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Sarah couldn't believe what she had just heard. The idea of the Labyrinth disappearing forever was inconceivable to her. "All? Everyone?" Surely she had misheard. Though she didn't know anything about the Labyrinth, other than what was written in her book, it had to be like any other place. And no place that she knew of had ever just vanished.

"All of us. Hoggle, the Wiseman, the goblins, every creature of the Labyrinth will be gone. As will the Labyrinth itself."

"But, why? How?" Sarah stared at Jareth, not bothering to try to hide the desperation on her face. For the first time in a week she felt completely alone. She had never imagined that the creatures she had come to care so much for would one day be gone. To lose them now, after all she had been through, would be more than she could handle.

"That is how magic is Sarah. Did you expect the Labyrinth to always be there? All things end, eventually." He was so calm, so matter of fact. As if he accepted it all completely.

"But it can't. Nothing just disappears." Sarah looked around as though she expected other creatures from the Labyrinth to appear. As if they could change the fate of everyone with just a word. Or at the very least back her words and denounce Jareth's claims. But only Jareth stood before her, grim and dejected. And at that moment she knew; this was no game, for Jareth, or anyone else. "I don't understand."

Jareth sighed. "Of course not. Not that you could be expected to I suppose. After all you did wish your brother away. Then had to run the Labyrinth. You seem to act before you think in everything you do."

Sarah ground her teeth as a flush of anger colored her cheeks. She wanted to deny his words. She wanted to tell Jareth how wrong he was. But she couldn't. Because she finally realized that every word he said was true. She met Jareth's gaze with a hard look, heedless of her obvious emotions. "I may be reckless, or I may not analyze every move I make. But at least I am not a cold, shallow, self serving fae who can do nothing but what the magic says. I have a future. And good or bad, I will make my own choices. Can you say so much?"

Jareth's eyes clouded over and a snarl twisted his features. In all the time she had seen him Sarah could never remember a time he had looked so fearsome. And yet something else was etched in his eyes. Something hopeless. And it reminded Sarah of the day she had run the Labyrinth. It was a pain that he would never be able to hide from her again. But when he spoke there was a steel edge to his voice. "I may be bound by magic, Sarah, but I have lived a long and full life. And I have learned to accept my fate, and my choices."

Sarah could feel her body tremble and took a deep breath. She reminded herself that she had called him here. And regardless of how much he angered her she would have his help. "Look, I didn't invite you here to have a war of words. But since you obviously enjoy it I will tolerate your little jabs, as long as you will save Toby."

Jareth looked at Sarah, and she almost thought she saw a tear. "I...can't."

"Why not? Will you really let him die just to get me into the Labyrinth?"

"What I do now will not make a difference. It is all up to you now." Jareth turned his back on Sarah, only catching her gaze in the mirror. He looked weaker than he had just minutes before. "I have very little power left Sarah. Little time left. And any journey from the Underground tires me. Much as you do. I would help Toby if I could. But if I was to save him now," Jareth shook his head and lowered his gaze, "you would have no choice. I would be dead and the Underground would vanish." And with that Jareth vanished without so much as a glance backward.

Sarah slowly lowered onto the bed, her gaze fixed on the spot where Jareth had stood. He had been her last hope. She had never expected him to refuse. Or make the admissions he had. She wasn't sure if she completely believed it, but she knew he hadn't made it all up. Even Jareth could not fake the pain she had glimpsed. Sarah raised her feet off the floor and rested her chin on her knees, rocking slightly as she looked into the mirror.

The clock chimed some time later, breaking into Sarah's thoughts. Groaning quietly Sarah rolled her shoulders and slowly stretched her body. She had lost track of time and could feel it in the tense knots of her her muscles. Stretching really didn't help, but Sarah felt like she needed to do something. She made her way to the door, pausing to look back at the room. She wished something would be different; some creature of the Labyrinth would appear in the mirror. But there was nothing.

Guilt consumed Sarah again. She swallowed hard and walked out, unbidden tears welling in her eyes. She desperately wished for the numb calmness that had swallowed her in the time after the funerals but it was gone. Much like her world. Walking into the living room Sarah grabbed the control from the table and flipped the television on. The noise eased her frayed nerves and she tossed the control aside. She knew she should go back to the hospital, but she couldn't bring herself to face Toby, even though he wouldn't be awake. She had failed, and she wasn't sure she could face him again.

