Chapter 5

Confessions

It was only last night that Sarah had told Hoggle of her wish to move permanently into his world. Although he had not been as excited as she would have hoped, he promised he would help her make it work. The first and perhaps greatest challenge would be confessing what she did four years ago, convincing her father it was real should not be too hard since she'd have the help of her friends. Convincing him to spend the remainder of his life in a fantasy world would be another story.

She sighed, running her brush through her deep brown locks. Her thoughts running a million miles a second. Sarah had never been vain, and never thought much about her looks, she never took more than ten minutes picking out her clothing and barely wore any makeup. She'd lost the baby fat from her face, revealing high cheek bones which accentuated her porcelain skin, her eyes were a deep sparkling emerald with specks of gold. Her waist was trim giving way to curvy hips and graceful legs, she had an almost perfect hourglass figure. As much as she tried not to, she'd always taken her natural beauty for granted. Now she found herself wondering how she'd compare to those in the Fae realm, after all she'd never seen any women during her first trip. Well with the exception of the old hag in the junk yard, but that was some type of goblin. Suddenly she laughed as she pictured a realm full of junk yard ladies.

"What's so funny." a small voice came behind her, demanding to be let in on the joke.

Sarah turned "Oh Nothing Tobe, just thinking to myself, that's all." scooping up her brother she sat down on her bed with him on her lap. She gazed into his little mismatched eyes, he was so smart and knowning for a boy of nearly 5 years. I'm sure you took away some magic with you too, didn't you? thinking to herself. "Now Toby, I have some very important things to tell you and papa tonight. You won't be able to tell anyone what I'm going to tell you, you may not understand all of it but know that I love you and will always take care of you." she smiled and kissed him on the forehead. "It's okay Sarah, I'm a big boy now." he replied wrapping his little hands around his sisters neck in a hug before dashing off into his room to play with his toys.

It was Sunday and Sarah had the day off from work, usually she'd spend her off days cleaning up the house and working on homework but she couldn't bring herself to do any of it.So instead she spent time going through her things, figuring out what she'd have to leave behind and what she'd be able to bring with her. A few hours past and she was beginning to feel antsy. Oh I wish it was time for him to be home already! Sarah had kept the words going through her mind, she just had to convince her father. I should have enrolled into speech and debate. she mused sarcastically to herself.

Once again Toby made his way into her room "Sarah I'm bored!" he yawned.

"Me too! Want to go to the park?"

"Yeah, the park!" he ran off to grab his shoes and coat. Sarah laughed and shook her head, she wished she could still get so excited over a trip to the park. Toby was back in a flash, grabbing her hand to pull her out of the room, she was barely able to grab her own coat.

---

Hoggle knocked on the wooden door attached to a small cottage. After a moment the door was opened by a large friendly looking woman. "Why Hoggle m'dear! What brings you all the way out here? Come inside, come inside." The woman grinned like a Cheshire cat as she stepped aside to let the dwarf enter.

"Midge,I've important...secret..." Hoggle looked around suspiciously. "erm, things to speak with you 'bout. You're one the only people I can trust." he spoke low.

The woman, Midge, looked down at Hoggle curiously before shutting the door and making her way quickly to the kitchen room while Hoggle made himself comfortable on a bench by the hearth. The cottage was small and cosy, there was a warm hearth room with a few benches a pelt rugs on the floor. On the opposite side of the room was a small wooden table with seating for four. Beyond that was a small kitchen and a few tiny bedrooms.Midge was back quickly and handed Hoggle a mug of ale and wedge of cheese.

Midge sat down on a bench opposite Hoggle, she was tall and big boned with muscular arms and rough hands. Her face was plain but pleasant, she had vivid green eyes that sparkled with laughter and firey red hair that was tied up in a messy bun atop her head. She wore a plain brown dress with a dirty white apron. "So my little friend! What's the conspiracy?" she asked.

"Not so loud!" Hoggle complained and glanced around the room, Midge couldn't help laughing at her poor paranoid friend but stoped when she saw him glaring up at her. Continuing he asked, "Do you remember Sarah?" he said Sarah's name so quietly that Midge barely heard him.

"You mean the last mortal who beat the labyrinth?" Midge questioned Hoggle, wondering what her friend was up to.

"Yes, yes not so loud I said!" Hoggle looked as if he would have a nervous break down.

Midge rolled her eyes but lowered her voice "Well of course, no one will forget that name, what about her?"

Hoggle glanced around once more, nervously, before telling Midge the whole story; starting from the moment he met Sarah outside the gates of the Labyrinth. Midge listened patiently to the whole story, never interupting to ask questions or make comments. Once Hoggle's tale was finished he let out a long sigh. "So that's the problem, she want's to live here and I don't know who to come to for advice but you? I'm against it but she's my friend and I promised her I'd help." Hoggle shrugged, looking to Midge for guidance.

