"Woah, large fairies? I was kidding!" Eva laughed into her words, only to go quiet as Jareth mention her Grandmother. Her head tilted to the side, her eyes narrowed. Was he serious? That was the only question that was running through her mind as he began to lose his temper. She stood still, arms crossed against her chest, and her eyebrows rose as he snapped at her.

"Well, maybe it wasn't an accident the mirror was left here..." She trailed off as she saw the sneer appear on Jareth's face. Listening to his next words, a scoff escaped Eva's lips almost instantly.

"What? Want me to grab some mice to help me make a dress and then get a pumpkin so the fairy can send me home in fashion? And 'your' kingdom? Could have fooled me, considering I saved your sorry a-" She took a deep breath, she wasn't going to break into a rage either. Yelling at eachother wasn't going to solve anything, and at least she was in the right mind to see that.

Eva may not have shown it, but she was afraid. When she found Jareth, she found it to almost be a stroke of luck. She wasn't the type of person to leave someone while they were injured to begin with, but the fact that she had been alone in a strange, new world helped. She decided she wasn't going to do anything to try and piss off the only person she thought could help her get home. So she swallowed her fear, and tried to act as normal as she could.

"What? You think I threw...?" Eva looked down and smiled sadly. She sighed, and shook her head in bewilderment. She looked to Jareth, ignoring the dark look her was giving her. If she honestly wanted him dead, she would have done it when he was unconscious or his back turned. It wasn't like she hadn't had the oppurtunity if that was what she wanted.

"Goodnight Jareth. Get some rest." She said the last part a bit bitterly, and she turned and walked out of the attic.

Eva walked into her room, and crawled into her sheets. She sighed deeply, inhaling the fresh scent of the covers and pillow, feeling as if she was actually home for a moment. Her eyes fluttered shut.

When the night came over the Labyrinth it came on hard and fast.

Unless there were specific reasons for them, fires in the maze were generally minimal since most folks (yes, even goblins) had the good sense to be tucked away in their beds. What light did appear came and went across various points of the Labyrinth as fireflies did. The Arid flats were the only consistent source of activity in the late evenings and in the night. Junk people were by nature more nocturnal and it was during the night hours when they were most likely to sort out there personal business. On this night in particular the Junk People were holding a tribalistic celebration.

And like a blazing beacon, the Arid Flats burned more brightly than it ever had.

Although Ariadne tended to remain in seclusion during these kinds of ocassions where she could concoct her vigilant plans and measure out the various ingredients of her ways, but tonight she was celebrating as well. Even if her reason were diffrent than that of her unwilling minions. Ariadne was celebrating because, regardless of how her plans proceeded after this point, Ariadne knew the depth of the blow she'd struck to the fortitude of the Goblin Kingdom. Sometimes it was very good to play by the rules, she thought coldly to herself. In this particular case things had shook out in the sorceress' favor. Jareth, if he had any sense at all, would remain out of Ariadne's way for a good long while and if he ever did decide to take up his fist against her the witch would be more than ready for him.

For the briefest of moments, Ariadne almost thought of frowning for not having had Jareth die outright during their last encounter, but as much as Araidne woul rather have just disposed of the man outright, she couldn't afford to kill Jareth until she was firmly seated on his throne. The knowlege served as a minor annoyance to her senses us she shifted slightly upon her throne.

Speaking of thrones...Per the occasion, Ariadne had arranged for an Elizabethan like throne to be moved from her vast personal chambers and into the open air near the center of the arid flats which opened up into a rounded field accented by large boulders. In the Labyrinth there seemed to be almost no change in the climate whatsoever beyond an occasional cool breeze and the temperature seemed to always remain the same. All around the Flats heaps of carefully formulated rubish burned and as they burned the Junk people formed large circles around them moving with absolute deliberation and a quickness that seemed odd in comparison to the weight many of them carried upon their backs. Although it wasn't an exact science the largest loads usually indicated the oldest ages and downward. Along with their dancing the Junk People sang and chanted to their pulsating music made mostly of pounding on whatever was at hand. It was almost hypnotic and the heat generated from the fires was deeply oppressive. So much so that it wouldn't be unheard of for several of the Junk People to pass out or completely succumb to the heat at some point in the night.

