Warning. I do not own The Labyrinth or it's characters. The plot is mine. Also, no other mythological creature or persona belong to me. Sadly Mr. Jones or Bowie is no longer here but even if he was he would not belong to me. Without further ado...Chapter 2.
Sarah had studied to be a social worker, and the case she was on now had to be her hardest. Her client was the child of a single mother who became homeless after a terrible separation from her boyfriend. The woman's family refuses to help her staring that as a teenager the woman was nothing but trouble. Sarah didn't understand people sometime. The woman and her boyfriend had been engaged for three years, the child was two years old, and the woman was 25. From her records she started working at 16, summer job, has no priors, worked until she got pregnant, and was really a sweet woman. The child's father had a drinking problem, said they had been fighting about money, and just didn't want the responsibility anymore. It was too much, and with the apartment being in his name he kicked her and the child out. Sarah didn't like this case because she feared the woman would give up and leave the child in foster care. Today, she had an appointment with the mother to see how far she had progressed. What a way to celebrate her birthday. "Carmen. Hello." Sarah said as she walked up to her client's mother. "Sarah. I have been expecting you." Sarah and her decided to meet at a nearby park, as to not seem so formal. " How are you?" Sarah saw the Carmen's bottom lip quiver, and cover her hand with her mouth. " Sorry. It has been hard. My mother says I can stay here for three months, but I have to leave after that. I sleep on the floor like a dog, but I could be sleeping out in the cold." Sarah nodded, not saying anything just yet. " She says this is my punishment for giving her so much trouble when I was younger. Can you believe it? She treats me as if I were 15 and not twenty five. She had me at 15, but her parents raised me. The house she lives in is my grandmothers. I worked but when I got pregnant Christopher said it was best to stay home to be with the baby until he was old enough to talk. You know, in case someone treated him badly, he could talk. Now, here I am. I don't even have a job." Sarah grabbed her hand, and gave it a squeeze. " Things will get better. Look, I told you that I would help you. I have a list of places that are hiring, plus the ones that are highlighted the hiring managers are friends of mine or owe me a favor. I asked them to look at your resume that we made from our last visit, and they said they would. You know, being the advocate of your child I can only interfere so much. Don't give up. God willing this will one day be just a memory. Also, your visits have been changed from Tuesdays to Saturdays starting this week." They sat and spoke for a half an hour longer before Sarah headed back to the office to type her notes about her visit. She wanted to help her out, especially with the holidays coming. Thanksgiving was approaching quickly, and the woman should at least be allowed to have the day with her son. Sarah really didn't have a set schedule in the office, and her only main meeting was over. She went to the store to pick up a few items, and went home to begin cooking and baking. Her cell phone rang, just as she took the lasagna out of the oven. She wondered who it could be, as everyone had called her already. "Hello." She said as she automatically recognized the number. "Sarah, darling. It's your mother. Happy Birthday." Well, maybe not everyone had called. She mused. " Thank you. How is your vacation going?" She asked barely listening as she put a batch of cookie dough in the oven to bake. "Wonderful. Jeremy is spoiling me like you would not believe! I have to darling. I just wanted to say hello. I sent your gift in the mail. Kisses." And with that her mother hung up again . Sarah shrugged and kept preparing for birthday dinner. Her brother was the first to arrive with Carla. "Sarah! What did you do to your hair?! Mom is going to flip!" Toby said as he walked in. Carla smiled and handed Sarah a gift. " This is from Toby and this one is from me." Sarah couldn't help but smile. She gave the girl a half hug. " I needed an adult haircut, long hair seemed more for a young girl than an old maid." She responded. "Feet off the coffee table." Toby looked at his sister and laughed. "Ok. Karen." She rolled her eyes. "Where are my manners. Are you two thirsty? I have snacks out. And thank you both for the gifts." She