"I don't understand why you have a problem with her living here? You know the stories better than I do, they say all mortals who beat the Labyrinth or any other challenge in the Fae world takes some magic with them. It ties them to our world so to speak and most all of them never leave once they are here. Didn't she know she had the right to stay here?"

Hoggle shook his head. "No 'course not, that so called King doesn't explain things as he should, only as he likes." Hoggle spat. "He never gave her the option of staying after she beat him, I don't think he wants her here and that's why I'm scared for her to come back!" Midge frowned, she'd never seen Hoggle so concerned over anyone before.

"Hoggle you know better than anyone that the King cares little for anything going on out here, he's too absorbed in his current affairs. He has probably forgotten all about her." Midge tried to console her friend.

"No, he hasn't forgotten her, he'd never be able to forget her." Hoggle said sadly.

"Well, even so he'd most likely never find out about her being back anyways. I don't suppose he's ever going to get out of that curse either, he has too much pride." Midge paused to think before offering, "If the lady Sarah and her family come, I will take them under my wing until they can get on their own. She will have to take another name."

Hoggle looked a little hopeful. "Ya sure? I'd feel more comfortable if she was with you. That's a good idea about the name." he scratched his head.

Midge laughed "You just tell her that they will have to work hard, earn their keep. They won't be living as Kings or Queens!"

Hoggle stood up to make his leave "Well I better get back, I'll be back in a few days if they decide to come. Otherwise I'll see ya when I see ya"

Midge stood and took the mug from him "How did you get here anyways? Hard travel over the wastes for a dwarf." she questioned.

"Hmph, I've learned my secrets. There is a tunnel system that runs from the Labyrinth and dumps out just outside the realm." Hoggle seemed proud of his knowledge.

Midge laughed again "Good to see you my friend" she patted him on the back before he left.

---

Sarah was cooking dinner when her father finally arrived home, exhausted. Shedding his coat and dropping his brief case on the ground, Mr. Williams slumped down in his favorite chair looking defeated.

Removing the soup from the burner, Sarah walked quietly into the living room and looked at her father questioningly. Mr. Williams looked at his daughter with sad eyes and sighed. "Well, they let me go. Already...sooner than I expected." his voice was flat.Sarah bit her lip and said nothing, simply gave her father a hug and a kiss on the forehead before heading back into the kitchen.

The Williams family ate there dinner in silence that night. Sarah cleared the dinner table and finished off the dishes before she spoke to her father. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, Sarah called to her father, "Hey Dad can you come up to my room? I need to talk to you?"

Mr. Williams who had been staring at the floor since dinner looked up at his daughter "Of course honey" he said standing to follow her up the stairs to her room. Once inside, Sarah sat on her bed leaving the chair for her father. Toby had joined them and crawled onto Sarah's lap.

"What is it Sarah?" Mr. Williams asked.

"Sissy has to tell us something very important because we are big boys." Toby told his father. Mr. Williams could not suppress the smile that his sons words always brought with them.

Sarah cleared her throat. "I have to tell you both," the smiled down at her brother hoping he would forgive her. "something that happend four years ago. It will be hard for you to believe, but please don't interupt me until I am finished." Then she began her tale, from the night she had wished Toby away to the Goblin King.

"Wow! We had an adventure! I knew all those stories you had told me were true!" Toby wooted and bounced on the bed.

Mr. Williams sighed and rubbed his face. "Papa you have to believe me!" Sarah pleaded.

"Sarah...honey..." Mr. Williams started to say but Sarah interupted him.

"I can prove it dad!" she said. Closing her eyes, she concentrated. "Hoggle, Didymus, Ludo...I need you." she spoke the words and opened her eyes. Her father was looking at her as if she was insane and Toby was sitting now, waiting with wide eyes.

Suddenly, the dwarf, fox and beast poped into existance behind Sarah's bed. Toby laughed and began jumping on the bed again, clapping his hands with joy. Hoggle was the only one not suprised, Ludo looked scared and Didymus's jaw was open, wondering what his Lady was doing, calling them before her family.

"Dad, Toby, This is Hoggle, Sir. Didymus and Ludo" she made the introductions. "Guys, you remember Toby and this is my father, Robert."

Sir Didymus leapt forward which caused a very shocked Mr. Williams to fall out of his chair. Didymus bowed "It is an honor to meet the father of our Lady Sarah" he spoke with reverence.

"Robert Friend?" Ludo questioned.

Sarah looked at her father worriedly, then smiled at Ludo. "Yes he is our friend"

"Friend" Ludo smiled.

Mr. Williams had scrambled to his feet, still speechless he felt he was having some demented nightmare. "I need a drink!" he finally announced and stormed out of Sarah's room, heading to the kitchen to find a bottle of hard liquor.

A/N: Sorry for the delay and thank you for all the reviews! I tried to make this chapter longer :)