"Such a wonderful force, fire." Ariadne remarked languidly to no one in particular as she stared unseeing at a spot to her right where a small heap was burning. "So easily contained, shaped, and controlled. And yet, if you happen not to watch it, given half the chance, it will quite overtake you and devour everything it touches. Even when its snuffed out all it takes is a single spark to reignite the flame again."

As she spoke this Ariadne saw something slowly coming towards from her left within her peripheral vision. It was two of her minions. Both seeming entirely out of sync with the rest of their kind who were all engaged in ritual dance and devotion. Ariadne didn't move nor make any indication for them to approach although the larger of the two, obviously higher in rank per its size, ambled forward to come around the back of the throne and whisper something into Ariadne's already bent ear.

Apparently the Arid Flats was honor bound to entertain a visitor. If guests were coming it would of course be in bad form for Ariadne to refuse to receive them. When Ariadne replied she barely moved in any way.

"Let him come to us if he feels so inclined. A bit of shadow, I find, is most complimentary to the firelight."

"Mother Night, guide me with your ethereal darkness. Consume me and bless your child. The light threatens me, tormentor of the tormented. I cannot fathom its touch."

A desperate pray in the crushing silence of the emptiness that swallowed up everything. All except Faen. A moment of weakness had struck him. The faces of the three men Faen murdered without hesitation were not eager to let the dark souled killer go on without some doubt. And it was squeezing in his chest. Sometimes the guilt came after he killed. Another drawback to being a child of two sides of the coin. It was disgusting.

Alone, his mind raced and thought of the unspeakable. The light was becoming stronger but still not nearly enough to snuff out the dark. A soothing thing to take note of. Yet it was there and hungry to encompass the mind, body, and soul. What eternal suffering. Faen had not done enough to feed the darkness, the darkness that he loved and understood. There was a certain kind of safety of knowing what exactly was inside of oneself.

Recovering from his panic, all insecurity was placed back into the deep pit that Faen had created when he was a child. In that abyss was memories of goblins and the face of a beautiful princess, someone he knew he might never meet in his lifetime. His lifetime was immortal. He slipped back into the underground, appearing on the Arid Flats, the portal delivering right where he wanted to be. In the distance, he saw fires. Fires meant long, long shadows. A smile crept on to his lips, years washing away from his face. A child on Christmas Day.

Feet made no sign. Eyes kept steady. It was not long before he came upon smells and sounds of familiar creatures. They triggered memories which only made his rage flare for a moment. A personality flaw. No one is perfect. Not even Faen Diavolos.

There was no point in delaying what he wanted. A great fan of instant gratification, he wasted no time getting the attention of one the lumpy things nearby. Faen didn't learn the name of the ones who walked through garbage. He just knew they were unpleasant, like vermin and splinters. But still he bowed remembering they were subjects, not just waste of the cosmos.

"I hear you have a new ruler. A woman that goes by Ariande. I would like to request an audience with her," he said, that odd smile plastered on his visage. Being so polite to things so beneath him made his stomach ache.

The little toad, as they looked like toads to him, hurried off. Apparently Faen was expected. How strange. Thinking back, he didn't exactly aim for the hearts of the two Junk People who wished to attack the thieves. Another note to make. Always go for the vitals. No more games. He wanted his arrival to be a surprise, catch the woman off guard. Next time, he had to use the shadows to deliver himself right into the witch's chambers.

As he waited, he sat down on a large boulder that looked somewhat like a head and polished his rapier.

When Jareth's ill aimed outburst caused Eva to bitterly abandon him in the attic in favor of getting some much needed sleep, Jareth remained where he was for several minutes with a grave turned down kind of expression on his face. There was no mistaking how badly he'd just handled his unique situation and even if the man refused to admit it to anyone else, Jareth knew privately that he'd made a serious ass of himself in front of Eva and possibly hurt her feelings.

