She was babysitting Toby. Her parents rarely got out as much as they had when Sarah was a teen. They didn't ask much of her. So, when their monthly date night came up on the calendar Sarah volunteered. She had needed to get out of the house and her parents trusted her much more than just any teenaged girl. So thankful they were, they even offered to pay.

Which surprised her, because they had never paid her when she was fifteen. She had ran a labyrinth and recused Toby from the Goblins when she was fifteen. What did she get from them? Not a single dime.

Sarah shook her head. Then again, perhaps she didn't deserve a dime for wishing her brother away in the first place.

Entering her parent's pristine kitchen, she popped a couple slices of bread in the toaster and stood near it in thought. She waited and remembered the unexpected visit Hoggle had given her just a few hours ago. It had shaken her.

"Sarah." A wrinkled face appeared in her mirror.

She jumped with the sudden intrusion. A book slipping from her fingers. "Hoggle?" She cried with a surprised voice.

"I ain't gots much time," he spoke with a rushed whisper. His posture was tense and his eyes wide. He was out of breath and on-edge.

"What's going on?" Sarah asked.

"Ya needs to get out of ur house. Yous gotta run, Sarah."

"Run? Why?" She stood from her bed, her legs wobbling. The fear in the pit of her stomach was strong enough to practically paralyze her. Sarah wasn't sure if she should immediately adhere to his words or if she should stay and seek out reason.

"The rat. He's coming. Whatever ya do, don't take the letter from him, Sarah."

"Why? What's in the letter."

"I's don't know, and I'm betting yous don't wanna know, either." He said, looking both ways. His eyes widened on something to his left. Something that Sarah couldn't see through her mirror's view.

"Hoggle - What is it?"

"Runs, Sarah. Oooh, he's coming. I's done it now." He growled in self-pity and looked back at Sarah. His blue eyes were wide, mouth agape. His next words were a rush. "Sarah. Leave ur house. Go to your parents or something. Yous already invited him in your home, so nows he can enter."

"What is he a vampire, or something?" Sarah frowned.

"Remember your words," He looked back to his left. Shuffling his feet as if he was ready to flee, Hoggle turned to her and said, "Your words 'No power over me'. He can't get close to you anywhere else that ya hasn't invited him in since you said those words. Yous already invited him to your house. Yous needs to leave." He glanced back to his left.

"Okay, I'm leav-"

"Gahh," Hoggle cried.

"-Hoggle!" Sarah lept forward.

Then it seemed as if the ground beneath the dwarf opened up and swallowed him whole. The only thing that Sarah saw in her mirror was the walls of the labyrinth that had been behind Hoggle before his disappearance. She heard birds chirping in the background.

"Hoggle?" Sarah placed her palm on the surface of the cold mirror.

From some far distance, she heard the dwarfs rough voice call out, "I's okay, Sarah." His muffled voice echoed a few times.

Then the mirror that her hand was placed upon darkened. Sarah pulled her hand away with a gasp as the surface turned black and white with static. She frowned. The screen shook and let out the most ear grating noise. Sarah was left with the words 'Weak or no signal. Please stand by'. The mirror surface shook once more then returned to her reflection.

So, now she was babysitting Toby and hoping that the Goblin King didn't have access to this house. He had been here before. She remembered him appearing before her with terrifying cruelty and amusement. He'd frightened her and she had cowered before him. Yet she had even paused, just for a moment, to take in the otherworldly beauty of this man. She hadn't expected the Goblin King to be time resumed, he stole Toby and she went through hell.

Sarah only hoped that the words 'You have no power over me' held up. Hoggle had told her to go somewhere she hadn't invited him since she'd spoken those words. So she'd listened.

Still, she wondered what the Goblin King was plotting. She knew she had to save Hoggle. He must've been stuck into an oubliette. Or a well.

The toaster chimed. Warm bread popped up and filled the kitchen with it's scent. She loved the smell of toast. Trying not to burn her fingers, she placed the slices onto a plate and made her way to her parent's living room.

She'd eat and regroup. Think of a way to have some sort of power over the Goblin King so he wouldn't trick her.

Sarah sat on the pristine couch, minding that the toast did not slide off her plate as she adjusted. Karen was a clean freak. If she saw any evidence of Sarah eating on her couch she'd go beserk. Sarah was glad Toby was giving her a run for her money with his messiness.

Toby was a kid. He could be a slob sometimes. It drove Karen nuts. Thankfully, she understood when to take a step back thanks to Sarah and her father's prodding. Toby was a good kid. Much less spoiled than Sarah had been. He was thoughtful, compassionate, and way too altruistic for his own good.

Sarah smiled at her thoughts. She was proud of him.

Suddenly, she heard her little brother's footsteps pounding down the stairs. He came around the corner, his hair tousled from sleep, and greeted her with a cheeky smile.

"Hey Sar," He said.

"Hey Toby." She greeted, still cheerfully thinking about how good of a kid he'd turned out to be. She bit off a piece of her toast.

He took a deep breath and, still smiling, said, "I wish the Goblins will come and take you away."

The piece of toast in Sarah's mouth plopped to the plate. "Wha- Toby?" She sat forward.

"'Night Sar." He said and skipped back upstairs.

Alright, perhaps she had been a little biased in her thoughts towards him.

