Epilogue
Sarah blows out the twenty candles on her cake in two tries, bathing the dining room in darkness. Her dad and Karen clap and Toby squeals with laughter before the lights are turned on again. Really, Sarah did this for Toby. When she moved out of her father's house, she honestly hadn't known if she was coming back. She hadn't truly felt a part of this family ever since Karen joined it. She loves her father, but doesn't feel a connection to him anymore. So, two months after her eighteenth birthday, she moved to an apartment in the city and got a job in a coffee shop. Sometimes she cries at how cliché her life has become. Still, she would have followed through when she promised herself that her father and stepmother blew any chance of having her in their lives, on a regular basis, at least… She couldn't stay away from Toby, though. The boy loves his big sister like a hero and Sarah couldn't help but let him steal her heart.
Once everyone has eaten a slice of cake, it's time for presents. Her father and Karen give her a charm bracelet. Sarah loves jewelry and it would have been a great gift if it weren't from Tiffany's. She's going to have to be content with the one charm that's on it already because she can't afford to buy more. She smirks down at it and thinks what a smart gift it is. Now her father doesn't have to think about what to get her for the next few holidays and birthdays. She forces a smile and tells them both how beautiful it is.
Toby has been waiting patiently next to her chair with his newspaper-wrapped present partially hidden behind his back. Once Sarah accepts a hug from Karen, Toby holds out his gift with a "Ta da!" Sarah gives him a smile from her heart and gently takes the gift from his hands. As she tears open the newspaper, she finds a macaroni necklace and a drawing on a piece of cardboard, another Toby Original.
"Oh, thank you, Toby! This is a beautiful present." Sarah pulls the macaroni necklace over her head and focuses on the drawing, which is of a unicorn. Or at least, Sarah thinks that's what it is. It has a horn, at any rate. Sarah hasn't wasted any time in telling Toby all the best bedtime stories, and he likes unicorns above all other magical creatures right now. She hauls Toby in for a bone-crushing hug, which he returns with every bit of strength his little body has, and thanks him again for his gift. "It's going right on my fridge," she says. When Toby pulls away, he opens his mouth to let a huge yawn escape.
"Time for bed, little man," her father tells the boy.
"I want Sarah to take me." Toby pouts up at his daddy.
"Sarah's had a long day of travel, Tobes—"
"No, I'd like to," Sarah interrupts. She holds her hand out to her little brother. "Come on, Mopey. Let's go get you ready for bed." Leaving Karen to clean up the mess in the dining room, she lets Toby drag her upstairs, making her lift him up every other step by his hand.
Once his teeth are brushed and his face washed, Sarah tucks Toby into his racecar-shaped bed. Once he's settled, she climbs in next to him and leans back against the headboard. He buries his head into her side and sticks his thumb in his mouth. Sarah smiles down at him and says, "Which story do you want to hear tonight? The one about Robin Hood?" He shakes his head. "How about the one with the evil Shadow Queen?"
Toby heaves a very loud sigh and whines, "Don't you know any new ones?"
She snorts and says sarcastically, "Oh, I'm so sorry to bore you. Let's see…" Sarah wracks her mind for a story she hasn't told him yet. Sarah's mind floats back to that magical night. She still can't quite decide if it was a dream or not… a handsome king who took her to a make-believe world and told her an unbelievable story. "Have I ever told you the story about the Labyrinth?"
"What's that?"
"It's a maze. You see, when a child is being particularly misbehaved," she looks down at Toby menacingly, but tickles his back, making him shriek and laugh, "you can wish that child away to the goblins. Well, one night a girl was forced to babysit a very noisy and stubborn baby. She hated having to babysit, so she called upon the king of the goblins to take the baby away. What do you think happened?"
"He took it?" Toby stares up at her in rapture.
"He took it! Only once the baby was gone, the girl realized what a terrible mistake she'd made. She begged the king to give the baby back, but he wouldn't. He told her that the only way to get him back was to make her way through the Labyrinth to his castle beyond the Goblin City…" Sarah tells Toby the story that Jareth told her that night so long ago. Toby falls asleep when she gets to the part about the ballroom. She smiles down at him. I suppose that part wouldn't be as exciting to a five-year-old boy. Sarah climbs carefully out of his bed and bends to pull the covers closer around him before kissing his forehead and stealing silently out of the room. She leaves his door open a crack to ward off the monsters. She crosses the hall and steps unwillingly into her room, locking the door behind her out of habit.