Now entirely alone with in the attic room Jareth sank down onto the nearest object that would hold his weight and dropped his head, somewhat gingerly, nearly between his knees. His injuries aside the magician once again felt a wave of abject exhaustion sweep through him. Even when at his best the core of the matter was that the Goblin King felt tired and the problems that were lately blossoming from every angle within his domain were exacerbating the issue. For a few moments a feeling of severe doubt consumed him and quickly turned over into generalized anger and self resentment. It was in times like this where Jareth had nothing but his deep sense of duty and unwavering resolve to see him through to the new morning.

He reminded himself how he had come to be in the position of guardian over the castle, the Goblin City, and vast Labyrinth that surrounded it. The day he forgot what this was all really about was the same day the entire Labyrinth feel under new ownership and Jareth either was dead or in exile. Leaving on his own accord was out of the question and nothing more than an interesting fantasy to play out in his head. The more he thought about it, the more he pulled himself together and promised not to come apart again. If nothing else it was clear he wasn't thinking straight. A solid rest, or at least, the best he could get under the circumstances was in order. Tonight was about regrouping and tomorrow was about formulating a plan. The rest Jareth would deal with in stride.

Furthermore, although Jareth couldn't claim to know Ariadne's exact plans her motivations seemed clear enough. There was only one reason for anyone to go to as much effort as Ariadne was going to and that was to get ones hands on the Castle at the center of the Labyrinth. Ariadne was just the present one of many before her who had at one time or another sought the power the Castle housed and represented. Granted, the last incident had been long ago and most of the details regarding the business had been lost or forgotten by time and indifference but that certainly didn't mean the events hadn't happened.

Jareth knew the finer details of the business because he had been there, in part, to see some of the later events unfold first hand. Among other things it was an undeniable aspect of his family, their history, and his inheritance. Jareth had never been one to shirk the responsibilities that came with being part of something that was greater than himself and a matter of heritage, but that didn't mean he didn't greatly resent the legacy that had been left to him. Jareth sighed then and set his head right again as he glanced towards the small window along one wall of the attic. As the night progressed the double moons began to rise as if one was the mirror image of the other moving in unison.

"I have done everything ever asked of me and more, and yet, I know if you were here right now to see me in this moment you'd say it hasn't been enough. Well, its going to have to be, isn't it Father, or else everything might as well slip away like sand through ones fingers." Jareth muttered in a slight hissing fashion under his breath in a mixture of Gaelic and English.

Apparently Eva wasn't the only one turning in with an air of bitterness, fresh and sharp to lull them into the darkness of unconsciousness.

Eva's Dream - Labyrinth - Night



The night pressed on throughout the Labyrinth and while some parts were quite active this time of night most people were very much asleep in their proper beds. Thanks to Jareth's handy work it appeared Eva too was destined to sleep in her bed even if it was nothing more than an illusion. Eventually even Jareth did retire for the night although it was unclear exactly where he ended up sleeping given that he was just as likely to sleep sitting up in a chair than laying down on a sofa or bed. As far as the house went everything seemed to be serene with only the staccato ticking of the hall way clock or the smaller time keeper on the night table. At this point it had to be getting up towards midnight and when the hour finally did come the clock in the upper hall gently chimed the hour.

Meanwhile up in the attic that was now without occupation, the mirror Eva had directed Jareth to looked ordinary enough. Ordinary if you ignored the fact that the mirror had stopped reflecting the objects in the attic and now resembled moonlight on glass smooth water.

As the clock in the hall continued to sound the surface of the mirror began to move as if a drop of water had fallen into a clear pool causing the mirrors glass to ripple gently once, then twice, then a third time. All in secession with increasing effect. The next thing to be heard, if there had been anyone to hear it was the strong fluttering sound of bird wings and the faint tinkle of small bells. After that, just as the clock in the hall finished striking the hour something about the size and color of a white barn owl emerged from the mirror to take a topsy turvy turn about the attic before it disappeared down the the hall.

