A/N: Hello, readers! I just wanted to let you in on a few important thigns: 1) This is not a JS story (although I ship it, but only if she is older). 2) This is a tale of trust and friendship, and it is full of both humor and drama. 3) This has a few OCs for necessity purposes. And 4) I said Hoggle was a troll in here, but it has been brought to my attention that he's actually a dwarf. Sorry for the mistake, and I will make sure to fix it in all my other future Labyrinth stories.

Thank you, and please enjoy, and review.

Differences Aside

"Alright, c'mon, Toby. One more time. You can do it!" Sarah pulled the lever on her baby brother's See 'n Say for what felt like the thousandth time. The arrow in the middle began to spin, and ended up landing on the cat. A robotic voice came out of the speakers, and explained, "The cat goes meow."

Sarah set down the toy, and looked at Toby, expectantly. "Now you say it." she grinned. "What does the cat say? C'mon, Toby, say 'meow'."

But he only looked at her and giggled. Apparently watching his sister make a bunch of animal noises was very amusing. But Sarah was starting to give up hope. Toby should've started to pick up words. He was the right age, and he was a very smart baby. But for some reason, he hadn't figured out even the simplest words, like "Dada" or "doggie".

Sarah sighed, but her smile remained. "You know something? I'm starting to think you can talk just fine, and you just like watching me make cat sounds." she got to her feet and began to dance around, singing, "Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meeeoooooowww!"

Toby laughed even harder, an excited, innocent laugh. The storm outside raged, thunder boomed, and lightning crackled across the sky. Usually, bad weather would frighten the baby, but he was too distracted by his Cat Sister.

"Meow. Meow. Meow, meow, meow!"

A symphony of sounds had filled the room. Thunder. Rain pounding on the windows and the roof. Laughter. Cat sounds. But throughout all of the noise, one stood out to Sarah.

"Hooo. Hoo, hooo."

She stopped meowing instantly, fear gripping her. It's not him. she told herself. You defeated him. You didn't summon him. He's not here. It's just an owl. Just a regular owl. Stop. Being. Paranoid. She looked back at Toby, who looked like he was getting tired. It is getting late. she realized. I should probably put him to bed before he gets cranky.

"C'mere, Toby. Oh, you're getting so big." He squirmed a little in his favorite red and white striped pajamas as she picked him up, then laid him in his crib. Sarah smiled as Toby looked up at her with his bright blue eyes. "Still wide awake, huh? Or at least you're trying to be. Alright, what do you want, hm? You want a story?"

And there they were. The very words she had spoken four months ago. Back when she detested her half-brother, and her stepmother, Karen. That was why she had done what she did. That's why I summoned the Goblin King. Sarah admitted.

"Hooo, hoo. Hoo, hoo, hoooo."

She jumped at the sound. It's just an owl. But...but I was just thinking about him. What if…? She glanced at the window. A memory struck her mind like the lighting outside: A white barn owl tapped at the window, and goblins popped up out of nowhere. When she looked back at the window, the Goblin King himself was standing in it, looking pleased with himself.

Sarah's breath caught in her throat, and she shook her head, vigorously. It was just her imagination. He wasn't there. He wasn't coming for Toby. He could only do that if she wished it, and she would never make that mistake again. She loved Toby. He was family. Glancing back into the crib, she saw Toby was asleep. Good. This was starting to get scary…

"Sarah?" Karen called. "Sarah, we're leaving now."

"Wait, wait, let us say goodbye!" She ran down the stairs, carrying Toby along with her. "Bye, Karen." she said, wrapping her free arm around her stepmom. "Have fun at the movies." She let go of her, and latched onto her dad, kissing his cheek. "Say bye-bye, Toby." But again, he only giggled.

"I know it seems like we go out a lot, but we try to limit it to once a week."

"And it has been a week, so you're free to go." Sarah smiled. "I haven't watched Toby since last Friday."

"Thanks for being so understanding." Karen grinned. "Your father and I need some time out once in awhile."

"Then what are you waiting for? Get out of here, you crazy kids!"

Karen laughed. "Alright, just make sure you brush Toby's teeth extra well. Now that he has all of them, I don't want them yellow." She wrapped her scarf around her neck, and opened the door.

"We'll be back around midnight." her dad explained. "Don't wait up. Be in bed by ten thirty. Deal?"

"Got it."

"Thanks again, honey. Have a good night."

"You too." And she closed the door behind him. Stepping away from the door, she listened intently.

No storm.

No thunder.

No wind.

And no owls.

Good. Sarah thought. That's the way it should be. She hadn't seen or heard the owl since the last time she'd been left to watch her brother. After a few days, she wondered if it was just her imagination. After all, how could she had heard one owl over a raging storm?

The night went on as usual after that. She fed Toby, and made herself some macaroni and cheese. Then she finished her Science homework, and started her Math while he was watching Blue's Clues. The night seemed to fly by, and before she knew it, it was Toby's bed time. When she picked him up, he was already half asleep, and therefore, didn't put up much protest. She laid him down in his crib, placed Lancelot the bear next to him, and shut off the light. "Good night, Toby." she whispered.

That was one of the easiest nights with him, I think. Sarah smiled, heading into her own bedroom.

It was all downhill from there.

Sarah's room was decorated with many theatrical, some even childish things. The shelves were full of books of every genre, but mainly fantasy. The walls were also full of wooden shelves, each holding a teddy bear. Only one was empty. It had held Lancelot, who now belonged to Toby. Her bed was made neatly, with many pillows, and white sheets. A tack board held many playbills, from Little Women to The Wizard of Oz. And finally, there was her vanity, which was full of lipsticks, blush, a sparkling tiara she used as a prop, and a copy of the book that had changed her life.