Once away from Toby, Sarah feels that creeping emptiness threaten her again. It's been five years since she caught a glimpse of her fantasies and it's been five years since she rejected them. No, she didn't reject them. Jareth was right- she couldn't have stayed with him. After he left her room that night, she cried for hours, but more because she felt horribly selfish. He loved her, and she didn't care enough to stay with him. But, as she thought about what he did for her, she grew to treasure his gift. He gave her a chance to live her life the way she wanted to. Only, she never really lived. She left home when she was eighteen, and she thought she would live an exciting and fulfilling life, but she hasn't. She went to the city to try to be an actress like her mother, but she hated the long hours of rehearsing and they didn't allow her any creative input. She met men and had boyfriends, but none of them felt… real to her. Even once away from her disastrous high school years, she never felt like she fit in.
Sarah stands in the middle of her old room, thinking. It looks exactly as it did when she left, except for some bare spots where she took a few trinkets. There were also a few boxes that Karen has shoved in here for storage. Otherwise, it was identical to the room that Jareth flew out of five years ago. For about a year after he left, Sarah could think of nothing but the adventure she'd had that night, about the story Jareth told her. She researched everything to do with goblin legends and the fae and spent her time jotting down notes about her own foray into the Underground. Of course, this made her even more of an outcast at school. Her junior year in high school, she decided to try to forget what had happened. After all, Jareth had told her he wanted her to live, explore the world. She couldn't do that if she was mentally stuck Underground. So, for two years she didn't think about it. She left her room and her childhood and ran for the city, thinking only of an adventure in this world. She started to make friends and meet boys. She went to parties and toured colleges. Even in her new adult life, Sarah never felt truly happy. It was only when she started to crave a relationship with Toby that her mind started to wander back into fantasies. That emptiness inside her started to fill. Sarah slowly walks to her closet and pulls the chain to turn on the light bulb on the ceiling. She stands on her tiptoes and reaches for a dust-covered, wooden box on the shelf. Brushing the dust off, she moves to sit on the edge of her bed and places the small box on her lap. She undoes the clasp on the front of it, and the hinges creak from disuse as she lifts the lid. She holds her breath in anticipation. Resting on the red velvet cushion that she made is the crystal Jareth gave her. She'd almost convinced herself that she made the whole encounter up until she opened her closet last year and found the box she placed there four years prior.
Afraid to touch it, Sarah just stares down at this piece of proof that she's not crazy. She didn't just imagine him, or his world. It was real. It was wonderful. Ever since the day she rediscovered this box, her mind could focus on nothing but her time Underground, brief though it was. She wanted to live a normal, exciting, human life like he'd said, but she just couldn't. Every night brought dreams of his world, but mostly they were dreams of him. She couldn't enjoy her life because she knows there's something better. Why would she want to be normal when her life could be magical? Lightly, she runs her fingers along the velvet cushion, daringly close to the crystal. She's on the verge. She hates living like this; she wants something more out of life. She's about to take hold of the crystal when Toby's face swims to the front of her mind. What if she can't come back? What if her words won't allow her to see Toby again? He loves her, and she loves him. She can't leave him, not when she just got him back. Her fingers inch away from the crystal again. What's to say Jareth even wants her to come back, anyway? It's been five years since she's seen him. If what he told her is true, it's been even longer for him. What if he hates her for leaving? She can certainly understand if he does. Anyway, he told her to call if she needs him. Did he mean, "in case of emergencies, dial Jareth"?
Sarah takes a deep breath before slamming the lid closed. She shuts her eyes and shakes her head at herself. Of course, she shouldn't call him. There are too many uncertainties and she wasn't going to be the one to ruin things again… Then again, what's the alternative? She'd go on living in this world, going to work every day, and looking at brochures for colleges she would never seriously consider. She'd see Toby maybe once a week and keep living with the emptiness. She'd have dreams of a handsome king and a magical place, but that would be it. It would never go further than dreams.
