Author's Note: As a birthday present (yes my birthday), here is a new chapter from Toby's POV. I think Toby is a very under-rated character in Labyrinth fanfiction. I don't seem him mentioned too often.

Also, make sure to check out Pika-la-Cynique's hand-drawn comic featuring Sarah, Jareth, and score of goblin's in "Girls Next Door." It's full of humor and fluff! The link is in my Profile. Happy reading!

Chapter 6: The Game

"Confusion never stops, closing walls and ticking clocks. Gonna come back and take you home, I could not stop that you now know, singing: Come out upon my seas, cursed missed opportunities. Am I a part of the cure? Or am I part of the disease?" - Coldplay

Toby Williams had been looking forward to the Baltimore Writer's Conference, since Mrs. Kratz had handed out the informational flyers before their fall break. Townsen University was one of the oldest public universities on the Wast Coast and had been hosting the conference for several years. Toby was considering applying at Townsen just for that reason, but he was also considering Boston University, George Washington University, and Northwestern. While they were all strong choices, they were also a distance from his sister. That fact had bothered him slightly before. With the introduction of David Jones, Toby was second guessing where he would go to college.

"Hey," his friend Jeff waved from the back of the bus. Toby walked to the back to take the seat next to him. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Toby sighed, tossing his backpack on the floor.

"So what sessions did you sign up for?"

"I'm taking the morning session with Andrew Keating and taking the afternoon session with Max Weiss," he replied. "Oh, and I'm taking the special luncheon session with David Bergman."

"Damn," Jeff rolled his eyes. "You aren't even taking a break for lunch? How did you get Kratz to let you take three sessions? I thought we were limited to two?"

Toby shrugged. "Sarah talked to Mrs. Kratz and got special permission. Wolfe has been calling my house and saying things to my sister, so this was her retaliation."

"Seriously?" Jeff scuffed. "What a dick."

"Yeah, but he's not my biggest problem now."

"What does that mean?"

"Sarah has a date tonight."

"What? And she didn't call me?" Jeff teased. Toby punched his friend in the arm. "Ow! Hey, your sister is hot and awesome. Sorry dude. Most of us wish we lived in a house like yours."

"Don't make me hit you again," Toby warned, feeling more annoyed. "The guy is a creep. He is going to hurt her. I need to figure out how to break them up."

"Did you meet him yet?" Jeff asked.

"Yes," Toby growled, then pausing for a second to rethink, he said quieter, "No." He kicked his book bag. Crossing his arms over his chest, he sunk lower in his seat.

"So why is he a creep?"

"He is a liar."

"A liar like 'I only drink one beer a week' or a liar like 'I'm single' when he has a wife and three kids the next county over?"

"He isn't who he says he is."

"Did you tell Sarah?" Jeff questioned, pulling a pack of gum out of his pocket. He offered a piece to Toby, who turned it down.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because she -,"

"There's Bret," Jeff interrupted, standing up to wave at the third member of their group.

Toby moved out of his seat, offering his spot next to Jeff to Bret. He feigned being tired and propped himself up against his backup, looking out the window. Within minutes, they bus was leaving the school parking lot, on the trip to Baltimore. While Jeff and Bret discussed an upcoming Flyers game and girls, Toby focused on the dilemma with his sister. It was clear to him that Sarah had no idea who David truly was. He understood why, but he couldn't allow that man back into their life. As the the students on the bus prepared for their day outing, Toby launched 'How-To' articles and videos on his phone and began mentally preparing for his evening.

Several hours later, the bus returned to Penn Charter. By the time they had parked, Toby had learned more than publishing, short story writing, and which courses he wanted to pursue in college. He had crafted together a plan for convincing Sarah that she was dating the

When Toby got into the car, he knew his sister was out of sorts. Sarah worked late hours and was often tired when she returned home, however, she always put on a smile for him. She made the effort to appear like a super-sister. Tonight, she was sitting in the front seat, staring at the steering wheel. Her eyes were on the inanimate object, but her mind was far from the interior of her car.

"Hey," he greeted her, not waiting for her to respond. "Thanks for picking me up. I know midnight is late for you." Sarah nodded, wordlessly and turned the key in the ignition to start the engine. "How was your dinner?"

"Fine," she replied quickly.

