"If being strong is what you want

Then I need help here with this feather."

-Swingin Party, Lorde


Sarah parked the noisy Toyota outside her apartment building. She took Toby's hand, giving Billy, who was sitting out on his balcony, a wave.

She walked inside her apartment. It wasn't a big place, rather small compared to most standards, but she loved it here. The four-room apartment had been more of a home to her and Toby than was the big Victorian house in Virginia. You walked right into the kitchen, which Sarah kept clean, but could do nothing about the outdated appliances. There was a break in the tile, and then there was a carpeted living area in which Sarah kept a little second hand couch and a large, bulky TV that Billy had given her. The cable on it was out, and it only played movies, but when you had a collection of films like Toby did, that wasn't a problem. Breaking off the living room was a short hallway; Sarah's bedroom was on the right, and Toby's was on the left. The only bathroom in the whole place was the master bath, and so anybody who had to use it had to walk through Sarah's bedroom. It wasn't a preferable situation, but for the rent it was a good place. And she couldn't complain about the neighbors, either.

"So, Prince Toby, what would you like for dinner?" She asked, laughing as the boy yanked open the fridge.

"Chicken nuggets?" He asked, making Sarah giggle.

"We had those yesterday!" Sarah laughed, opening the cabinet next to her. "Alphabet soup? We can make words with the letters after..."

Toby nodded eagerly, he couldn't wait to get to school, much like Sarah at that age. He ran over to the TV, probably going to put in The Black Cauldron or Scooby Doo or some second-hand movie Sarah had gotten for him, but instead he froze, staring at the couch.

"Sarah," Toby said, making Sarah look up from the soup on the stove. "The man is back."

"What?" Sarah said, rushing over to Toby and wrapping her arms around him.

The face of the man lounging on the couch was a familiar one, as was the thin grin he wore on his face.

"Hello, precious." The man said, standing up and rising to his full height in the blink of an eye. Sarah stood as well, and despite her growth, the Goblin King still towered over her. "Do you remember me, Toby?"

Sarah's eyes narrowed, and she took a step in front of the boy.

"Toby, how about you go to your room and play, okay?" Sarah said, and the boy stepped away from her, as if debating running to his room scared, but then stepped back between his sister and the King, puffing out his chest and placing his hands on his hips.

"No! You're not going to hurt Sarah, Mister!"

"Toby!" Sarah yelled, crouching down to his level as Jareth laughed. She gave him a menacing look before crouching down to Toby's height, placing her hands on his shoulders. "He's not going to hurt me, he's not going to hurt you. He's not like Daddy was, he's...he's like Billy, okay? I just want to talk to him, you'll get bored really quick if you stay, understand? So please, can you just go play?"

Toby sighed, giving Sarah a tight hug and the Goblin King an ugly look, before retreating to his room.

Sarah turned to the king, who was lounging on her couch once more, not looking intimidating but...but curious.

"It's nice to know someone's taking care of you, or trying to, at least." Jareth said. "Such a brave little boy, just like his beautiful big sister."

Jareth ran a hand over her face, caressing her cheek with his hand. Sarah grimaced, pulling away from him. Just as quickly as it came, the hand was pulled back.

"Why are you here?" She asked, walking over to the kitchen and tending to the soup. If Toby was hungry, nothing would distract him for long. "I beat you, Jareth, I won your game."

"And that is why you must come back."

"What?" She said, dropping the can of soup in her haste. Jareth caught it midair.

"Sarah, what on earth are you doing?"

"Toby wants dinner...don't avoid this! Why do you have to take me back? What will become of Toby?"

"While you were running the labyrinth, i took a certain...liking...to the boy."

"What does that mean, you decided to turn him into a prettier goblin?"

"Sarah, your baby brother is the heir to the Goblin Throne."

"What?"

Sarah's head was spinning. The very land she tried so hard to get her brother out of, he was going to be king of it someday.

"You can't take him from me!" She said, her voice getting louder, more urgent.

"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah." He moved to carry her towards a chair, and she didn't fight him. Jareth thought only of how soft she was, of how nice her body felt beneath his. If they could ever move past their differences...no, he told himself. You will not fall in love with her, not again.

But it was quite possible his love for her never left.

He decided to move Sarah to the couch instead, to lay her down.

"Sarah, Precious, I wouldn't dream of that. He must learn how to be king, however, and that involves him being raised in the Goblin Kingdom."