Century Child Chapter 1, a labyrinth fanfic

Author's Note: Well, here's chapter two. Unlike my other story, this one has some major action from the beginning, I like to think. Not much to say here, except thank you to everyone who left me a review, and a special thanks to my beta, Anij. As always reviews and comments are greatly accepted and appreciated, so please be kind and feed a starving college student's deflated ego. (just kidding, but seriously, I'd love a review if you have the time and inclination.)

Disclaimer: The Labyrinth – not mine. (aww…) Jareth – not mine (damn…) This story and plotline – MINE! All original characters – MINE! I think that covers it.

Century Child: Chapter 1

The bells over the door of Sarah's shop jingled merrily.

Oh, how she wanted to shoot them down. Frazzled, she rushed from the back room onto the main floor, hurriedly greeting customers and dashing for the cash register to ring up some sales.

Inwardly, she was yelling at Toby who had, yet again, for the fifth time in the last couple of weeks, gone to lunch and failed to return, leaving her to handle the summer tourist rush on her own.

She wanted to shoot him down, too.

Once the last customer left, she flopped down on the stool behind the register and groaned. She could feel a headache starting, pulsing at her temples, and she was scheduled to be open for at least another four hours. She hadn't even had a chance for lunch yet, seeing as how Toby swore he'd bring something back for her, and that was two hours ago. With a tired sigh, she let her head drop to the counter, the dull thud it made drowning out the jingling of the bell yet again.

"If you're closed, I can always come back tomorrow."

Sarah jerked her head up. "No, no! Oh, I'm sorry! Welcome to Page One, my name is Sarah, how can I help you?"

The customer at the door smiled charmingly. He was a slender man who easily topped six feet tall. Unruly black hair glistened with a blue sheen in the overhead lights and his green eyes lighted on her with amusement. He looked to be no older than she was, perhaps even younger. Impeccably dressed, he certainly didn't look as though he belonged in a small town book shop.

"Don't mind me, I'm just playing tourist this week. I saw your display in the window and was wondering if I might find some rare treasures while visiting. I'm something of a bibliophile, you see."

Sarah blinked slowly at him, somewhat taken aback at his speech, to be perfectly honest.

"Hmm, well, I don't know what, exactly, you're looking for. What kind of books are you interested in?"

"Oh, a little bit of everything, but I have to admit fantasy novels are my favorite. I've always loved the stories with witches and dragons and children saving the world with their innocent faith."

Sarah laughed nervously. Something about this guy was rubbing her the wrong way. Or maybe she was just tired.

"I don't know what I have that you might be interested in, but anything of that particular genre is over here." She stood and led him through the shelves to a back corner of the store and showed him the multiple shelves holding the books along the lines of what he explained.

"There are some more on the top shelves, accessibly by ladder, so if you'd like to see any of them, I have to ask that you let me get them down."

"Certainly."

Sarah couldn't help but smile at the eager gleam in his eyes. She was probably tired earlier. He looked so childlike right now, as though he'd just been given free reign in an ice cream store. She slipped away unnoticed, leaving him to peruse the shelves and returned to the counter where she resumed her seat on the stool. She began sorting through the credit card slips from morning shift, occasionally glancing up at her customer to make sure all was well. He seemed completely enthralled by the books in front of him, so she left him well enough alone for now.

She was in the middle of recalculating VISA sales when the door opened again. Sarah glanced up and saw Toby meandering inside, talking animatedly with one of his school friends. (Danny? Davis? Dennis? Sarah mentally kicked herself for being unable to remember his name.)

She frowned when she noted his empty hands and repressed another sigh. Determinedly telling herself she would not get into an argument with her brother in front of his friend or in front of a customer, she simply lifted an eyebrow when finally glanced up in her direction.

"I didn't know they moved McDonalds on the opposite side of the town. I should've just ordered takeout."

Toby shrugged. "Sorry. I ran into Davin and we hung out for a little while. I figured you'd be cool with it."

This time she couldn't repress the sigh that escaped. "Toby, I hired you for a reason. Summer is the tourist season - the busy season. I needed your help earlier, but you disappeared for two – no, two and a half hours – to get lunch, and you didn't come back when you said you would. You left me in a crunch."

"I said I was sorry. Sheesh. Sisters." He rolled his eyes at his friend Davin, and gained an appreciative, comradely laugh.

Sarah quelled the flare of annoyance with an effort.

