Chapter One

Sarah desperately searched her mind for the line she so badly needed, it wasn't a game this time. She wasn't reciting the lines to her dog, Merlin, this time. She was reciting them for real; her brother depended on her remembering them. She looked up desperately to see Jareth stepping closer to her, a small smirk on his lips. Ican'tremember! She thought as the bell sounded, counting down valuable seconds. Shit!

The bell sounded the thirteenth hour and her world came crashing down, she'd lost. And because of her, Toby had lost his life…he would become Jareth's now, another baby added to his collection of hideous ass-kissing goblins. Tears blurred her eyes as she heard Toby cry out happily; unaware of what was happening around him.

"Wait!" She cried out without even realising what she was doing, "please…don't take him."

"What's done is done, Sarah," Jareth replied coolly, "the boy belongs to me. You had your chance and you lost it, no more games."

"It wasn't fair," Sarah pleaded blinking back the tears. She realised what she sounded like, a spoilt child not getting her own way. But this was so much more serious then something petty… "Please…" she searched her mind for away to save her baby brother, "please…take me instead. It's me who summoned you…it's not his fault, so please…" She looked over at Toby who was crawling over to them grinning widely. She strode over to him and picked him up, she buried her face into his soft blonde hair and breathed in the scent of baby powder. How long would he still smell like an innocent baby once he'd been transformed into this horrible monsters? She looked back up at Jareth blinking back tears. "Please, send Toby home, if you must keep someone then keep me."

"You'd be mine," he said almost gently, "I would be your king…you would have to obey me."

"I would rather it was me than my brother…he had nothing to do with any of this. It was all my fault…I should pay for it, not him." She bent her head down and looked at the floor trying not to cry, she didn't want to look weak. She had to be strong. A strong hand cupped her chin and she was forced to look up.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Of course I'm sure," she snapped, "why should he suffer for my selfishness!" Jareth studied her carefully, after a few moments he nodded and released her chin. She buried her face into Toby's hair once more and felt a tear trickle free, Toby sensing her distress let out a small whimper and she bounced him lightly to deter him from crying. When she looked up she was standing in the middle of her father's room, Jareth almost directly behind her. Carefully she kissed Toby on the cheek and settled him into his cot but he continued to fuss. Turning her around Sarah moved to go to her own room but Jareth grabbed her arm quickly. "I am not running away," she hissed pushing him away, "he's upset and I want to give him something to remember me by." Jareth nodded and left her to go retrieve whatever it was.

Standing in the middle of her room Sarah felt fresh tears well up, all of her dolls and books were representations of what she'd encountered in the Labyrinth. Perhaps it had only been a bad dream? She'd simply fallen asleep and had a nightmare.

"It is not a nightmare Sarah. Now hurry up." Jareth's voice cut through the air like a sharp wind and she shivered. Quickly she picked Lancelot from his home on the shelf full of teddies, giving him one final cuddle she headed back to her father's room. She stopped just outside the doorway and studied Jareth with Toby. He'd picked the baby up from the cot and was holding him in what looked like a fatherly way. "You would have made a wonderful heir little chap," she heard him murmur and her eyebrow raised questioningly. "But now I have the chance to have a real heir, and perhaps your life will not be so dreary...I shall keep an eye on you and help you, do not worry." Sensing that perhaps she was spying on something private Sarah coughed diplomatically and walked into the room. Jareth quickly put Toby back into his cot and pulled the blanket up to his chin. "He would not settle." He shrugged his shoulders as if that would suffice as an acceptable explanation. Rolling her eyes Sarah stepped up to the cot and set Lancelot beside Toby who instantly curled up clutching the bear.

"Goodbye Toby," she whispered leaning over and kissing his cheek one final time. "I'll miss you."