Oh God.

Oh my God.

What am I supposed to do?

He is standing there asking me to spend the rest of my life with him.

All I have to do is love him and he will do everything for me.

Do I love him?

I think I might love the idea of him.

But I barely know him.

He just came into my life. Took my problem away and then I got all pissy and made it seem like he stole it from me.

He really didn't steal it. I asked for him to take it away. And, there goes that old saying "be careful what you wish for". I shouldn't have wished that, even if I never thought it would come true.

Wait. Do I really mean that?

Do I really wish that I had never come here and gone through this Labyrinth?

No. I learned a lot about myself.

I shouldn't take things for granted, because things are not always as they seem.

I have to be open to new things and be able to reason my way through difficult situations instead of running away from them.

He taught me that. I don't know if he meant to. But he did.

And then when we danced.

Oh… when we danced.

I think I did love him then. He gave me what I wanted, a masquerade ball. He knows I love to dress up and pretend I am someone else.

But we were the only ones without masks.

Because we already know each other, even if we think we don't.

This doesn't make any sense.

I'm supposed to defeat him. Say those words and make him go away so I can go home and be with my family.

Toby is my brother, I can't just leave him there to turn into a goblin.

Or can I? I mean, he's just my step-brother. He's just a baby. It's not like he does anything. His life is probably not going to be that great anyway, just look at his mom.

Why am I thinking like this? This is horrible.

But look at his eyes. He really loves me.

It's true, he has done everything I asked him to do.

I just realized too late that the things I want have consequences.

He will give me everything I want.

I think I could be happy with him.

He seems so sad. We are both lonely, we can cheer each other up.

He cares so much about me. Nobody but my mom cared that much about me.

I think my mom would actually like him.

But would she approve of me forgetting about Toby?

I don't know. I just don't know.

I really don't care about Toby that much.

The idea of letting a baby be turned into a goblin is much more upsetting, I guess.

But what about me?

This whole thing has been about Toby. I know it was my fault but if He is so much in love with me and will do whatever I want- maybe I can get him to let Toby go back home to my dad and that woman.

Yeah. Maybe he'll do that.

I really want to stay with him.

He's not bad.

He's just misunderstood.

So he's still waiting. My God he is beautiful. Those eyes. I can't take it anymore.

"Yes"

"Yes. Yes you will stay with me and love me Sarah?"

"Yes. I do want to stay with you and I do love you"

"What's with the change of heart? I thought you hated me."

"I don't hate you" this is so weird "I just acted like I hated you because you scared me. I was scared that someone could love me that much"

Why am I saying these things? He is just going to laugh in my face.

He's smiling. Oh my god.

Nobody has ever looked at me like that before.

"I love you Sarah. I need you here with me. We are going to be so happy"

Happy? All he wants is to be happy.

That's all I want.

This has to be the right choice.

"But why did you say you wanted to rule me?"

What am I doing? I'm going to screw everything up. What in the world possessed me to say that?

Crap. He stopped smiling. He's totally going to kick me out of here.

"Is that not a good thing? Is that not what you wanted?"

Whoah. He thought I wanted him to rule me?

"No…no girl would want to be ruled by someone else. What made you think that?"

He, for the first time, stopped looking at me and lowered his eyes to the floor.

"Before…you completely succumbed to everything I did. I told you to go through the labyrinth- you did. I gave you the peach-you ate it. It seems like you can't make these descisions by yourself, I have to tell you what to do."

Wow. He really doesn't know how to deal with people.

"But what about all the things I told you to do- take my brother, take me away from my home- all of that. You did that for me because I wanted it. We both wanted to rule each other Jareth."

He looked at me, as if he understood what I was talking about.

"I don't think I like living that way. Neither of us want to be ruled by the other, so how can we live in peace."

Now I'm the one smiling. Things don't have to be so complicated here, look where I am!

I walk over to him and take his hands.

"We love each other. Love means respecting each other. So we have to give as much as we take, okay?"

He held onto my hands tighter.

"Why are you the one telling me all this. God knows what the age difference between us is."

I laugh

"Let's not think about it, okay Jareth?"

He laughs as well. Oh that laugh, it melts my insides.

He takes me into the greatest hug I have ever received from someone other than my mom.

Its so full of love. But not a paternal love, a true love between two people who aren't legally and biologically bound to one another.

Biologically…what am I thinking? I seriously think I've aged 10 years in the past 20 minutes.

That's when I remember.

"Toby!"

Jareth pulls out of the hug.

