O Cousin My Cousin
By: Kryptonite
Disclaimer: I do not, do not own The Labyrinth. If I did, there would be a second movie coming out with David Bowie once more as the supreme Goblin King, LoL.
Summary: Sarah's cousin comes to stay with Sarah for their senior year – Jareth enters the picture and Sarah is wished away.
A/N: A few changes to the movie. Toby was three and not however old he was (how old was he exactly?), Sarah was fourteen instead of fifteen (or about to turn fifteen). Since Karen and Robert seem to be the accepted names for Sarah's parents those are the names I'm going to be using.
Guess no one got around to reading the last chapter ;) Oh well. I'm still posting (as always). Enjoy the second chapter.
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"I know it's sudden Karen but I have to go." Zan stood outside the door to the kitchen listening to Karen and Robert argue.
" And leave me alone with Sarah and Alezandra? You know those two don't like me." Karen was whining loudly.
" Sarah adores you and Alezandra... you haven't exactly been the warmest person to her either. Just relax. She'll come around just like Sarah has."
" But Robert." Karen started but was cut off as Robert spoke.
" No buts Karen. If you want me to lose my job I'll stay here. Otherwise I'm going." Alezandra scrambled to move from the door before Uncle Robert came barreling through. She managed to make it to the entrance to the living room, where Toby was watching TV before the door to the kitchen opened.
" Hey Uncle Robert." Zan started as Robert simply stood there.
" Hello Zan. Are Sarah and Toby in the living room?"
" Sarah's upstairs but Toby is." Zan made to move into the living room as he turned away.
" Sarah come downstairs please!" Robert called followed shortly by Sarah bouncing down the stairs. She followed the suddenly silent Robert into the living room while Karen waited at the swinging door to the kitchen.
" Toby turn that off please."
" What's up dad?" Toby asked, fumbling with the remote.
" I have a business trip coming up, I have to leave in two days actually. I'll be gone for a month and a half, if not longer."
" Aw dad." Toby and Sarah whined at almost the same time. Robert cracked a grin at that.
" Don't do that. I wouldn't go if I didn't have to but I wanted my promotion and this is what I have to do to keep it. Just think, my paycheck is going to be huge when I get home. We can do some more upgrades to the house when I get home."
" Okay." Toby said eyes staring vacantly down at the sofa cushions.
" Oh Toby don't be like that. I'll be back as soon as possible." When Toby's spirits weren't lifted by that promise he was swept up into Robert's arms and swung around the room.
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" I can't believe he left us alone with Karen for a whole month!" Sarah whined a week after her father left. Zan nodded, listening attentively and trying to offer support. "I mean, he knows how she is with me and now that you're here..."
" It'll be fine Sarah. We can deal with Karen."
" Sarah? Can you come tell me that story?" Toby asked from the doorway to Sarah's room. At her nod the seven-year-old went back down the stairs to the living room.
" What story?" Zan questioned as Sarah reluctantly stood up.
" Just the story about the Labyrinth."
" You mean when you wished him away?" Sarah turned an angry look on Zan's face, causing the girl to back up a step.
" He doesn't know that. I switched parts around to make the Goblin King the bad guy." Sarah suddenly changed again. "Please don't tell him."
" I won't." She promised her cousin. Sarah smiled and headed for the staircase. Zan looked to where the red, leather-bound book sat on Sarah's bedside table.
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" And then when we were surrounded Ludo called the rocks." Toby's eyes were lit up in excitement; it didn't matter that he had heard the story a million times.
" Sarah knock it off." Karen snapped, coming to stand in the doorway.
" Come on Karen it's just a story." Sarah argued, turning to face her step-mom. Zan stood next to the TV, trying to stay in the background. Karen came into the room, passing Sarah, and shooed Toby from the couch. She turned back to face Sarah.
" I don't want you to poison his mind with that rubbish. It's bad enough that you still believe it but to make him?"
" It's not rubbish!" Sarah stood up, anger flashing in her eyes. Zan's head snapped as thunder sounded outside the house. Toby looked up as well, scared and suddenly moved to sit in the corner next to the couch.
" It is to and you are rotting his mind with those stupid stories." Karen looked as Toby turned his game boy on.
" Rotting his mind with stories? Come on Karen."
" I am your mother Sarah-"
" You are not even close to being my mother." Sarah glared at Karen just as Karen's hand snaked out and slapped Sarah across the cheek.
" Do you have any idea how stupid you sound. 'And then the Goblin King came from nowhere and took you away.' Really Sarah, you're eighteen you're old enough to know that it's not real."
" It doesn't matter, it's something to tell Toby. It's just a story!"
" It does matter!"
" It doesn't!" Sarah argued, tears welling in her eyes from the red imprint on her cheek.
" I wish the goblins would come and take you away right now! Do you know how idiotic and stupid that sounds! For crying out loud!" Zan's attention was riveted on the windows and the storm raging outside. In the next instant a tall blonde man was standing there in black leather.
" Karen?" Zan tried to get her Aunt's attention, her own eyes never leaving the Goblin King.
" Not now!"
" Aunt Karen!" Zan snapped.
" What?" Her aunt yelled back, her eyes only making it halfway to Zan before catching on the imposing king. "Who are you? How did you get into my house! Get out or I'll- I'll call the cops!"
" Goblin King." Zan caught the man's attention with the reverence and assuredness that she spoke those two words. Jareth smirked at the girl.
" You know Sarah, I don't appreaciate you minimizing your own involvement with Toby's trip to the Labyrinth."
" She didn't mean it." It was slowly dawning on Karen and it was easy to tell what she thought of the situation by the smirk on her face.
" What's said is said." Zan looked from the Goblin King for the first time, sprinting to her cousin.
" Sarah!" She cried just before crashing into the couch. Zan lay there stunned for a moment.
" Are you going to keep her? Turn her into a goblin?"
" You wished her away did you not?" Jareth asked Karen in turn.
" I'll run it." Zan spoke quietly, getting both Jareth and Karen's attention.
" Excuse me?" Jareth asked amused.
" Uncle Robert's gone for a month, Toby's only seven and Karen... she was trying to prove a point, and despite that point falling flat, she's getting what she wants. She knows that if no one runs the Labyrinth and beats it that Sarah will fade from our memories with every passing day. So it'll be like Sarah never existed. That's what she wants. So I'll run it."
" And what makes you think I'll let you? You didn't wish Sarah away."
" It's only fair to have someone try to save Sarah. And I'll make you a deal. Let me run the Labyrinth." Jareth interrupted her before she could finish.
" Doesn't sound like much of a deal." Zan tossed an annoyed look at the smirking Goblin King.
" Please let me finish. If I don't make it to the center of the Labyrinth in time, you can have both of us and do whatever you want to either of us." Jareth pretended to think about it for a minute. His gaze turned to Toby who was rocking back and forth and staring blankly into his game boy's lit up screen.
" Deal." Zan barely blinked before she was transported to the same hilltop as Sarah four years ago. "You have-" Zan didn't wait for Jareth to finish his speech, knowing that the clock was already running.
" Thirteen hours, I know." She called over her shoulder, watching her step down the shifting sands of the hill.
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A/N: So Zan's running the Labyrinth, joy. Hope you'll come back and see what happens next.