opened the one from Carla and loved it instantly. It was a coffee mug with a crazy looking cat that said "let me take a sip before I say something I will regret." And a pair of earrings. Toby's was a CD collection of 80s music. She noticed they were both very quiet, but kept staring at each other. "okay. What gives?" She asked with her hand on hee hip. "Well." Toby began nervously. " Dad's car is making that weird noise again. Carla and I have sort of a bet going on that mom will con you into getting you to borrow your new baby." Sarah gasps audibly and holds her chest. "Not my new Escalade! Is she crazy?! I am still making payments on it! It's still under warranty." Carla laughed. " I want in on that bet." She said fully convinced there was no way it would happen. "Fifty buck!" Toby said. The doorbell rang just after she and her brother shook on it. It was Sarah's dad and Karen. Sarah took their coat, and began hanging them up. " Well now that everyone is here, let's eat!" Sarah said. She served the plates, with Carla's help. Once at the table, Sarah could feel Karen's eyes on her the whole time she ate. " You cut your hair Sarah. It looks very beautiful." Sarah's dad looked up from his plate." Oh! She did! It looks nice." He chimes in. Sara saw from the corner of her eye Carla passing Toby a 20. She could only guess what that was about. They each began to have make small talk. Karen and her father kept talking about the gala they were going to. " So. Sarah. Are you going anywhere tonight to celebrate your day?" Karen asked. " No. Not tonight. Jasmine and I are going out tomorrow night. She should have been here by now." Karen smiled, but Sarah didn't think anything of it. The door opened all of a sudden with Jasmine bearing gifts for Sarah. Her friend came up and said her hellos. " Sorry I was late." Toby walked up and handed Jasmine a 20 without saying a word. " Did you sing Happy Birthday yet?" Toby shook his head no with a smirk on his face. " Yes. Lets." Karen said." We d I have to be on our way after all. And I want to get there early as to avoid the embarrassment of anyone hearing that whale in heat. It's humiliating to be married to a successful lawyer and have a wreck of a car like this." She turned to Sarah, looking desperate. " Sarah. I hate to ask you this but you don't have any plans tonight AMD I did ask. Please let your father borrow your new car. He can't possibly drive in that monster we have. Toby can take our car since him and Carla walked." Everyone was quiet, holding their breath. Sara looked at her father and knew she was going to cave. "Fine. It has a full tank of gas. Daddy. I have the keys in the kitchen." Jasmine Toby and Carla all exchanged money, and Toby seemed to have the most cash in hand. Sarah really hated losing. "I appreciate you lending us the car." Her dad said. " I have something for you." He handed her a jewelry box. She opened it slowly. Inside was a necklace, the pendant part was round with a silhouette of a girl looking up at a opal moon. It was beautiful. It also had a pair of opal owl earrings. "Daddy. This is beautiful!" She gave him a hug, as a tear fell down her cheek. " It belonged to your grandmother, my mother. It is a family heirloom. It is suppose to be passed to the women in the family. Or the wife of the firstborn son." Sarah realized what he was trying to say. "But mom or Karen.." He shook his head no. "Your grandmother forbade me from giving it to your mom. She never did approve of our marriage, and she never really liked Karen. She called me yesterday. Told me to give you a hug, and said it was time to pass it on to you. That it was time." Sarah hugged her father again and smiled. Even though she was out fifty dollars, it didn't hurt that much to lose. After singing happy birthday, Karen and Robert left to the gala. Sarah and Jasmine began arguing over which movie to put on, and Toby sat fanning himself with four fifty dollar bills. Sarah had to laugh when she saw her father pass her brother the fifty. She just shook her head. Her father did love to gamble, she should have been upset but she was happy in a way that he didn't bet against her. They sat and watched movies, finished off most of the cake, and made fun of Sarah finally turning 30. " So. Sare bear. Don't forget tomorrow we are doubling at that new club. You know the one that use to be called Slow Edward. I can't believe the owner thought that name would be a hit." Carla sat up and looked at the women before her. "Wait?! Sarah has a date?" Carla chimed