DISCLAIMER: I don't own Labyrinth or any of the characters associated with the film. They are the property of the Jim Henson Company.

AN: Oh, more tragedy to come in this chapter. Also, a ton of Shakespeare quotes. If you can catch them all, I'll give you a cookie!! ;)

Hours had passed before Toby managed to find Jareth, curled up against a wall staring into the darkness. Toby was numb, completely. The doctor had come and gone, announcing that Sarah had died from an apparent stoppage of her heart. Random, unexpected, and completely plausible. Toby was aware of the suspicions of the servants. A heart stopping was far less tragically romantic than dying at the hands of a jealous brother or their unscrupulous king. The rumours continued, and were beginning to get out of hand with Jareth's disappearance. There was no one to tell the servants to look for Jareth; there was no one who governed in his absence. The goblins were wreaking havoc, and Mrs. Bates was taking care of funeral details. Toby, numb and disbelieving, set off to find the king himself. He was still drowning himself in the very improbable hope that Jareth could turn back time and make this go away.

Now, standing before him, Toby found that Jareth was not capable of doing anything for anyone, including himself. He turned, fresh tears in his eyes, and slid down the wall next to Jareth.

"He said her heart stopped," he whispered. Jareth was silent for a long while and Toby began to wonder if he had heard him at all.

"Jareth?"

"Of course it did. I stopped it." Toby turned to Jareth rapidly.

"What?" he hissed dangerously.

"Oh, why? Why couldn't I have just left her alone? Why?" Jareth collapsed into his hands once more. Toby stared at him.

"What did you do?" he demanded, an unrecognizable emotion welling up inside him.

"I loved her."

"Did you kill her?"

"By loving her."

"That doesn't make any sense," Toby said slowly.

Jareth brought his head up to stare into the darkness again. "No, you're correct, it doesn't. But, that is the way it is regardless."

The man and the boy sat in silence for awhile. Finally, Toby spoke.

"So," he started tentatively, "What do we do now?"

Jareth turned to him and stared before climbing to his feet lithely. His demeanour had changed completely. A moment ago he was a broken man, and now he was the Goblin King, tall and unbreakable. He strode off into the darkness, calling back behind him.

"I need to stop her from reaching the castle."

Toby stared after him, confused. "I thought that you said you couldn't turn back time?"

He received no answer, for Jareth was already gone. The next few hours were a blur, and Toby did not see Jareth at all. Toby had decided to go to bed early, unable to stomach the thought of eating any meals. He was lying on his bed, in numb silence, staring at the wall when there was a slight tap on the door.

"Yes?" he said quietly. The door creaked open, but Toby did not turn to see who was at the door. He heard a tray being put down on his table and then felt the bed shift slightly with the weight of the visitor. He felt a hand rubbing his back smoothly and recalled the many times that Sarah had come into his room and rubbed his back, soothing away pain. He turned hurriedly, heart in his throat, to see who it was rubbing his back. He was greeted with a warm smile and friendly eyes – Mrs. Bates.

"I thought you should eat something," she said softly.

"Thank you," Toby replied, curling back up to face the wall.

"You shouldn't be alone, young master."

"I have no one."

"Would you like me to sit with you?"

Toby considered the notion. Mrs. Bates was like the mother figure he'd never had. She was warm, friendly, round and comforting. But, she couldn't bring Sarah back. Nothing could bring her back, and he would live with the knowledge that she had died thinking that he hated her. She had died without them ever making peace. She had died, and he had never found out if she had really come for him, or for Jareth. And, worse, he wondered whether that fact even mattered? Jareth had bounded off, and Toby clung to the hope that when he had told him that he had to stop her from reaching the castle, it meant he was going back in time to stop her. Maybe if she never came here, she wouldn't die at thirty of a random heart attack - which Jareth took the blame for.

"No thank you, Mrs. Bates," Toby said softly and not unkindly, "I may as well get used to having no one."