"What about Toby? We had an agreement Sarah."

Oh no. I don't want to fight about this.

"But he's just a baby. Can't you just let him go back with my dad? For me? Please?"

I put on my best cute face hoping it will sway him. I don't really understand this goblin obsession of his, and I don't think I want to.

"Sarah. Don't try to persuade me. We agreed that if you didn't get to him in 13 hours, he would stay here forever"

"But I did get here! You just distracted me—remember telling me you loved me? Or have you already forgotten?"

I walk away. I can't take this. Why is he being so stubborn?

"Sarah." His voice is softer "I can't send him back. I can't unless you say what you know you have to say to me"

I froze. He knew about those six words that could release me and Toby from his power forever.

What a thing to hold onto in a relationship.

But wait, I can think about this logically.

Can't I just say- You have no power over Toby? Then he'll let Toby go and not me! It's perfect.

Just as I was about to tell him this, he shook his head.

"No, Sarah. That's not going to work. He has to say it himself, and having spent a lot of time with the child I can tell you that his verbal skills aren't exactly up to par."

He chuckled.

This isn't funny. I'm losing him…or Toby.

It isn't fair for him to make me choose.

I thought he loved me, why is he doing this to me?

"I don't understand you Jareth. Why do you want a little baby so badly?"

He's not answering me. Why is he doing this?

"You know what Jareth. I'm going to make you choose. Either Toby goes home or I do."

Now I've got his attention.

"Honestly Sarah, you are telling me that you would voluntarily go home if I refuse to return Toby to your father?"

He so didn't get my point.

"Jareth, do you understand that it is just the principle of the matter. You won't respect my wishes- the one thing that I want you won't let me have. You said you loved me. You said that I could have anything that I want. I want Toby to go home."

I can see the wheels turning in his head.

Don't look in his eyes Sarah; it'll only make you weaker.

He's not saying anything.

Is he really going to send me away for my brother?

I can't take this.

"Do you really care more about my brother than me, Jareth? I don't understand you!"

Now he looks devastated.

"Of course I care about you Sarah. But you're right, you don't understand."

What don't I understand? He is so confusing sometimes.

He's taking my hands again. Oh those eyes. He's so beautiful.

"Sarah. I need to take one child and turn it into a goblin every year, or else I will be banished from this land."

That was an odd transition. But at least he got his point across.

So… I never knew that it was this serious.

I guess I still take too many things for granted.

But… why does he have to stay here?

I smile and hug him.

"Jareth. You obviously aren't happy here. Come back with me and we can be happy."

He's shaking his head.

Why?

Why do men have to make things so difficult?

"Sarah, I can't exist in your world. I have no experience. I would mess everything up and be even more miserable there. I have to stay here. It is the only thing I know."

That got me thinking.

We couldn't be together in my world or his.

Well, we could. If I let Toby stay there.

Oh Toby, causing so many problems.

And I did want to stay there with him.

I hate where I come from.

There is no mystery and fantasy.

People are just cold and the emotions are too painful and I hate it there.

But Toby.

Who cares about Toby?

He'll still be alive.

He'll just look different.

But my dad. He'll be devastated.

What am I going to do?

"Jareth, couldn't you just get another kid and send Toby back? My next door neighbor has a baby. You could take him!"

He is smiling again.

Maybe I've found a new solution?

"Not exactly Sarah. It really doesn't work like that, the whole process is very complicated."

Darn.

"Besides Sarah, you only have few minutes until your 13 hours is up. I gave you back that hour I stole from you earlier so you could mull this over. But I just want to remind you of what I said before- I love you and I will give you everything you want if you just stay here with me. Toby will be fine, it is not like I'm killing him or anything."

Stupid Toby.

That dumb baby is ruining everything.

Ugh. My dad will get over it.

I don't care anymore.

I don't know if its this place, or Jareth or what.

I just want to be happy with him forever.

"Yes Jareth. I'll stay with you. Toby will be fine, whatever. I just want to be happy for once in my life! I love you. I've always loved you, I just didn't know until right now. I know if people ever find out about this they are going to think I'm heartless and evil. Well, maybe I am. But I know that I'm in love with you."

I've never seen him smile this much.

He takes me into his arms and looks down into my eyes.

I'm going to cry.

This is all too perfect.

"You've made me the happiest I've ever been in my whole existence Sarah. Now come with me my Goblin Queen and I will show you your new home."

He's kissing me!

Oh this is amazing.

All because of one little baby.

God Bless you Toby- wherever you are!