sinking onto her bed, she wept over them. "I don't understand." She shook her head, her voice stuffy, " I called, but you never came. You said you would."

"I came," Her head snapped up at the voice she hadn't heard in three years, that nasily grimace that she loved so much."Just three years later than I intended."

"Hoggle!" She dropped the statue, launched herself into his arms.