Toby did not see the sad expression that had formed on the old maid's face. Toby would bear the scars of this loss forever.

"Very well," she replied, standing up from the bed. "Should you need me, you know where I am."

"Yes, thank you."

Mrs. Bates' hand was on the handle of the door when she remembered what she had been sent to tell him.

"The funeral is tomorrow in the throne room. It is a state funeral, so you should expect a great deal of the court, not to mention the Lady's friends here."

Toby didn't reply. He just closed his eyes tightly and wished that this would all just go away. Eventually he heard the sound of the door clicking shut, leaving him alone with his wishes. Somewhere in the wish, he was enveloped by the dark curtain of dreamless sleep.

The next day when Toby woke, the first few seconds were blissfully empty. His mind was foggy and unable to comprehend anything. But, following those seconds, his world became dark as memories of the previous night filled his brain. He dressed numbly and went to the throne room. He could already hear the buzz of visitors. Toby stopped before he reached the actual entrance to the room from within the castle. He closed his eyes tightly and breathed in slowly. She would be there, pale and unmoving, forever immortalized as the beautiful woman who should have been queen. And, he would hear this from many courtiers, just as he had heard their hopeful buzz at the ball just a few days ago. At the very least, he would have Jareth to take on some of the questions. Toby clenched his hands into fists at his sides and walked into the throne room with an impersonal mask upon his face.

Heads turned to face him, and pity and sadness was instantly projected upon him. He tried his hardest not to flinch, his eyes falling upon his sister. Mrs. Bates had done a wonderful job. Sarah was dressed in a simple white gown, her dark hair carefully combed and gently bejewelled with pearls attached to silver filigree throughout. Her hands were folded below her bosom, her green eyes closed. Toby didn't know if it was magic or make-up that made her look so alive. Toby smirked in spite of himself. Sarah bore a striking resemblance to Snow White. All that was left was for them to bury her in a glass coffin. A sort of feeble optimism rose up in Toby as he thought about the tale of Snow White. Maybe Sarah's heart hadn't stopped, but rather she had eaten a poisoned apple. She was sleeping. That's what it looked like anyway. Toby swallowed hard and fought an internal battle, with one side wanting to run forward, wrench her mouth open and search for the apple bit while the other side was of the firm belief of her death.

Toby spotted Jareth, who was typically lounging in his throne, staring at the unmoving princess. He was dressed in black from head to toe, and although he appeared to be clothed in grandeur his face was staunch and ragged. His stare was blank and he didn't even acknowledge that Toby had entered the room, let alone the courtiers speaking to him. Toby was walking towards Jareth when he was stopped by a pair of courtiers. They told him how very sorry they were, babbling nonsense about a woman that they didn't even know. Toby was screaming on the inside, but externally he accepted their words graciously, albeit blankly. He was thankful when the dwarf appeared at his elbow, patting it gently while staring at Sarah.

The courtiers cleared out, looking down their nose at the dwarf unable to understand why one so high would associate with one so low. Toby was glad to see them go. He looked down at Hoggle, whose face was wet with tears. He moved with Toby to stand before her. In his hand he held a small bouquet of Heather, which he rested gently under her hand.

"Jareth," he hissed under his breath, glaring at the seemingly untouched king. The dwarf stormed over to the throne and stood before the king.

"What did you do to her?" Hoggle demanded. Toby had stayed in his position at Sarah's side, watching the exchange with interest. Hoggle's words seemed to shake Jareth from whatever thoughts he was lost in. His eyes became focused and fell upon the dwarf. With a smirk, he swung his legs off of the throne and stood before Hoggle.

"Ah, Hedgewart," he started.

"Hoggle!"

"Right, well, you're just the one I wanted to see," Jareth replied, walking away from his throne slowly. Hoggle followed him, his rage subsiding in time to hear what Jareth had to say.

"You see, I need you to lead the girl back to the beginning of my labyrinth."

Hoggle stopped in his tracks and stared at Jareth.