in. " Yes. I do date occasionally." Jasmine laughed. " She is on dry land right now. But she isn't a quiet lily like everyone thinks. She just knows when and how to party. Take her date tomorrow. He is actually my boyfriend Luscious' cousin. His name is Rob Goodfellow. And let me just say if I wasn't head over heels over Luscious then I would be dating Mr. Goodfellow." Sarah picked up her pillow and smacked her friend with it. "Take a cold shower will you?" It was quickly approaching eight thirty when Toby and Carla began getting up and helping Sarah clean the mess they made. Jasmine gave Sarah a knowing look but said nothing. Sarah just smirked back and also said nothing. "Well. It's almost 9. And we have to head out. I guess I will see you tomorrow." Carla gave Sarah a hug. Toby also gave Sarah a big hug. " Love ya sis. Happy Birthday." Sarah turned around and sat next to her friend. " I have got to go as well. Big hot date tonight." Sarah walked her friend to the door. "Thanks for showing up. I know Karen is not your favorite person." Jasmine smiled. " Anything for you toots!" She said as she pinched Sarah's cheek and walked out the door. Sarah quickly began taking out her next set of guest's treats out. She had bought 5 dozen cake pops, baked 10 dozen cookies, and 3 bags of assorted candies hoping it would be enough. The thirteenth hour hit and the parade soon commenced. She began throwing candy to those who were in the parade, a goblin tradition started by Sarah. Sir Didymus, Hoggle, and Ludo were always the ones to lead said parade. Followed were the head rooster himself and his entourage, then the goblin army, and of course the four troublemakers themselves that told her the right words. Everyone sat in a circle as the play began. It was a quick reenactment, that changed every year. Sometimes like tonight, the 'king' had won, others the rooster crowed about a broken heart, and other times it was just nonsense. The play was the only time she had ever seen the goblins behave at all. It was very eerie not to have to threaten to bog anyone. The first movie Sarah put on was one that starred the above ground version of the goblin king. Hoggle laughed until his sides ached. "Ha! Ha! Ha! Looks like my uncle Moggle. Poor schmuck was hit with a shovel in the face during the great left sock war. Never did talk the same." Sarah just shook her head as she sat in her chair that the goblins brought her. It was a really old bean bag but it was still comfortable as long as she slouched in it, and had one leg draped over. As the night progressed, her guests slowly began to leave. Good thing for Sarah as they were all hopped up with sugary sweets for their kingy to deal with. That alone put a smile on her face. Hoggle was the last to leave. He walked up to her, timidly. Sarah had indeed changed a lot since her run, more than she would know. More than they had guessed, but that was neither here nor there. " So. Ya's enjoy your day?" He asked. She smiled at him ans nodded. " Don't forget his majesties thank you on the table." She finally said. " Hoggle. Why has he never shown in all these years, but insists on communicating through you?" She asked the question she had been wanting to for years. He shuffled from one foot to the next, and then rubbed the back of his neck. "Is really can't say. Who knows why the rat does what he does. But I won't let him hurt ya Sarah! And Is said it before and I will says it again. I am sorry for the peach, but every gift given since then was nuthun like that." Sarah stood up and took Hoggle's hand. "It is okay Hoggle. I understand. Now. I know he isn't seeking revenge, because his gifts have always been...helpful. It's just that I feel like I have changed so much and he might be keeping me in the dark as to why. Can you try and find out what you can? You know more than anyone what I have been going through." Hoggle nodded not trusting himself to answer. " Good night, Sarah. Happy Birthday." She watched her friend go back through the mirror, and went to her sofa to go to sleep. She was too tired to go to her room. And besides, she just wanted to sleep. Unfortunately for her, sleep wasn't what came.
I hope you enjoyed Sarah's party. It seems her and Jareth never communicate outside of Hoggle, and nothing more than gifts on her birthday. I made her run on her birthday just to make her reason for wishing Toby away more personal. Also, why she spends every birthday with him. Next is Sarah's date with a Mr. Goodfellow, but first a surprise from Karen. Bah bah bahmm!