"Alright, fine, but I need you to finish the inventory you left this morning before we close today. I need to get it out on the shelves tomorrow morning."

"Actually, I came to tell you I'm heading out with Davin. We're going to go catch a movie, and I was wondering if I could get my paycheck a little early?"

Sarah's temper flickered. "What paycheck, Toby? You haven't been here enough hours to even qualify, if you want to get real technical. I can't pay you for disappearing for hours."

"You can't not pay me! You said you'd give me a wage for working here!"

"Right. I'd pay you for working here. You haven't been here long enough to do any work in the last several weeks, Toby, and I was relying on your help. If you really didn't want to be here, you could have told me and I would have made other arrangements."

"I told you I didn't want to be here weeks ago when you came up with the stupid idea!"

Sarah took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, reminding herself there was an audience present. "Look, we can talk about this later, but I have work I need to do. If you want to go out with Davin, you can, but I don't have any cash to spare right now, I'm sorry."

"This is bullshit." He scoffed.

"Toby!"

"What? It is! You're being such a—a—an adult!" Toby spat the word as though it were the plague or something equally as vile. "You used to be so cool, Sarah, but now look at you. You're as bad as dad was, with your talking about responsibility and other crap."

"Well I'm not dad, Toby! You at least listened to him!"

"Because I had to! You're not dad! You're not even my parent! Forget this! Let's go, Davin." He pivoted on his heel and stormed out of the store, his little friend following fast on his heels.

"Toby!" Sarah called out, hurrying after him. "Toby, get back here!"

It was too late. By the time she got to the front door he had already crossed the square and was on the opposite side of the street, turning a corner and vanishing.

She sagged in the doorway and rubbed her temples with her hands, muttering to herself.

"Would now be a bad time to ask if I could buy these?" A soft voice asked from behind her, startling her.

Sarah turned to see the customer who had been scanning the fantasy section and to her horror felt her cheeks heat slightly. She gave a chagrined smile and nodded.

"Yes. Sorry you had to see that. The joys of raising a teenager." She made her way back behind the counter and reached for the books in his hands. She went through the process of ringing up his purchases automatically, exchanging goods for cash and counting out his change from habit.

"Thanks for stopping by, have a great visit."

"Forgive me if I'm being too bold, but are you going to be all right?"

"I'll be fine, thank you for asking." Sarah flashed her professional smile at him, a pleasant one that never quite reached her eyes. She lifted the bag holding his books and passed it across the counter to him.

"Be sure and stop by next time you're in town, I always receive new and different shipments several times a month."

He laughed. "I know when I'm being shooed away."

"I'm sorry, Mr. . ."

"Conroy. Aidan Conroy."

"Mr. Conroy, but I think I'm closing for a little while at the moment."

"Perfectly understandable. I have a younger brother as well; I know how much of a handful they can be."

Sarah managed a distracted smile in his direction as he left, her attention fixed on the corner Toby had turned. She kept her gaze firmly on the spot as though she could will her brother back into sight.

Minutes ticked by slowly and still no Toby. Stifling a frustrated sigh, Sarah turned her attention back to her shop and forced herself to go back to work. Just because her brother decided he had the day off didn't mean the inventory was going to wait and the shelves could remain empty. Besides, it would help occupy her mind from worrying, or so she hoped.

The afternoon hours crawled by. Sarah supposed that was due in part to her checking the clock every six minutes. Not that she was counting. The lack of customers and the finishing of her task early didn't help, either. When the clock finally chimed six-thirty, she closed the store and drove home in the red wash of sunset.

The house was empty as she walked inside, calling out for Toby. It was a futile hope that he had returned before her, considering the agitated mood he was in when he had stormed out of the shop, but Sarah sighed as the small hope was quashed. Kicking off her shoes, she climbed the stairs to her bedroom, where she settled in with some papers to being the long, arduous process of waiting.

It's almost midnight and Toby still isn't home. I've driven around town twice looking for him, and have received some of the strangest looks when I explained I had lost my sixteen year old brother and wondered if anyone had seen him. I've passed the worried stage and gone into full blown panic. If he isn't back by midnight, I'm calling the police. He's never done anything like this before, and I can't help but wonder if his new little friend is influencing him. Great, now I'm really starting to sound like Dad did whenever I rebelled. Of course, I didn't really have friends in school, so I'm not sure I can make that clear cut of a comparison.

