Haha sooooooo because I finally decided to actually do the math on this, If Sarah was 57(Toby would be 42) during Alice's adventures, then the year should technically be 2028. But because I'm the writer and I don't wanna do a future kinda book, were gonna pretend nothing's changed for the next 16 years. Kay? If that's gonna bother you a heck of a lot, then I suggest you go read a different fanfiction. Sorry!

A Tiny bit of info about this: 1.) I mapped this out originally for Alice to be Sarah's granddaughter, but then I decided to just make her Sarah's niece, so if you see Sarah referred to as Grandma, that's why. 2.) So when Sarah grew up she moved away to New York where she became a writer while her husband was a Lawyer. When they found out Clark(her husband) had cancer they moved out to the country to relax for a few years. Toby wanted to be near Sarah while she was in that 'time of trouble' so the family moved out there. The story takes place about a month or two after they moved in.

Cast: Olivia Wilde as Katherine(Alice's Mom), Owen Wilson as Toby, Older Jennifer Connelly as Sarah, and Younger Rachel McAdams as Alice

Disclaimer: sadly, I do not own Labyrinth or any of its beautiful characters :(

Life Can't Be Easy

"Alice! Toby, did you wake Alice up?"

"Yeah, she said she'd be up in a minute."

"Did you see her out of bed? …Well there's the problem."

In darkness I could hear the voices of my parents downstairs. I opened my eyes a crack and saw the sunlight streaming in through my bedroom window. I groaned and rolled back over, hiding myself in my covers. Hearing my mother's footsteps as she approached my room, I shrunk further into the warm comfort of my bed.

"Alice, get out of bed! We're about to leave, and everyone else is ready!" I opened my right eye to see my mother's short form scowling at me. Her light blonde hair was pulled back in a pony tail, and she had on her casual clothes and tennis shoes. When her short patience thinned she yanked the covers off me and dragged me out of bed.

"C'mon, Alice. I'll be back in five minutes to check on you, please be ready."

And with that she left my room for me to change and get ready. As I pulled on a t-shirt and jeans I remembered that today we were going over to Aunt Sarah's house to help her clean it out after Uncle Clark had died. I pulled my hair back in a pony like mom's and didn't bother with any make up. Grabbing my Converse as I went, I ran downstairs for breakfast. I gobbled down my Pop Tart as I put my shoes on.

"Well look at that. She's alive!" I turned to see my older brother saunter in and take a seat next to me.

"Oh, shut up Owen." I rolled my eyes at my idiotic brother as he poked fun at me. Flipping his too-long blond hair back as he laughed. He rustled my hair as I brushed past him to the car and crawled to the back.

My parents had already assumed their positions in the front, and my little sister Grace was already in one of the middle row seats, and I knew Owen would throw a total fit if he had to sit in the back. 'I'm seventeen for god's sake! Not nine!' Sitting all squished up was a small price to pay in order to keep the peace.

The hour ride from Beacon out to Aunt Sarah's House in Cooperstown passed quickly as my mind wandered back to the stories she would tell me when I was small. When Grace was a baby she told them, but when she asks for one now she tells different ones. Anyways, we finally pulled into her gravel driveway to find her sitting out on the front porch waiting for us. Dad got out first and gave her a good hug.

"How are you doing sis?" he asked, tiptoeing around actually asking her how she felt about her husband's death, but she caught him.

"I'm fine, Toby. And how are you all?" she turned and asked the rest of the family.

"Aunt Sarah! I got a new doll yesterday! Will you play with me?" my eight-year-old sister asked innocently. Sighing at Grace's constant need for attention and looked around as we all walked inside. It was much the same as when Uncle Clark was alive. Cluttered and covered in dust. Not that Sarah and Clark were hoarders or anything, they just liked stuff. Sarah was an antique collector, and Uncle Clark liked it too. In the corner of the dining room was the old baby-grand piano where I had first been introduced to classical music which had turned into my favourite as I grew up. I smiled at the fond memories and went off into my own reverie.

My attention was caught when my mother called my name impatiently, "Alice, are you even listening?"

"What?" I opened my eyes wide and tried to pull of sweet and innocent, but I guess I'm getting a bit old for it.

"Aunt Sarah has something she wants you to look at."

"Oh!" I rushed down the hallway to Sarah's room.