The Labyrinth.

She sat down, and picked up the book. Weird how much dust can accumulate over just a few months. she thought, flicking through the pages. Memories floated to the front of her mind: Meeting Hoggle, choosing a door knocker, getting stuck in an oubliette, rescuing Ludo, asking permission from Sir Didymus...and fighting a final battle with Jareth in the Esher Room.

"Sarah, look what I'm offering you: your dreams."

His words echoed in her mind. It had been his last resort. She was on the brink of defeating him, and he thought he could bribe her. He thought wrong. She had learned a lot during her trip through the Labyrinth: She couldn't take everything for granted. Nothing was as it seemed. True friendship requires forgiveness. Life's not fair. All these things combined to show her one thing: Jareth had no power over her.

The eyes of the Goblin King reappeared in her mind. His bright blue one sparkled, while the brown one seemed a bit dull. She shook her head again. Why did she keep thinking of him, of all things?

You need to clear your head. she decided. You need to talk to someone. Someone you know will listen. She looked into the mirror, took a breath, and spoke. "...I need you, Hoggle."

And just like that, a face appeared in place of her reflection. His face was very lined and aged, most likely from stress. His eyes were dark green, yet gentle and inviting. His nose was bulbous, ears pointed, and his hair - apart from his light brown eyebrows - was wispy and white. "Sarah!" The troll shouted, happily. "What a surprise to hear from you again so soon. I'm glad you called. How are you? Is everything alright?"

"Nice to hear from you, too." She smiled. "I'm alright, just watching Toby again. I just put him to sleep, actually. And yeah, everything's okay. I just needed to talk, you know?"

"Well, you always got me." Hoggle grinned, proudly. "By the way, last time we talked, you told me you heard an owl around. Have you seen it since? It could be-"

"Jareth." she finished. "That was my first thought, too."

"I swear, if he's trying to spy on you, I'll march straight up to his castle, and...and...uhh...give me a minute."

Sarah laughed. "That's alright, Hoggle. I'm sure you'd give him what he deserved. Besides, I haven't heard a hoot out of it. I'm starting to think it was just my imagination."

"Oh, good. Glad to hear it." Hoggle's eyes suddenly grew a bit wider. "Oh! I almost forgot. Speaking of Jareth...something weird's goin' on."

Fear took hold again, and her muscles tightened. "What do you mean? What's he doing?"

"Nothin'." Hoggle explained. "That's the thing: No one's seen hide nor hair of him since you defeated him. And that's not all: Now the goblins have vanished."

"What do you mean?"

"Haven't seen one of 'em all day. I mean, sure, they're a buncha good-for-nothin' drunks, and maybe they're all just getting over a rough hangover...but that….and Jareth staying up in his castle for months…"

"You think he might be planning something?"

Hoggle frowned, but slowly nodded. "That's the way it seems."

"What should we do?"

"Well, the guys and I….we were wonderin'...do you think you could...come back?"

Sarah was taken aback. Go back to the Labyrinth? Run it all over? Risk falling into another Goblin King plot?

Hoggle's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Sarah…" She looked up. He paused, as if the words coming out of his mouth hurt. "Last time, we were all together, facing him. And I felt safe, so I was brave. But now...we don't know what he's doing, but we do know he's not happy with us. 'Specially me." He said the last part quieter than the rest, and began to rub the back of his neck. "Even though we defeated him...he's still a lot stronger and more powerful than us. Thing is, Sarah…" He looked up and met her eyes. "...We're scared."

At that moment, all of the fear and panic in Sarah disappeared. She realized that this time, Jareth would go after them as well, not just her. They wanted her to be there, so they could feel protected by the person who defeated him. They wanted to feel safe in case they had to fight him again.

They needed her.

She took a deep breath, and set The Labyrinth back on the dresser. "How do I get there?" Hoggle's face brightened. "Last time he brought me there. I don't know any other way."

"Haven't you figured it out? The mirror. It's a portal through our worlds. That's how we can talk to each other. That's how we can all be there for you when you need us. Step through it, and you're here."

"Alright, I'm coming. Wait, what about Toby?"

They both pondered this for a while. Hoggle broke the silence. "Bring him along. For all we know, Jareth wants you to leave him so he can snatch him back, and make you play his entire game all over."

Sounds like something he would do. "Well, in that case, give me a few minutes. I'll have to pack a baby bag. I don't know how long this journey will take. But I have to be home before Karen and my dad come home at midnight, or they'll get worried." She glanced at the clock. It was only seven o'clock. She had five hours.

"Oh, don't worry. Time works different in the Labyrinth." The troll assured her.

Sarah walked back into Toby's room and picked him up. He squirmed and made protesting noise. Apparently, she had woken him up. "I know, I know, you just went to sleep. But this is for your own good. I'm trying to help you. If I'm going to face the Goblin King again, I need to make sure I don't make the same mistakes."

She walked around her house, collecting things she might need. She got a few jars of baby food, bottles, formula, diapers, the baby carrier, some random food from the fridge, baby powder, the first aid kit, The Labyrinth, and Lancelot. Then she laced up her running shoes, and looked around. I guess that's all I need.

When she went back to her room, the mirror was empty. Sarah slung the baby bag over her shoulder, Toby asleep on the other, and stood on her dresser. "A portal. So I just...step into it?" She looked into the mirror. Her reflection seemed to call to her, beg her to come closer. She stepped hesitantly towards the glass. If I do it wrong, I walk into glass, probably fall, and break my mirror, not to mention possibly hurt Toby. But...what other way would it be? She touched the mirror with her toe, and gasped. It went through. The glass was almost like liquid. She took a deep breath, shut her eyes, and stepped through.