I spoke with Hoggle earlier tonight and he seemed agitated for some reason. I may just be impressing my own feelings onto the conversation, but some part of me is certain he was on edge. He kept saying the oddest things. Warning me to be careful, and keep an eye out for anything unusual, though in true Hoggle fashion it was stated in a far from erudite manner. Hoggle's worried about something and he's actually mentioning it to me. This can't be good.

On top if it all, there's a tension building, I'm sure of it. It sounds melodramatic, I know, but I can't shake the feeling that something's going to happen tonight. Something big. I don't know why, but I'm very on edge, and it's not just because of Toby.

Side note: When he gets home, he's grounded until he's 21, then he's moving out on his own, I don't care how parent-like that makes me sound!

Now, where was I?

Oh yes, tension. It's not very noticeable, not like in horror movies. If there were a soundtrack, I don't think the dramatic music would be building, per se, but I can feel a slight shift. Something pressing inward and it feels very different now than it did when I first got home. I would give a lot to know what was going on. I would give a lot to have my brother home. It's ten minutes until midnight, and Toby's been gone almost eight hours. I think it's time to call the police, regardless of my earlier deadline of midnight. Ten minutes isn't really going to make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things, is it?

Sarah put her pen down and stood, stretching her arms over her head. Sliding her feet into the fuzzy slippers at the edge of the window seat, she stood and pulled on a thick woolen robe over her nightgown. She padded down the hallway silently, moving downstairs until she located the cordless phone. She started dialing and jumped, dropping the phone with a startled yelp when the front door opened, then slammed shut. She could hear her brother's footsteps pounding up the stairs, and his bedroom door slamming shut. She raced for the foot of the staircase.

"Toby Anthony Williams, get your butt down here, now!"

There was no answer, and privately, Sarah was fairly certain she wouldn't receive one anyway, but she still had to try. She made her way up the stairs and pushed his door open, standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips as she glared into the disarray that was his teenage haven. He was sprawled on the bed, headphones on, but sat up when he realized his inner sanctum had been breached. He scowled and pulled his headphones down to rest on his neck. Muted rock music blared through the tiny speakers.

"What's the big idea? Don't you knock?"

"Oh, so I'm supposed to show you basic courtesy, but not expect it in return?" Sarah crossed her arms under her breasts and took a deep breath, reminding herself to stay calm. "Where have you been?"

"None of your business."

"Normally, I don't care if you go out, Toby, but midnight? This is a little ridiculous! You could have called! Do you realize how worried I've been! I was about to call the police!"

"I was just hanging out with Davin! Take a pill, Sarah, and calm down. It's not like I was out robbing a bank."

"I wouldn't know that, now would I? Toby, I don't ask a lot from you, except for the basics. Go to school, do your homework, help out a little with chores around the house, and if you're going to be out past our curfew, call me! Is that too much to ask?"

"Maybe." He shot her a sullen look. "You were just upset because you didn't have a slave to boss around in the store."

"That's not true! I was upset because I couldn't find you! Do you know how long I drove around town looking for you?"

"I told you, I was at Davin's. Geez, I'm sorry, I'll call next time, happy now?"

"No. There won't be a next time, not for some time, Toby. You're grounded. No phone, no friends. Just you, me, and the dusty old storage room in the shop for the next couple of weeks, minimum."

"You can't do that!"

"Yes, I can. I'm your big sister, and what's more, I'm your legal guardian for at least the next two years. You scared me tonight, Toby. I don't know what's gotten into you, but you need to snap out of it, please."

He ignored her plea, and glared at her. "I won't do it. You can't make me. Man, I can't believe he was right, you ARE worse than having actual parents."

Sarah opened her mouth to ask who, but words were cut off when the strangest thing happened.

A gust of wind slammed into her from behind, sending her sprawling on the ground and ripping through Toby's room like a stampede. Sarah lay stunned, as the wind ripped at her hair, pulling it from the loose braid she had tied it in for sleeping. Wide eyed, she watched as Toby's stereo was ripped from the wall.

"What the hell?"

She barely made out her brother's words over the howling rage, and she screamed as she saw the stereo fly for him where he lay vulnerable on the bed.

"Toby, look out!" Scrambling to her feet, she launched herself at her brother and sent them both off the opposite edge of the bed. She stayed curled over her brother protectively, curling him tightly against the wall and shielding him with her body despite his protests.

"Sarah, get off, I'm not a baby!"

"Shut up!" She yelled at him over the wind. "I'm not going to lose you, too!"