Sarah flings open the lid of the box again and before she can think about it too much, she lifts the crystal into her hands. She was surprised by how normal it felt; it could have just been a ball of glass… but she knew better. Holding the crystal in front of her face, she looks into it and says uncertainly, "Jareth?" The crystal pops like a bubble in her hand and her heart races as she waits for him.
She sits there staring at her empty hand for an eternity. She doesn't know what to expect, but she expected something. She drops her hand in her lap. To her shame, she feels tears spring to her eyes. Disappointment rushes through her, sharpened by her previous certainty that her life was about to change. She feels so stupid. After roughly dropping the box onto her desk, she dresses for bed and shoves the tears off her face. It takes a long time for her to fall asleep, but she finally does, after a good deal of shameful tears.
""""
A quick glance into his crystal shows him that Sarah's finally fallen into a deep sleep. With a deep, calming breath, he lets his magic take him to her bedroom. His eyes are immediately glued to her face. She's curled up on her side, her cheek pressed into the pillow. The blanket is pulled up under her chin. He silently walks to her bedside and crouches in front of her, one hand on the spread where it falls over the edge of the bed. The woman she's become looks a little ridiculous curled up in this little girl's pink, frilly bed. He pulls off his gloves and allows himself to trace a fingertip along her cheekbone. Gods, but she's beautiful. She's the Sarah he remembers waking up next to. The one he saw become a queen.
Jareth had been writing a letter to the Fae King when he heard Sarah's voice. He was so surprised that he thought he felt his heart actually stop for a moment. His mouth dropped open and tears sprang unbidden to his eyes at the sound of her calling for him. It'd been twelve years. Twelve long years since he said goodbye to her. He'd done as he promised- he left her alone. He didn't even check on her through the crystal, letting her live out her life completely without interference on his part. He was true to his word, and left her to live her life without him.
He was all shock when she finally called, and he found that he couldn't face her. Not that he didn't want to, but he didn't trust his conduct. He couldn't go to her until he was sure of his behavior. He watched her through his crystal until she was asleep, so he could adjust to the idea of being in the same room with her after all this time. He almost gave in when he saw that she was crying in her disappointment, but convinced himself against it. The Labyrinth would be proud of his impulse control.
Jareth takes his finger from her skin and just sits there, looking at her. Should he wake her? It took so much effort for her to fall asleep. He's just decided to let her rest when she sighs and her eyelids slide open. Her eyes lock on Jareth, but otherwise she stays still. He tries his best to keep his voice from shaking as he whispers, "Hello, Precious." Tentatively, he reaches out to place his hand against her cheek. She turns her head to press against his palm and he sighs at the feeling.
"I've had this dream already," she murmurs, her eyes sliding closed again.
Jareth chuckles. "So have I, Sarah."
At the sound of his voice, Sarah's eyes snap open as she realizes that she's no longer asleep. She bolts upright, holding one hand against her head in surprise. Jareth lets his hand fall to rest on the bed next to her. He smiles at the disheveled state she's in. Her hair is a mess, and her shirt is twisted almost backwards, exposing some of her midriff, which his eyes do not fail to take in. As she stares at him in shock, he allows himself a moment of hope.
"You're really here," she whispers.
He slowly rises to his feet and moves to sit on the bed next to her, giving her every chance to tell him to stop, which she doesn't even consider. "You called for me," he says.
"I… I needed you." As scared as she is to admit this, Sarah needs him to know that her calling him wasn't just a passing inclination.
He didn't expect that. His eyebrows draw together as he says, "Are you in danger?"
Sarah didn't even hear what he said. She's consumed with staring at him. He's just as she remembered, not a hair out of place. Tight, black pants, white poets shirt, leather riding boots, wild blond hair. He might have stepped out of one of her dreams. Though, in her dreams, he's usually not wearing quite so many clothes. She blushes at the thought and Jareth's expression clears of confusion. A smirk stretches the corner of his mouth, now. He knows that blush.
"Why did you call me?" he asks with that knowing smile.