"Here we are." Sarah said as she patted on an old vanity set. "I know it isn't very pretty, but since you've just moved in, and I thought you might like it." She smiled at me with that old-lady charm and I stepped forward to give the vanity further inspection. It had a mirror attached to it, and was painted white, but the paint had started to chip off. One of the drawer knobs was missing, but the rest were small crystal spheres. I ran my hands over the old wood, deciding that although it wasn't my normal style, something about the vanity drew me too it. I smiled and went to give my aunt a hug.

"I love it. Thank you." I whispered.

"I'm glad. This vanity has gone through a whole lot."

"Really? Like what?" I asked, sitting down on a nearby chair.

"Well, when Clark and I moved here from San Francisco, I brought this with me. Probably the only thing I brought." Sarah got that look in her eye and I could tell she was a million miles away and probably years away too. Well, at least I know where I got that look from. I smiled to myself and began to check the vanity drawers for any baubles.

In the drawer missing it's knob I found a small little red book called Labyrinth. "Aunt Sarah, what's this?"

"That is the book I would read to you and your father and the rest of you young kids when you were growing up. But I think you liked it the best." She said rather solemnly with a sad smile on her face.

I turned the first few pages and recognized the story. The girl who ran the Goblin King's labyrinth to win back her brother. "Oh this story!" I gleamed through the pages, reading some of my favourite parts, and skipping others. "Aunt Sarah, is it okay if I keep this?" I asked quietly.

She was quiet for a minute, as she gently took the small book from my hands. After a moment, she finally said, "Yes. I believe I've long since stopped believing in fairy tales. Why don't you get back in the habit for me?" she joked.

"Oh, I'll have no problem doing that!"

We helped clean out the rest of her house, and at the end of the day we packed the vanity and several other items into the back of the car and headed home. After unpacking everything, and filling my new vanity with my makeup and some hair accessories, I crashed on my bed and began to read the Labyrinth. When I was rather close to finishing, I heard my mom call for me from downstairs. "Coming!" I shouted as I made my way down.

"Alice, how do you explain this?" In her hand I saw my latest report card. Immediately my stomach was in my feet. I hadn't done very well in Biology this quarter, and I knew I couldn't have made anything above a C.

"Mom, I know it looks bad, but everyone else-"

"No! Alice, there is no 'everyone else.' You are the one who has made this awful grade. You are the one who is constantly having you head in the clouds, and you are the one who will fix this if you ever want your privileges back!"

"What privileges?" I asked, angry that she was shouting at me, and in dire need of aloneness.

"No phone, no TV, no internet, and no reading unassigned books until these grades are up." She said firmly, counting off each on a finger.

"But Mom, that's not fair!" I whined, not caring that I sounded like a three year old.

"I don't care, Alice! Until these grades are up, you'll just have to learn to live with it." Just then my father came walking in.

"Katherine, what's going on? Alice, have you disobeyed your mother?" he immediately went into 'strict-parent-mode' and I just couldn't take all the blame and accusations suddenly piled on me.

"I can't do anything right, can I!" with that I ran back up to my room and locked the door behind me. I collapsed onto my bed and held back tears. I normally never raise my voice, but they just weren't listening, and they seemed so ashamed. I felt something hard dig into my back, and reached underneath me to pull it out. In my hand, I found the small red book I was reading before I went downstairs.

I hugged it to me tightly and whispered on a whim, "I wish the goblins would take me away from here." I closed my eyes and spun those words around in my head, thinking about what they could really mean.

"Alice, you get down here, we are not finished with this discussion." I heard my mom shout from downstairs.

I rolled my eyes, knowing what was coming next. "Right now."

"Right Now!"

I said in unison with my mother, mocking her. I rolled off my bed and trudged over to my door, unlocking it and flinging it open only to find…a forest. I gasped and turned around; expecting my room, but it had disappeared. I turned again and my door was gone as well. I walked further into the forest, and saw a small creature scuttle across the ground. As I looked around, I noticed other oddities that would not be in a normal forest. Everything seemed to have a glow to it, and some things would move when I felt no breeze. Another small creature came out from behind a bush and started pulling weeds from the ground.

Normal animals don't have opposable thumbs. Or pointed ears. Is that a goblin? My eyes widened at the thought, and I shook my head back and forth, covering my mouth with my hands.

"No, no, this can't be happening. I must be dreaming!" I ran up a small hill and looked around me. I could see in the distance a castle, surrounded by a winding wall, formed into a maze; a Labyrinth. I sank to my knees and squeezed my eyes tight. I slowly counted to 100 and opened my eyes. The scenery around me had not changed, and almost seemed intensified.

"I've gone insane."

Yay! Chapter Uno! please leave comments! I love feedback! :)