She stared at him fiercely until his eyes dropped. She stayed frozen, huddled against the wall and flinching each time something in her room made contact with her back. Books, CDs, pens, pencils, and other objects flew at her as the wind seemed to have a mind of its own, bent on attacking the two occupants of the room.

"Sarah, we need to get out of here!" Toby shouted over the wind.

"Right, on the count of three, run for the door. Cover your head and stay as low to the ground as possible!" she answered her voice equally as loud to make sure she was heard.

"Ready?"

She felt rather than saw his nod.

"Ok! One."

His muscles tensed beneath her and she loosened her grip slightly.

"Two!"

He shifted his weight and she responded in kind, moving back a minute distance.

"Thr-"

The wind ceased as abruptly as it began and Sarah's voice cut off in surprise.

"What?"

"We don't have much time. You must move, now, before they send their attack again."

The new voice caused Sarah to shriek in surprise and spin on her heels in the direction it came from. Her eyes widened in shock and she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Brilliant green eyes met her stunned hazel gaze as the man she met briefly as Aidan Conroy strode into the room, heading directly for her. Gone was the sheepish tourist who perused her shop and in his place stood a confident being with an air about him that screamed 'Something Not Quite Human'.

"Saving you, if you'll stop babbling long enough for me to accomplish it." He retorted smoothly and quickly took her arm, yanking her to her feet.

"Hey! No one manhandles my sister!" Toby stood indignantly and smacked at the hand that gripped Sarah's bicep bruisingly. "Hands off!"

"Foolish boy!" Aidan hissed at him, his face glowing with an ethereal quality, as though the moon shone through his skin. "We don't have much time before another attack falls on you, the both of you! We need to get out of here, somewhere safe!"

Sarah finally regained her wits enough to fire off questions. "And where might that be? Who are you? What are you? Who sent you? How do we know you aren't the one who attacked in the first place!"

"Aidan. A Fae. A friend. And I'm not, I stopped the attack, at great risk to myself, I might add. Sarah, I give you my oath as Fae, I mean you and your brother no harm, and I'm only here to help. Please, let me take you somewhere safe, somewhere you can listen to what I have to say. If, after hearing everything I can tell you, you decide you wish to return, I will not stand in your way, and I'll even bring you back myself."

Sarah studied him suspiciously; very much aware that next to her, Toby was doing the same thing.

"Sarah, we can't trust him."

"He's Fae. He gave us his word, and he can't go back on it, or else he'll be foresworn."

"What are you babbling about? Did something hit you in the head?"

"No, I just… Look, Toby, it's a long story, just trust me on this, ok?"

His suspicious gaze shifted from Aidan to her in a flash and she squirmed under it. He opened his mouth to speak, but a slight breeze kicked up in the room, ruffling his hair. His eyes widened and he paled and finally he nodded.

"All right. He's right on one thing, we need to get out of here, and this is just too freaky!"

Sarah nodded and turned to Aidan expectantly. "Well?"

"I need a mirror."

Wordlessly Sarah led the both of them to her room and pointed to her vanity. "Lay on, McDuff."

In a flash, before either Toby or Sarah realized what he was doing, Aidan had brought up an image in the mirror of a room made of stone, decorated what looked to be a medieval setting. He motioned them forward.

"Touch the glass and you'll be transported. Hurry! We don't have much time!"

Toby stared at him in disbelief. "You don't honestly expect us to believe that? C'mon, where's your car! We need to get out of here!" His tone took on an anxious note as another breeze wafted into the room, tendrils of air caressing him searchingly and causing him to shiver.

"Toby, stop stalling, please!" Sarah said. She took his hand and drew him forward. "We'll do it together. Here."

She placed their joined hands on the glass and winced when a blinding flash of light pulsed and raced for them. She squeezed her eyes shut and threw her free arm over her face.

Moments later, she lowered her arm cautiously and blinked, clearing away the residual spots that dotted her vision. Next to her, Toby mirrored her actions and stared in awe as they now stood in the room they had seen in the mirror.

"Whoa…how did he do that, Sarah? Where are we?"

Aidan stepped into the room, dusting himself off fastidiously as he removed the coat Sarah hadn't realized he was wearing and draped it over a nearby chair.

"Well, those are simple enough questions to answer, Toby. I did it using magic, and you're in the Underground."

End chapter 2

Author's note part deux: So? Whatcha think? Review, review! And see you next chapter! Don't worry, Jareth makes an appearance soon, I promise!