Suddenly, her eyes fill with tears. "I missed you so much," she chokes out. Before he could offer any surprised words of comfort, she throws her arms around his neck and buries her face in his hair. Jareth is shocked that she would show this much affection for him. After all, she only knew him for one night before he left her here. He tentatively puts his arms around her, but clenches his jaw against the desire to hold her close. Though Jareth is euphoric at her words and being able to fold her in his arms at last, his scarred heart reminds him to stay cautious. This woman has ripped him apart more times than he'd care to mention, and he doesn't allow himself to hope that she means to love him again. Her tears dry as the myriad of emotions calm within her. He's here, he's here and she's holding him. Finally, no more useless dreaming. No more shame at clinging to childish fantasies, no more pretending, and definitely no more wandering through life half alive.
He strokes her hair as he whispers, "You barely know me, Sarah."
Sarah pulls back slightly at his words, but keeps her hands on his shoulders. She searches his face and in the moonlight can see the pain in his eyes. Her brows draw together in confusion. Suddenly all those years of rejection by her peers seep into her mind and she thinks he feels sorry for her… because he's about to tell her that he's not in love with her anymore. He's going to tell her he doesn't want her. Her hands fall away from him and she hangs her head. "I'm sorry," she whispers. Her cheeks burn red and her hands fidget with the blanket at her feet. "I thought… I don't know. I hoped anyway…" she trails off as another tear falls from her face and falls onto the blanket.
Jareth reaches out to place a finger under her chin. He lifts her face and his mouth drops at the hopelessness there. "Why are you crying?" he asks, a little irritated at, again, not being able to guess what she's feeling. Twelve years and he still knows nothing about her. His resolve against her melts as she closes her eyes to escape his searching stare. He moves to place his hand against her face again, but she stops him.
"You don't have to pretend," she says, her eyes still closed. "You don't owe me anything. It was stupid of me to expect—"
"Sarah, open your eyes," he growls. Her eyes snap open in response. He continues in the same angry tone, "I've not been able to look at your eyes for twelve years, I won't have you hide them from me now." He watches as her confusion is replaced by hope and he thinks, damn it to hell. He grasps either side of her face and meets her lips with a soft, but urgent kiss. Sarah's hands grasp his wrists again, and he savors the kiss, knowing she'll pull his hands away and tell him to stop at any second. Only, she doesn't. She moves her lips skillfully against his just as urgently. Her hands fall from his wrists to grip his shirt where it falls across his hips on either side. He groans as the last of his defenses come crashing down at her onslaught.
He thought time would bring back the Sarah he knew, but it didn't. This Sarah is old enough, and practiced enough, to know lust when she feels it. This isn't a girl who was forced to grow up quickly, this is a woman grown. As she traces her tongue across his lips, he can tell that she's practiced. While jealousy burns through him at the thought of her kissing another man, she's driving him wild. She catches his bottom lip in her teeth and he can't help but gasp at this new, confident Sarah. A slender hand grips the back of his neck and she lets herself fall backwards into her pillow, letting her body weight pull him down with her. She simultaneously brings up her legs on either side of him, trapping him against her. His hand moves to trace her bare thigh and the other wraps itself in her hair as his lips attack hers again.
Sarah is on fire. She hasn't been with anyone in a long time, and no one has ever made her feel like this. As Jareth's hand traces a path from her knee, up her thigh, and to her waist, pulling her shirt up with it, she can't help but gasp against his mouth. In some remote corner of her mind, she wonders if this is so intense because of the life she's already shared with him. Maybe once two people are in love, not even time can break them apart. Or maybe it's just because he's a gorgeous, powerful, magical king and he's kissing her like she's a drink of water for a man dying of thirst. Either way, she doesn't want this to ever end.
Jareth kisses along her jaw and down her neck to bite at the spot where her neck meets her shoulder. This was a favorite spot of hers before and he smiles against her skin when he hears her moan. So, some things haven't changed. He thrusts his hips to press himself into her at the same time he bites the spot again and her nails rake down his back as she gasps. Her legs wrap around his hips as she holds him against her most intimate place. He closes his eyes and wonders at this turn in his life. Sarah, his Sarah, is with him. She called him to her and is begging him with her body to make love to her. This is what he's always wanted, but never expected to receive again. He kisses her skin reverently and knows that he can never give her up again. He's lost in her.