The world - or should she say worlds - spun around her. Sarah felt herself transfer between realms. Felt the touch of magic prickle her exposed skin. It felt nice, but invading, and entirely wrong.

"Oh, no no no no no…" She said as the colors around her halted. A pungent odor of vinegar and rotting food invaded her nostrils. The sight of goblins surrounding her was overwhelming, as was the sight of dirty clothes and broken dinner plates with half-eaten food still on top of them.

"Heya, Lady." A goblin cried out.

Well, at least they were happy she was here.

Sarah released her strong grip on the plate she was holding. Only half-aware that she had taken her toast to another realm with her. She sighed, trying to calm her nerves. Anxiety bubbled in her stomach. Her eyes tried to get their bearings.

What terrible luck she had, she thought. She was sitting on the ledge of a pit in the center of the Goblin King's throne room. Her brother had wished her way for no sort of logical reason. And she had carried her toast with her - actually, that last part was actually good, she relented. At least she still had her snack.

Plus, she didn't trust any of the food that was offered down in this realm. So really, this was probably the only good thing that has happened to her today.

Millions of eyes blinked at her. The goblin's wrinkled faces waited for her reaction with bated breath. She wasn't sure how they expected her to react.

"Damn," she said.

"Articulate as ever," a haughty voice spoke out from behind her. It certainly was not a goblin that spoke. This voice was too proud, too cultured and knowing to be a goblin's.

She closed her eyes. Sarah knew he sat perched behind her on his throne. His nose was probably in the air and his piercing eyes most likely were glinting in amusement at his own joke.

"I don't want to accuse you of anything just yet…" Sarah spoke slowly, not turning to meet him. "But… did you tell my brother to wish me away?"

"Me?" He asked with mock-outrage. "Sarah, you think that I would do something so terrible to you?"

Sarah wasn't going to fall for his trap. She opened her eyes and turned around. He was on his throne, his face pretending to appear innocent, a graceful hand laid on his chest as if he had been hurt.

Sarah cocked her head and said, "So, you admit it? You admit that it is a terrible thing to do?"

He narrowed his eyes and smiled with his mouth closed. The Goblin King leaned forward on his horned throne and his pendant fell out of the loose folds of his black poets shirt. The front of his chest was almost completely exposed to her from his position.

Jareth's face became stoic for a moment, then he covered it with a mask of interest. "How have you been, Sarah?" His eyes studied her intensely.

She stood from the ledge of the pit. "You dumped my friend in an oubliette."

He raised an eyebrow. "Did I? Is it possible your friend just stumbled upon one themselves?"

"No." She crossed her arms and waited for his admission.

"Well, I suppose I shall be generous and free your friend from this oubliette. You'll have to warn them to be more careful in the future, Sarah."

She tried not to glare at him. "You also need to send me back-"

"-But, not before you take this letter. I only ask you to read it." She watched as he made a swirling hand gesture and a cream colored envelope appeared in his gloved hands. Sarah could see her name written in it in beautiful cursive. Handwriting like that was art.

She took a few steps forward to retrieve it, but paused just shy of grabbing it. "So, when I read this letter you'll send me home and free Hoggle from the oubliette he's in?"

Jareth's eyes roamed her face for a second. It seemed as if he was playing with an idea in his mind. Then he said, "When you read this letter I will release your friend Hedgille-"

"-Hoggle."

"-Yes. I will release him from the oubliette. You will stay here for a full thirteen hours and determine your response to this letter. Once your time is up, you will tell me what you have decided and I will send you home whenever you choose."

"Thirteen hours?" She cried. "Is it such a big decision that I have to stay here for thirteen hours for?"

"No, Sarah. I can send you back - as your brother truly did not mean it when he wished you away, but the rules forbid me to send you back any sooner than thirteen hours. As for the letter, it is not as big as Heggle made it out to be. A simple yes or no question, really." He shrugged.

She thought about it for a moment. Then determined that it was really the only way out. "Alright," she reached for it, "Deal."

Sarah took the letter from him and turned away to open it. Once the envelope had been torn open she turned back to glance at him - only to find him not there. The air shimmered with the recent use of magic, but the throne was completely empty. Looking around she realized that she was the only one in the throne room. Not a goblin stood by. They'd all left her presumably to give her some space. She wondered why this letter was such a big deal to everyone.

A big deal enough for Hoggle to warn her, then be stuck into an oubliette, and for Jareth to influence Toby to wish her away for the sake of accepting the letter. She wouldn't have taken the letter if there had been no ultimatums, and Jareth knew this, which is why he had acted in such an extreme way.

Sarah hoped, turning back to the cream envelope, that it wasn't too life changing. Or, perhaps, maybe a little life changing was nice once in awhile. She glanced back longingly at the throne.

So Sarah's got herself in quite a situation. What do you think will be in the envelope?

A. Just the words Got 'em.

B. A love letter/poem by Jareth?

C. Holiday pictures of Jareth and his family?

or D. None of the above.

Choose wisely. Lul.

Please review and tell me what you think! Reviews are practically this story's life source. Thank you guys tons for reading. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. ;)

Oh, also - I don't own the labyrinth or any of it's characters. I just own Gus. I'm proud to be the owner of Gus. He's all I got. *sniffle*