A/N- - When you read it, imagine the actor's voices saying it. It's creepy how perfect some of the lines sound!

Chapter 2

"Are you sure you will be okay?" Sarah's stepmother was saying the next afternoon, "I mean, it's a three-day holiday! Will you be able to take care of your self and Toby for that long?"

"Of course, Barbara, we'll be fine! I'll make sure we both get three decent meals a day, and I'll sleep in your room so Toby's not alone and...well, we'll be fine!" Sarah assured her, exasperated. She'd been doing this since the idea of leaving Sarah with Toby for three days had even come up.

"Okay...I guess it's time for us to go." Barbara said, still not completely at ease. "But remember," she added, "If there's any emergency at all, Eleanor's number and address is on the refrigerator. And be sure to let us know if anything goes wrong. The hotel's number and our room extension is on the refrigerator too." Eleanor was their neighbor. She had agreed to help the children out until the parents returned.

"Alright, thanks." Sarah said, gently pushing her stepmother towards the door. Barbara nodded and said good-bye to Sarah and Toby, and so did Sarah's dad. Then, the two of them left for their holiday, and Sarah put Toby down for a nap.

Later, at around 9:00, after they'd eaten, Sarah was bringing Toby to bed. She put him into the crib, then went to get her pillows and stuffed animals. After her time in the Labyrinth, Sarah had let go of her obsession with fantasies, but she still liked them, so she didn't get rid of any of her old toys. She kept them as little keepsakes. So, really, she hadn't exactly changed at all, depending on how you look at it.

When she returned, Toby was standing up in his crib. "Story!" he cried. Toby had said his first words a few month ago. He often said one or two-word sentences when he wanted something. He had occasionally been able to repeat full sentences, but never make them up on his own.

Sarah smiled and said, "Alright. Hm, let's see...A story for Toby..." She suddenly remembered a story that she had told to his a long time ago. "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young girl who's stepmother always made her take care of the baby. And the baby was a spoiled child, and he wanted everything for himself, and the young girl was practically a slave." This time, she told it knowing it wasn't true. She knew that her stepmother loved her and she loved Toby. "But what no one knew was that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl," Was this true?

This almost made her stop, but she didn't want to trouble Toby, so she continued. "And he had giving her certain powers. So one night, when the baby had been particularly cruel to her, she called on the goblins for help. 'Say your right words,' the goblins said, 'And we'll take the baby.' But the girl knew that the king of the goblins would keep the baby for ever and ever and ever,"

"And turn it into a goblin." Toby interrupted. "Familiar..." He had a strange expression on his face, like he was thinking.

"Toby, do you remember this story? I told it to you, about a year ago. That was the night..." she trailed off.

"Jareth." Toby said, looking up decisively.

"Do you...you remember that? Wow! It was...wow...was it really? Around a year ago...?"

"Exactly a year, actually." a voice said. Sarah turned slowly, fearfully, to the window. There he was. Wearing the same gaudy black outfit with the thin, tatty cape trailing behind. "To this day, and to the hour."

Sarah stepped between Toby and Jareth. "What are you doing here?"

"Just dropping by to see how you were doing with the annoying child. I'll still take him back, if you want me to."

"Of course not! I didn't even want you to the first time!" Sarah cried.

"Well, you shouldn't have said it then, you silly little girl." Jareth said, chuckling. Sarah though she could hear a few goblins cackling. "Get out of here! Go back to the castle!" he yelled. Much anxious scuttling could be heard. "Stupid creatures..." Jareth mumbled, then looked up at Sarah expectantly.

"What do you want?" she said cautiously.

"I want to help you, Sarah." he said, "Do you really want to spend an entire three days with that baby? I mean, sure he's calm now, but we both know he'll be screaming and crying his eyes out before tomorrow morning. Keeping you awake all night...Tsk Tsk. He'd be much better as a goblin. They always do as I say. And when I want them to be quiet, they are. Plus, you won't have to take care of him ever again. He'll be completely out of your hands." He had the crystal in his hands, and he was waving it around in that fancy way, never taking his eyes off Sarah's. It looked so tempting...She could see her dreams...She wouldn't be kept up with crying all night...

Jareth continued, in a dreamy, melodic tone, "Sarah, just let me take him. And I'll give you the crystal. It would be so harmless. You know the words, Sarah." Toby was looking from him to her. It was all very frightening, and he began to cry. "You see what I mean?" Jareth shook his head. Sarah looked at Toby with disdain.

"Stop crying, Toby, I can't think!" she said angrily. Toby continued to scream, and Sarah picked him up and bounced him on her leg. But he would not yield. He kept staring at Sarah, crying. Sarah looked to Jareth. He looked back at her with sympathy. Sarah put Toby back in his crib and stood in front of him. She wasn't sure she trusted Jareth, but Toby's screaming! And her dreams...

"I wish...I wish the goblins would come and...take you away...right now." she said, almost frightfully. Jareth grinned; Sarah didn't notice. She turned away from Sarah's crib, she didn't want to see her baby brother disappear.

"It is done, Sarah." Jareth said. Sarah turned to see an empty crib, and feinted. Jareth grinned again.

When Sarah came to, which was only a moment or two later, Jareth was still standing there, and Toby was still gone.

"What did you do?" she shot at him.

"Your the one who said it." he replied calmly.

"But...I would never have said it! You did something to me!" she cried.

Jareth sighed, smiling. "It was a simple enough piece of magic." he said, "To be honest, I didn't think you'd fall into it. But you did. I did the spell when I was waving the crystal around; otherwise you would've noticed. It has an affect on you. I was able to get you do be more inclined to agree with me."

"So...it made me do what you say?" Sarah asked.

"It's a bit more complicated than that. If I told you to do something shocking, you wouldn't have done it. It just sort of bends your mind to make what I say seem more agreeable. But I have to be careful what I say. It can't be too far away from your original thoughts." Jareth explained.

"Well...Bring him back!" she said.

"You did say the words." Jareth said, "Just as you did last time."

"But you used magic to make me! At least the last time I...I..."

"What? Truly wanted your baby brother taken away? Really meant it when you said the words?" Jareth taunted. Sarah looked at him fiercely.

"No! I would never! I was just...mad. And I didn't know that those were the words to get him taken!" she defended.

"But I do recall you said you wished you knew what to say to get him taken away." Jareth pointed out.

"Well...Just give him back!" Sarah didn't really have anything else to say, so she just cut to the chase.

"Do you really think I would, Sarah? You'll have to get him yourself. But I would not recommend it. Remember, the Labyrinth is always changing. And do you really even want the screaming baby back? Wouldn't you much rather have this?" The crystal once again appeared in his fingers.

"No." Sarah said. She wasn't falling for it this time. Jareth nodded, looked defeated. But, really, he was anything but.

"I'll take you to where you started last time. It takes the same thirteen hours for him to become one of us forever. But I still think you shouldn't go." Jareth said. They were in the desert field. "I don't want you getting hurt, Sarah."

"Really? Oh...well, thank you, Jareth. But...I have to do this." she said. And just like that, he faded out, shaking his head sadly.