A hesitant knock at Sarah's door shoves them into reality like a splash of cold water. They freeze, her legs around his waist and his face in her neck. A child's voice outside the door calls, "Sarah? Can you sleep in my room with me? I'm scared."
Sarah sighs and pushes at Jareth's shoulders. Very reluctantly, Jareth crawls backward toward her feet, stopping once to place a quick kiss against her stomach. She giggles softly and whispers, "Don't let him see you. I really don't want to have to explain."
Jareth smirks, but steps back into the shadows. Sarah stands in front of the door for a moment, straightening her clothes and hair. She takes a few deep breaths before opening the door to see Toby standing there in his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pajamas. As soon as he sees her, he says, "I had a bad dream."
Sarah kneels down so he doesn't have to look up. "What was the dream about?"
"Goblins. I think from the story," he says, sticking his thumb in his mouth.
"Goblins? Oh, Toby, goblins are nothing to be afraid of," says Sarah. Jareth smiles from behind the door.
"But how do you know?" the boy asks.
Sarah looks up and down the hall before whispering, "Can you keep a secret?" He nods at her. "I've met a few goblins. They're actually kind of funny. They run around, falling everywhere, and they talk all fast and garbled. It isn't hard to outsmart a goblin. A lot of them are nice, anyway."
The boy's eyes go wide and his thumb falls away from his mouth. "You've met them?" he breathes.
"Mhm." She smiles.
Toby looks at her in amazement before his eyes narrow. "Are you making it up?" he asks suspiciously.
Sarah laughs. "No, I promise I've met them."
"I still don't believe you…" Toby says.
Sarah considers him for a moment before sighing softly. "Toby… can you keep an even bigger secret?" The boy nods again. "I want you to meet someone," she says. Sarah flips on her bedroom light and takes a step back so that Toby can enter the room. She closes the door softly behind him, revealing a very surprised-looking Jareth.
At the sight of the man, Toby's eyes go wide and he gasps in fright. He scurries back toward the window and says, "There's a man there, Sarah!"
Sarah laughs and says, "I know, Toby. I invited him." She holds out her hand to Jareth, who steps forward and takes her hand with a cautious expression on his face. Once Jareth is by her side, Sarah holds out her other hand to Toby, who moves forward warily to take it, keeping as much distance between him and Jareth as possible.
"He dresses funny," Toby whispers loudly to Sarah, who snorts with laughter. Jareth's eyebrows draw together and his offended expression makes Sarah shake her head and laugh even harder.
"I'm sorry," she tells him with a smile.
"No, you're not," he says, but he gives her a small smile before crouching down in front of Toby. "Hello, Toby. Do you know who I am?" Toby takes half a step back so that he's half-hidden behind Sarah's legs. His thumb goes back into his mouth as he shakes his head. "I'm the Goblin King," Jareth says with a smile.
"There's no such thing," Toby whispers.
"Oh, but there is. Just ask your sister." Toby looks up at Sarah, who nods down at him.
Toby looks back at Jareth with wonderment in his eyes. "Then, you can do magic?"
Instead of answering, Jareth waves his hand in front of Toby's face to produce a crystal. The boy's jaw drops open and he inches out from behind Sarah. Jareth smirks and twists the crystal so that it becomes a single red rose. He holds it out to Toby, who looks up at Sarah, asking permission.
"It's alright, Toby," she says.
Toby takes the rose from Jareth's fingers and stares at it in wonder. "Do you live in a castle?" he breathes.
Jareth chuckles. "Yes."
Toby unleashes a barrage of questions on Jareth, who patiently answers them. Soon, Toby yawns despite his best efforts. Sarah tells him he has to go to sleep now that his fears of goblins have been taken care of. Toby whines and begs to stay awake to talk to the king some more, but Sarah is firm. Jareth smiles at the boy and says, "Sleep well, Toby." Toby throws his arms around Jareth's neck, surprising both Jareth and Sarah with the sudden affection. Hesitantly, Jareth returns the hug.
"Please don't leave, okay?" The boy says.