"Jareth, she's dead," Hoggle whispered softly. Jareth stopped in his tracks, his eyes finally taking in the sight of Sarah. He ignored Hoggle and walked towards her.

"The ripest fruit falls first," he mumbled under his breath, lifting a hand slowly to stroke Sarah's hair. Toby stared at Jareth across Sarah's body.

"Jareth," he started, but Jareth hadn't heard him.

"Can one desire too much of a good thing?" he asked to no one, moving his face down to Sarah's. He pressed his lips softly to Sarah's. There were several gasps within the room, as such a display is certainly not expected at a state funeral.

"Jareth, what are you doing?" Toby asked him levelly. Again he was ignored.

"Oft expectation fails, and most oft there where most it promises," he mumbled, still staring intensely at Sarah's face. He turned his face up to meet Toby's eyes.

"Toby, a piece of advice: never trust a beautiful woman; they never mean what they say."

Jareth stared at Toby, but Toby knew that he wasn't really looking at him.

"Toby," he mumbled absently. Without warning, Jareth turned to a nearby goblin and grabbed it by its throat.

"We mustn't allow her to reach the castle! Hide the baby!"

The goblin stared at Jareth in horror. It was Hoggle who spoke next.

"You're mad," he whispered fearfully. This seemed to call forth Jareth to reality. He looked around the throne room at all the shocked faces, finally stopping on Toby's. He blinked once and dropped the goblin before turning on his heel, and leaving the room. There was a steady buzz within the throne room as the mourners turned to one another and discussed the madness of the king. Toby stood perfectly still, unable to comprehend what was expected of him. He was a fifteen year old boy; he had no training and very little magic. He couldn't take control of this situation; there was nothing that he could do. So, he stared down at his sister and allowed more tears to fall.

Jareth was halfway between sanity and madness, tearing through the hallways of his castle. He stormed outside and began to walk along the perimeter of the castle. He pace was frantic.

"Where are you?" he hissed. He waited for the hissing laughter, but heard nothing. He frowned. Apparently, the alliance was complete with his payment. Jareth laughed wildly, throwing his head back.

"O churl! Drunk all, and left no friendly drop to help me after?" he mumbled to himself.

He stretched his neck to look up at the window of the turret. The room had been Sarah's. He stared at the window, watching the sunbeams dance across the glass. He smiled for he could almost see her, dressed in the purity of her young, innocent dreams. Almost? No. Verily, he could see her there. She was waiting for him, beckoning for him to join her. Ah, yes in the warmth of her embrace he could drown in her green fire, and watch her lovely mouth smile at him in kindness. She smiled, again beckoning with her finger for him to join her.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel. Let down your hair," he muttered, gripping the rocks which made up his castle. He made a steady ascent up the wall, already very high up before the bricks began to become smoother. His fingers slipped, but what did it matter for she was there. She was watching his fevered climb with a gentle smile. Her expectations were so great and he was becoming quite exhausted trying to live up to them. But he would. He would live up to her expectations. He lived only for her. Suddenly the thought occurred to him. She wasn't alive anymore. He had lived up to her expectations, and in doing so had killed her. He lived for nothing now. He wondered in a brief moment of sanity if his fingers slipping had been accidental at all. He tried to conjure a crystal in his fall, but failed. His magic was gone. He closed his eyes, tired of watching the world fly past him, and accepted his fate.

Toby was sitting in the throne when Mrs. Bates came running to him. There were tears in her eyes and she whispered hastily into Toby's ear. Upon hearing the news, Toby only lowered his eyes, hooding his emotions from the occupants of the room. They all looked up to him expectantly, even Mrs. Bates. He wasn't entirely sure what to do, how to behave. He remained silent, which in turn caused silence to reverberate throughout the room. Everyone was on bated breath – that is, until a chambermaid came running through the halls screaming. Apparently Mrs. Bates had not been the only witness.

"The king…the king is dead!"