Instead Sarah called the hospital, telling herself that checking in would be enough. She knew before she asked that Toby would be in the same condition. But to hear it seemed to make it so much worse. She chocked it up to the emotionless, clinical voice of the young nurse who had answered her call. She took relief in the fact that he wasn't any worse and hung up. She still had time. But what could she do? She wasn't a doctor. And she couldn't use magic. Sarah was ready to start calling doctors when a thought struck her. Could she still use magic?

Sarah almost laughed. She felt as though a fog had cleared in her mind. Although the idea seemed farfetched and more than a little insane it was the best she had. She couldn't be sure it would work. But she had to try. Maybe she was crazy. Sarah looked around her. The house was still empty. Would Jareth return if she summoned him again? She doubted it. But she had run the Labyrinth for Toby once. And she would do it again if that meant saving his life. Sarah glanced at the clock. It was mid afternoon. Not that time meant much to her. But she remembered that time had seemed to run differently in the Labyrinth. At least she had assumed it had after she first ran it. It may not seem like much, but it gave Sarah hope that she could run the Labyrinth and still be back before anything happened to Toby.

Sarah climbed the stairs again. She wasn't sure what she would do once she got to the mirror but she was ready to try. She knew a person could be wished away to the Labyrinth. But she had never heard of anyone going to the Underground by choice. She wasn't sure it could be done. But if Jareth was telling the truth, and she had been chosen to rule, then she should be able to get there. She just had to figure out how. Sarah ran through ideas as she approached the mirror, each one seeming more impossible than the last. When she stopped in front of the vanity Sarah still wasn't sure how she was actually going to get into the Labyrinth. Leaning into the vanity she made a decision. Staring hard at her reflection she prepared herself for what would happen next.

"I wish the goblins would take you away, right now."

Nothing happened. Sarah stared harder at her reflection but nothing changed. Frustrated, Sarah pushed away from the vanity and stomped her foot. She should have known that it wouldn't be so easy. But it still angered her that it hadn't been as simple as muttering that simple phrase. Sarah turned in place, looking at each area of her room as she did. Softly she chanted to herself, watching the dark corners of her room.

"I wish the goblins would take me away..."

"Really Sarah?"

Sarah jumped and spun around. She had been hoping for a room full of little goblins. Instead Hoggle stood alone on her vanity. She couldn't tell if he was smirking or being derisive. But she didn't care. She ran up and hugged the dwarf, pulling him from the vanity as she did.

"Get off, let go of me!"

Sarah laughed as Hoggle struggled in her hold. His protests only made her hug him longer before letting him scramble away. She smiled as she watched him stand, dusting off and glaring as he did. She knew he would act tough and grumpy, but he missed her as much as she had him. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to help you. Not that you will listen. Ya never do."

"It's good to see you too Hoggle."

Hoggle grunted. He turned away from Sarah and feigned interest in the contents of her shelves. "So, trying to get to the Labyrinth are you? Do you really want to do that?"

"What choice do I have? I have to save my brother."

Hoggle turned and eyed Sarah, shaking his head. "Well you won't get into the Labyrinth like that. Didn't you learn anything the last time?"

"Hoggle, its not like I can just take a bus. I had to try something."

"Well ya tried the wrong thing."

Sarah folded her arms and huffed. She was fond of Hoggle, as she was several of the creatures of the Labyrinth. But she didn't have time for his games. She wanted to start her run. "Then how do I get to the Underground?"

Hoggle laughed. "You don't." He seemed to take pleasure in teasing Sarah.

"What do you mean I don't? Then how am I supposed to choose whether to become Queen?"

Hoggle shook his head as if he couldn't believe a mortal could be so ignorant. "Why the Labyrinth chose you I will never know. You don't go to the Labyrinth. You summon the Labyrinth to you."

"But that's impo-" Sarah closed her mouth mid protest. It seemed ludicrous to summon a place to you. She supposed, as she thought about it, that the end result would be the same. But she still didn't understand how it worked.

"It's magic, quit trying to rationalize it."

Sarah blushed slightly at the reproach in Hoggle's voice and chided herself for not accepting that little oddity after all she had seen in the Labyrinth. "And how do I 'summon' the Labyrinth?"

Hoggle merely smiled.