The single-syllable response was a curt reply, signaling to Toby that it had been anything but fine. He considered asking her what had happened or if she was alright. Instead, he remained silent. Sarah had not pried when he had first come to live with her. She had given him space and solitude. He had had the time he required to grieve and adjust to his new life. She deserved to have time to recuperate as well.

There was limited traffic on their route back to the house. Once they had gotten into the house, Sarah said goodnight to him and went to her room. He followed her upstairs, pausing in the hallway to listen to her footsteps. He counted the squeaks of the floor and minutes the water in the bathroom ran as she washed her face, brushed her teeth and prepared to go to sleep. After a few moments, he heard the tell-tale screech of her old mattress as she laid down. Toby started to turn around to head back downstairs. About halfway down the he hit a creaky board.

"Toby?" He stopped at his sister's voice. He looked over his shoulder to see her leaning against her door jamb, her eyes heavy. "Where are you going? Aren't you tired?"

"Yeah," he faked a yawn. "I just need a glass of water. I'll be up in a sec. Do you want anything?"

She shook her head. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, sis." He watched her close the door and heard her go back to bed.

Lying to Sarah was something Toby had never done before. While his sister was his guardian, he had never felt the need to hide any information from her. However, the way she was acting and how she felt about this man caused him to be out of character for a change. His suspicions were based on the resemblance this man shared to her old nemesis and a gut feeling that would not disappear. Though Toby knew his sister wouldn't approve of his method of dealing with this, he considered it best to eliminate the problem prior to things getting out of hand.

He had saved up some cash from his trip fund and used to get a taxi a few blocks down from the house. Within minutes, he had reached the address on the profile Joe had displayed earlier that morning. It was a standard apartment building, nothing unordinary. The complex had a key-code entry mechanism instead of a security guard, which allowed Toby to gain access without being questioned by any adults. Luckily, Bret's aunt lived in the same building and he had memorized the access code from his many trips to the building last month while his aunt was recovering from the flu. Once he was past the lobby, he took the elevator up to the nineteenth floor and walked down the hall until he reached apartment number 1986.

Toby had researched several lock-picking articles and how-to videos on YouTube, before he had decided to go forward with this. If his sister found out what he had done, or Joe, he would never hear the end of it. He could only imagine the type of trouble he would be in if either of them heard about this. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't do it. He was convinced that this man was trouble. The picture Joe had shown him earlier today confirmed it.

When the lock clicked open, he breathed a sigh of relief and entered the empty apartment. It was small and barely decorated, which seemed typical for a single guy, but Toby knew that nothing was ever what it seemed, especially with this particular individual.

The apartment was small, definitely intended only for one person. The living room and kitchen were together, with a small bathroom and bedroom off to the right side. The living room had a love seat and tv mounted on the wall. There was a desk off to the side of the kitchen counters, where there was enough space for two bar stools. However, none of the rooms looked lived in. There was no dirty dishes in the kitchen sink, no trash in the can. The fridge was stocked with basic essentials; milk, orange juice, water, eggs, and some lunch meat. A fresh loaf of bread was on the countertop near by, but that was it.

The bed was neatly made, as if it had never been slept in. There was no lamp, books, or personal items on the dresser or nightstand. Toby opened the drawers, finding the typical detective uniform items already hanging in the tiny closet. Some plain white shirts and jeans were in the bottom drawer, with equally plain boxers and socks in the top drawers. The nightstand was empty.

Toby poked his head in the bathroom. It was equally void. After living with his sister, he was used to seeing some hair in the drain or remnants of toothpaste in the sink. There was nothing. Bottles of shampoo and body wash were lined up on the side of the shower, along with a neatly folded washcloth. The sink cabinet held unopened razors, tooth paste, a new toothbrush, and several normal items such as aspirin and bandaids. Once again, there were no personal touches.

It was the desk that Toby turned his attention to. There was a reason for it and he felt compelled to open it. He sat down on the old wooden chair, running his fingers over the ornate woodwork. It had much more character than the other bland furniture. There were intricate carvings of vines, flowers, and and owl in the center top panel. That was how Toby knew he was in the right place. "What are you hiding?" he whispered to himself. He yanked on the top middle drawer, but it didn't budge. He noticed the small key hole off to the left side of the drawer. It was locked. Toby swore under his breath. He tried to open the left column of three side drawers. They were also locked, as were their right column companions.

