A/N: Thank you all for your reviews. I'm sorry I don't reply. Hopefully I'll get around to it sometime. :)

Chapter 4: Ambrosius the Cat

"There you are," Jared mumbled from the bed as Sarah reentered the room. It was eleven o'clock and she felt dumpy, still wearing her robe and scuttling around in her shabby slippers.

"How long have you been up?" She started for the closet, kicking her slippers towards the bed along the way. The cream carpet felt softer on her feet than they did. She allowed herself to fleetingly ponder the idea of picking up some new ones next time she went out.

"Since you opened the door."

Sarah pulled a pair of jeans and a t-shirt out of the closet and tossed them onto the end of the bed. "I'm sorry I woke you up," she said as she pulled her pajama top over her head.

"This is a nice apology." Jared reached for her as she pushed her pants off her hips. Slightly amused, she let them fall to the floor but stayed where she was.

"What?" She laughed softly at the denied, frustrated look crossing his face.

"Come here, Sarah," he held out his arms like a hungry child.

"The girls are home," she reminded him.

"We'll be quiet."

Sarah laughed, doubting they could manage that; at least not to an extent that would keep her from feeling sheepish around their daughters for a few days, but she didn't reject his offer.

Later, Sarah pushed herself out of bed and collected her clothes off the floor. Jared watched her for a moment before getting up to get his own.

For an uncomfortably long time, Sarah had thought he looked odd in jeans and a t-shirt. She had somewhat expected him to show up on the beach dressed as the Goblin King, but eventually she had gotten used to it. Of course, if she still had that problem, she would have long ago reevaluated her marriage.

"I'm hungry," Jared commented, wrapping one arm around Sarah's waist as they left the room.

"It is lunchtime. Hamburgers?"

"Mhm."

Sarah sat the cat's carrier in the back seat of her car, beside the food, leash, collar, and toys she had picked up earlier.

She slipped her keys from her pocket on her way around the car. The cat's meows sounded faint through the doors, and picked up when she slid into the front seat.

The fluffy, enthusiastic cat was not the one Abby would have picked out. First of all, it wasn't a kitten, but Sarah had been told it would be euthanized probably the next day if it wasn't adopted. As cute as the little kittens had been, Sarah had felt she had no choice but to take the big, brown cat with the white ear and throat. A rambunctious, energetic kitty would have been quite a handful, anyway.

On the way home, Sarah responded to the cat's occasional meows with promises of treats and hugs.

"We're home now, kitty-cat." She informed him as she stepped onto the driveway, holding tightly to the handle of the carrier. The cat meowed in response.

"What have you done?" Jared asked jokingly as she sat it down to close the front door behind her. Sarah grinned.

"Where's Abby?"

"Watching TV with Melanie," Jared motioned towards the living room. Sarah bent down and unlatched the cat carrier's door. The big, Maine Coon-like cat bounded out and, as Sarah had hoped, sniffed his way through the doorway beside him. Moments later, happy squeals announced his arrival on the couch.

"What's his name?" Sarah asked, peeking into the room. Abby held the cat on her lap, stroking his back. The expression on his face was one of distaste, but his purrs could be heard across the room.

"Ambrosius," Abby replied.

"Ambrosius is a dog," Sarah stopped suddenly, pictures of Sir Didymus and his steed popping into her mind. It was the first time in a very long time that she had thought of the Labyrinth and its inhabitants when it was light outside. She froze, her eyes riveted on the back of her oldest daughter's head, terrified that now the thoughts would come during the day, maybe every day, all the time, and she could never get away from them.

Jared's hand slid across her back and onto her shoulder, startling her. Her eyes snapped towards him, even more shocked by the small smile on his face.

"What did you say, Sarah?" She didn't like the amused look in his eyes, nor did she understand it.

"Nothing," she claimed, mentally cursing herself for letting that slip. Even Jared didn't know about her journey into the Labyrinth—her devoted husband of nineteen years, and such a secret kept from him.

"I thought your dog's name was Merlin." He leaned closer, resting his chin on her other shoulder, his breath tickling her neck. She could hear the smile leaking into his voice. She couldn't blame him, though. He knew nothing of what she was thinking, and therefore couldn't possibly understand how serious it was.

"I wasn't talking about my dog," Sarah muttered, gently pulling away from him. Abby and Mel were still exclaiming over the cat—Ambrosius, apparently. Sarah wanted out. Quickly, before Jared could reestablish his grip, she headed for the door.

Hours later, Sarah sat in the study, once again facing the wall of books. She reflected on how hard it was to hide from your family in your, and their, house. Luckily, Jared had only come looking for her once, and she had still been hiding in the bathroom then.

Sarah forced herself to get up and pick a book. She would read it and thus drive her thoughts away from the Labyrinth.

Nestled comfortably into the soft, pale brown armchair beside the room's door, Sarah began rereading a fantasy tale she hadn't read since Melanie was just starting to request bedtime stories. It had also been read to Toby, many years earlier, and Abby, a only a few years before. Her mind stayed on the story and its characters, a cast of delicate little fairies and one ungainly unicorn.

Sarah screamed and dropped the book to the floor when Ambrosius jumped onto her lap.