Jareth looks up to Sarah for direction, but is again shocked to see the tears in her eyes. She reaches down to disentangle Toby from Jareth's arms and holds him close against her instead. As she stands, she lifts Toby up with her so that he can wrap around her. The boy's head falls onto his sister's shoulder. "Toby," she murmurs. "You know how much I love you, right?"
"Love you, too, Sarah."
Her eyes close and Jareth stands up to see her face better. He can't understand what it is that's making her cry. Sarah takes a deep, shaking breath and says, "I might not see you for a long time, Tobes."
Toby's arms tighten around her neck and he whines, "Why?"
"I'm going to stay with Jareth, Toby. I love him." Her eyes open to meet Jareth's as his heart sings with at her words. He tries to control himself, knowing that she probably wouldn't like her brother to see Jareth kiss her senseless.
The boy jerks back to look at his sister in horror. "No! Can't I go with?"
Sarah's face tightens at his words. "I would love that, Toby, but you can't. You have to stay here and take care of mom and dad. They wouldn't be able to live without you."
"But I want to go with you!" Toby starts crying.
"I know, baby, I know," Sarah murmurs.
Jareth looks at the siblings in confusion. "What are you two talking about?" he asks.
Sarah glares at him through her tears. "I'm not in the mood to joke, Jareth."
Jareth reaches around Toby to place a hand against her face. "I only want to ask why you think you wouldn't be able to see young Toby whenever you wish. Do you imagine that I mean to hold you prisoner, Precious?"
Sarah's face fills with confusion. "I thought—"
"Sarah, I'm not a villain," he says with a smirk. "Not anymore, at least. You will be able to visit your home whenever you wish."
Sarah beams at him and Jareth can't help it. He leans around Toby and kisses her, just managing to keep it chaste. Toby leans away from them and says, "Yuck!" Jareth and Sarah laugh at the sound. She lets Toby drop to the floor, and all three of them cross the hall to Toby's room. She tucks him in, promising to visit soon, and gives him another giant hug before kissing his forehead. She takes the rose from his small hand and places it on his nightstand. Toby tells his sister that he loves her and gives her a kiss on the cheek. Toby waves at Jareth once more before turning his back to them and closing his eyes. As soon as Sarah's bedroom door closes behind them, Jareth takes Sarah in his arms and kisses her for all he's worth.
"Are you sure you want this?" he whispers against her lips. Sometimes he still shocks himself when he asks questions like this. The Labyrinth was right when she said that Sarah has changed him.
Sarah sighs and holds him closer. "All I know," she murmurs, "is that I spent the last five years knowing that a part of me was missing. I tried to live my life like a normal person, but I couldn't. Even before I knew what it meant, I missed you so much it hurt… You were wrong before, you know."
Smiling softly, he says, "Was I?"
He feels her nod against his chest. "You said I could visit home whenever I wanted, but this isn't home for me, it never really was. I think I was always meant to be with you." She pulls back to look into his eyes as she says, "Take me home, Jareth."
Jareth wonders how he'll ever save himself from her. Then again, even feeling the danger he's in from this woman, he knows he would never trade it. She's taken him to the brink and pushed him off the edge of the world, but she also saved him more times than he even knows. His kingdom is flourishing, and his magic has never been stronger. The only thing that was ever missing from his life is now in his arms. Sarah Williams, who tore him down so that she could build him back up. She's his equal in every way, and he loves her for it. He cradles her face in his hands as he places a kiss against her forehead. "Thank you, Sarah," he says. Looking into her beautiful green eyes, he lets his magic unfurl and take them both home.
THE END.
So ends my (kinda) series When the World Falls Down! I'm glad now that I did end up shortening this sequel. As much as I loved writing this story, I'm anxious to move on to something new.
I hope you were satisfied by this story. I know it was sickly sweet, but they deserve it after all they've been through!
I want to thank everyone who read my story, and most especially those of you who reviewed. is such a great place to practice your writing, but it's kind of useless if people don't tell you what's working/ not working in your story. So, thank you guys for helping me become a better writer. I've got two other stories started, but I'm not sure when they'll be published. Keep an eye out and thanks again!