Frustrated he stood up and kicked the left leg of the desk, just as he heard the sound of footsteps out in the hall. He froze, quickly searching for a window to start climbing out of. As he darted over to the kitchen window, he flicked off the lights, hoping he was fast enough to escape. He had unlatched the lock and was lifting up the frame when the key click signaled that someone was coming in. The light came on in the next instant and Toby turned around to find the owner of the apartment entering.

"Hello."

David's eyes found him instantly, a teenage boy with sandy blonde hair and an unfriendly glare. "Toby? It's Toby, isn't it? You are Sarah's younger brother?" The detective didn't seemed shocked by his presence. If anything, he seemed amused. That only made Toby angrier.

"You know exactly who I am," Toby growled, his arms crossed over his chest. He was leaning against the bathroom door frame, staring back. There was a fire of anger in his expression, which made it clear he was not here to play nice. "And I know exactly who you are."

"David Jones," he extended his hand for a shake. Toby didn't move an inch. He didn't blink. He didn't reach out to participate in the gesture. This man, if he could be called that, was trying to manipulate him, just as he had manipulated Sarah years before, but Toby wouldn't allow it to happen again. His family didn't deserve to be put through any more trials.

"If that's how you want to play the game," Toby responded, watching as David's hand fell back down to his side.

"Is there something I can do for you, Toby," the man asked, but his words had an unfriendly edge to them. "Something other than report you for breaking and entering a police detective's home, perhaps?"

"You aren't going to report me."

"Really?"

"No," Toby shook his head, before continuing. "Because if you report me, then this game you are playing with my sister is going to come to a screeching halt and you will be cast as the villain yet again."

"Again?" David repeated, looking surprised by his choice of words. He chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "Just who exactly do you think I am, Toby?"

"Don't play coy," Toby replied. "I'm not the type to fall for it."

David chuckled. "No, I don't suppose you are."

"I want you to go back to wherever it was you were stationed before you came here. Don't say a word to my sister or Joe or anybody in this city. Don't pass go. Do not collect two-hundred dollars. Just leave."

"I'm finding it hard to keep up," David responded. "Can you enlighten me as to why I need to abandon my home and my job?"

"We both know that this isn't your true home or your true job."

"Beg pardon?"

"You make a great politician," Toby remarked, "but I have outgrown my fascination with you. I'd appreciate you staying away from Sarah."

"I would like to honor your wishes, as you are the leading man in her life, but I am afraid I am going to have to refuse."

For a second, Toby's glare faltered. He stood up from the wall, moving toward the detective. His resolve came back as he remembered a key detail. "Refuse? I bet you didn't think you'd be the one refusing anything after Sarah rejected you the first time, huh?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"You asked her to love you once before. She flat out told you no."

David grinned. It was an evil expression, very unnatural looking. "Sarah has never refused me, Toby, though I can tell you very much wish she had."

Toby's eyes lit up, but the anger had been replaced by more fuel. "Wish," he nodded. "Yes, between the two of us, you would be the one to know who wishes for what." David raised an eyebrow at the comment. "But you also like to manipulate those requests for your own personal gain, don't you?"

"Somehow I feel as if I've the center of a witch-hunt. Can you let me know what this is really about, Toby?"

"It's about your real profession, your highness."

Now David laughed. Toby was surprised how chilling the sound was on his ears. "I promise you, if I was royalty, I'd do better than this shabby apartment," he gestured to the bare walls, old carpet, and small accommodations.

The blonde teenager began to doubt his decision to enter the building. The cold eyes that met him now were those of a man who had haunted his dreams as a child, the same eyes of the man who had forced his sister to spend years imprisoned against her will despite his declaration of love. The bitterness was evident now. The fae had hid it well, but as they had continued their quarrel it began to seep out. The garments were different, but the stance and the demeanor were unaltered.

"It's part of the game," Toby stated.

"The game?"

"She already beat the Labyrinth. She beat you. She won. You lost. Leave us alone!"

"The labyrinth doesn't exist, Toby. Is that what this is about?" he asked. When Toby didn't respond, he added, "I'm not responsible for what your sister went through."

Toby didn't answer right away. He could feel his anger boiling. He was still upset with his parents for sending his sister away. She had spent nearly as much time raising him as they had, but his time with his old sibling had been limited once she had been cast out. Even when she came home, it was different. Her vibrant life had been altered. She wasn't easy to laugh or even smile. She was very cautious, quiet. She changed her room completely, removing all items from prior to her treatment, including the scrapbook of her mother's acting career, which found a new home in the attic. What made Toby even more upset was his parents' lack of concern over the changes. He boiled over.

