A/N:I don't own Labyrinth.
Haunted
--
--
--
--
Jareth was once again slouched in his throne, the same way he spent all his days, watching the goblins shoot a chicken with spit balls. He glanced down at the baby in his lap, who seemed to be enjoying the goblin's actions. Toby was laughing and clapping, his blue eyes bright. Jareth couldn't help but smile at him.
He bounced Toby around a little bit, and pulled him closer. Toby gave him an annoyed little look, but made no noise. Jareth chuckled at him, and hoisted him up over his shoulder. Toby squirmed, and Jareth released his grip on him. Toby slid down his chest, giggling like mad. Jareth's smile grew, and he mussed the baby's soft blond curls. Such a playful little chap his new protege was, reminded him much of himself when he was a boy.
Toby's wide eyed gaze turned up at the Goblin King, and he said softly, "Ma?"
Jareth shook his head, and rubbed his back. "No, Toby, your mother isn't here."
"Ma, ma, ma!" he said insistently.
"No, Toby, she isn't here. But your sister is. Here, have a look," Jareth said, holding a crystal out to the boy. The image of Sarah appeared within, the girl laying on her bed, her sobs shaking her body. Toby grinned at the image, and reached for the crystal. Jareth held it out of his reach, and gazed at Sarah himself. He hated to be rough with her, but she was just so damned stubborn. How he longed for the day she would give in, and accept him as her lover. The crystal popped, as though it were made of air, and Jareth held Toby a little tighter. The baby fussed a little, and reached for the air, squealing, "Saya!"
"Sorry, my dear boy," Jareth said, giving him a little bounce. An idea crossed his mind, and he got to his feet, and carried Toby towards the secret entrance to his trophy room. They descended the stairs slowly and carefully, Jareth clutching Toby tightly to his chest.
He opened the door, and Toby's eyes instantly lit up at the sight of hundreds of crystals all around him. Jareth carried him to the end of the shelf, and held one out to him.
"Look, Toby. Isn't it heart warming to see brothers reunited? Young Nigel still hasn't realized that this is all an illusion, but he'll soon see. He'll regret stealing away my Sarah's first kiss."
Toby's eyes shone, enchanted by the slight glow of the crystal before him. Jareth nuzzled the top of his head, inhaling his sweet baby scent. He could still remember when Karei had been that young, and Toby was the spitting image of her. It made him regret for just a moment that he had taken her boy away from her. He quickly shook the thought off. It served her right, refusing to give him Sarah. If it hadn't been for her defiance, he and Sarah would already be happily married, with a few children.
And really, it was better that Toby be raised in the Underground, in his ancestral castle.
Toby was reaching for the crystal again, fussing as Jareth moved it just out of his reach. Jareth sighed, and set the orb back on it's cushion. "Oh Toby, you lucky lad. If only you knew how close you came to sharing their fate," he said, hoisting Toby higher. He handed him another crystal, this one blank. Toby happily took it, and held it tightly in his pudgy hands. Jareth carried him out of the trophy room, through the throne room, and through the twisted corridors of the castle. He reached a tower, opened the door, and walked in.
He had set up a nursery here for Toby, and he set him in the circular crib, the baby still playing with the crystal. Jareth couldn't wait to teach him his own magic. He ruffled his hair once more, and left him to his fun.
--
--
--
--
Karen was sitting in the kitchen, tears running down her cheek. The police were still looking around the house, but only she knew the true identity of the kidnapper, and that they would never find him in this world. As soon as Robert was asleep that night, she would go to the Underground, and get her children back, no matter what it took.
"Mr. Williams, Mrs. Williams?" an officer said as they trooped down the stairs. Robert rose from the table, and stood in front of the police officer. "We can't seem to find any fingerprints or anything, no sign of forced entry... are you sure that your daughter hasn't just run away? Fifteen year old girls do that sometimes."
"And our eighteen month old just vanished into thin air, did he? How many fifteen year old runaways take their baby brothers with them?"
"All right, Mr. Williams. We'll question the neighbors, but I don't suppose you have any idea who might have taken your children?"
"Well, I gave you my ex-wife's number and address last night, but as I said, I really don't think Linda would do something like this. I think Karen has an idea, though."
"What? What makes you say that, Robert?" she asked, looking alarmed. Robert looked confused, the police suspicious.
"Last night, when we found that they were missing, you were muttering, 'I'm going to kill that flamboyant son of a bitch."
"I said that out loud?" she said, her eyes wide. She stared at the three men staring at her. She sighed. Maybe a half truth... no need to tell them the whole story... "I think it might have been my brother."
"You have a brother?" Robert asked.
"Yes. Jareth King. I don't have any contact information, though."
"Do you have a picture that we could put on the alert?" one of the cops asked. She nodded, and ran into the closet. She came out a moment later, a faded photograph in her hand. She handed it to the cops, who inspected it. Robert cast it a quick glance, and his jaw dropped.
"Thank you, ma'am. I'm sure we'll find them." And with that, police left. Robert turned to his wife, eyes wide with surprise.
"Karen, do you by any chance have another brother?"
"No, why do you ask?"
"It's just that... your brother looks an awful lot like the man Linda left with. Jeremy King, his name was."
"No, Jareth is my only brother... does Sarah have a picture of this Jeremy?"
"Yeah, should be up in her room, I thought your maiden name was Underhill?"
"It is. We have different last names," she said, getting flustered. She was very grateful when the phone rang, and Robert's attention was drawn away. He answered the phone, and Karen could instantly tell that something was wrong. He slammed the phone down after a moment.
"The police tried to contact Linda, but they can't find her. Apparently, no one has seen or heard from her in five years."
Karen stared at him, then tore up the stairs. She ran into Sarah's room, and seized a picture from the nightstand. She stared in disbelief at the photo. Sarah's mother, the beautiful dark haired woman, was sitting in the arms of... Jareth. He was disguised, but she knew those cold eyes only too well. She crumpled up the photo in her hands and sank down on Sarah's empty and cold bed.
Could Jareth really be that cruel? Would he really take Sarah's mother away from her? If so, then what had happened to Linda Williams when he returned to the Underground?
An awful thought crossed her mind. What if Linda was being held prisoner in an oubliette? What if Jareth had tried to use Linda to get to Sarah? Would Linda Williams have refused to hand over her daughter to him, like she had? Surely she would have, and Jareth would have been furious. Had Jareth taken Linda? Could he, without being summoned? But then, when had Jareth ever bothered with the rules?
She had to get to the Underground that night. Her mother would help. They had to rescue Sarah and Toby, and possibly Linda.
Or die trying...
--
--
--
A/N: Uh-oh! Karen's on to Jareth evil schemes... who will win?
Review, and find out!