"It does exist! Sarah may believe all that crap they brain-washed her with in therapy, but I know better. I remember what happened. I knew she wasn't crazy. My parents didn't want to hear it, but I knew. I knew what she did for me and what you would have done."

"I'm sorry, but I'm just not following," David shrugged, taking a seat at his desk and leafing through a pile of paperwork. There was no fear in his eyes. Humor danced across his face, as if he was laughing at some silent joke. He attention was not on the young boy in his apartment, but it wan't entirely focused on his papers either. "If you are concerned for your sister, please understand that I mean her no harm. I would never hurt her."

"Seriously?" Toby scuffed. "You already have. By coming back here and interrupting our lives you have already opened her up. How do you think she i going to take it when she finds out the truth? Do you know how hurt and betrayed she is going to feel then? She barely talks to anyone now." His voice had gone up a few levels in volume as he spoke. His arms had dropped, hands now clenched into fists. "She isn't the same anymore. You took that from her when he didn't answer. My parents thought she had lost it and you let them. They sent her away to that place and she never came back. You bastard!"

"Toby," David started, looking up from the papers. "I think you have been through a great deal with your parent's recent passing and-,"

"Don't," Toby hissed. "Don't talk about them."

"Toby, you have two choices here," David spoke, calmly. "Either you can leave now and neither of us has to mention this to the police, Sarah, or anyone else. We can be friends." He paused, eyeing the fists Toby was making, which were so tight his hands were pale. "Or," he stood up, narrowing his gaze, "we can be enemies. I can call Joe and make a statement, which would show up on your record and your sister would have to be contacted as your legal guardian, not to mention your school. I believe you already have had words with concerning your place there." Toby glared back at him, fuming. "I'd like us to be friends," David continued, unaffected by the obvious rage the teenager had for him. "But it is your choice to make."

There was silence for a time, as both analyzed what had been communicated. Toby reviewed his options. What had been presented was true, however he wasn't sure if his opponent would follow through on his threats. His sister's spirit was indeed broken. He had tried to think of ways to repair it, but Sarah rarely talked of her childhood and he knew better than to bring up her trip Underground. When he had first decided to try to confront her about her adventures, he was going to speak openly about it, rip the band-aid right off, no anesthesia. At the last second, he had chickened-out, opting for some lame school question instead.

If he called David's bluff and pursued exposing him, Toby was not convinced it would work. Sarah kept her feeling close to the chest. She had never given him any indication that she thought of the Labyrinth. After the time spent learning to say it was a fiction of her imagination, she would have a difficult time believing it, especially since this was the first man she had ever brought home. Most people would consider Toby trying to make David out as a bad guy as normal behavior. If he was going to do this, he had to consider his plan more carefully and account for every detail.

David had crafted an intricate, believable background. Though there were suspicious behaviors, such as the state of his apartment, Toby could identify the flaws in his short-sighted attempt to expose him. He currently didn't possess enough knowledge to mount a successful attack. While his sister had been given thirteen hours to save him, he had far more time at his disposal. If she could overcome a completely different world, he could easily use his strengths here to overthrow one royal fae who liked glitter way too much.

"We can be friends," Toby finally relented.

"Lovely," David pulled himself away from his desk, where he had been reading while awaiting an answer.

He crossed the room to attempt shaking Toby's hand once more. There was hesitation in Toby's movements, but he reached forward to take an ungloved hand. As uncanny as the laugh had been earlier, the ungloved hand seemed as foreign. If David was aware of the confusion, he didn't let it show. "I think it best if you head home now," he suggested, as they dropped hands. Toby began to head for the kitchen window, when David's voice reminded him that he could now use the front door properly.

"I am glad you decided we could be friends," he smirked when he opened the door.

"Just because I agreed to be friends, doesn't mean I don't know who you are or what you are capable of, Jareth," Toby stated evenly, as he passed through the doorway. "After all, you are still the Goblin King."

David's smirk didn't fade. "I enjoyed your visit, Toby. Drop by again sometime, although," he paused, "be sure to call first. I'd hate to have a repeat of this evening." Before Toby could respond the door shut