"Eva...Eva dearest, you need to wake up for a moment." Whatever had emerged from the mirror had transformed into a shrouded kindly woman who was currently leaning over the left of Eva's bed she was curled sleeping in.

The woman calling gently to Eva was draped from head to foot in a kind of iridescent fabric that was not exactly transparent yet not quite passably solid either. It just sort of glimmered and waved like moon beams on water and her robes were inlaid with what looked like archaic spirals of sliver thread. Miraculously the material managed to capture and reflect every beam of light in the room causing a sort of gentle glittering effect. While she spoke the woman with the familiar voice reached out to set aside a lock if Eva's hair so that she could stroke the younger woman's cheeck with the exposed part of her gloved index finger.

Her hands were slim with long beautiful fingers encased in delicate looking open fingered gloves the color of baked earth that disappeared up under her sleeves. And her face was framed in a great white-blue cowl that hid the thick braid of sliver hair down her back. Yet in spite of all her otherworldly-ness the older woman seemed to embody everything that was warm, comforting, and familiar.

Eva's body gently pulled her mind into focus, and a soft sigh escaped her lips. After a moment of battling with the sweet temptation of falling back into the darkness and peaceful sleep, she opened her dark eyes. She was still, looking out the window and observing the two moons. Her mind was moving slowly at the moment, and it took her a minute to remember she wasn't really home and why she was seeing double moons.

'Labyrinth. Jareth. Right...' She thought lazily, and bit her lip. It was at that moment where she noticed a shadow that wasn't hers. Eva thought it was Jareth at first, until she felt the stroke of a finger on her cheek. Holding in a breath, her head turned lightly towards the unkown figure near her. Her movements held the feeling of being underwater, slightly slow and heavy...

'I'm dreaming.' The thought came to her almost instantly, and she didn't argue with it. She was experiencing a quite lucid dream, and she focused back towards the figure. When Eva saw her face, the breath left her throat quickly, and she sat herself up. Her arms wrapped themselves around the old woman, and Eva's eyes stung and tears threatened to spill. She pulled back with a soft smile on her face. Although the woman was dressed in a very odd fashion, she recognized the face nearly right away. Afterall, if you had lived with the same face for nearly your whole life, you would too.

Eva watched as the light from the moons danced on the fine clothing, and her hands dropped onto her lap. She looked back at the familliar face, and grinned.

"Hi Grams." Her voice was soft, and slightly uncertain as to why her Grandmother was in her dream. But she wasn't about to complain.

"Oh...Hello my beauty. Its so good to hug you again." Eva's grandmother embraced her tightly and with all the love grandma's were famous for as she pushed the tears away from Eva's heavy eyes with he edge of her glove. "I'm so sorry dear. I really didn't intend to leave you so suddenly like I did. I must admit it was all quite a surprise even to me."

At that the woman known in life as Penny settled down next to her granddaughter on the bed. "I had written a letter to you in the event something like this happened but I'm afraid it might have been mis-delivered by the postman."

The letter Penny had written had been mis-delivered and was currently sitting in the possession of Toby Williams for the moment.

"At any rate, I see you've come across the attic mirror and have now crossed into the Underground. I'm sure my dear that its all probably been very confusing for you and perhaps a bit frightening. Again, this is largely my fault. I should have been preparing you for all this from the time you were a little girl. I did try, I just didn't quite succeed at it." Penny softly patted Eva's hands.

"Unfortunately there's not alot of time to explain things the way I'd like. So I'm going to have to condense the facts until we meet again. The thing you need to understand is that while this is a dream in many ways its also a very precise matter of fact. You see Eva for lack of a better explanation you might say I'm something of a fairy godmother just like in the stories I used to tell you as a child. Before I decided to go to Boston and make a life there I lived here in the Underground. In fact I was born here. The Labyrinth could be considered my original home and now that I've lived out my second life in Boston I've returned home and just in the nick of time I might add." Grandma Penny explained.

"In some ways I wish you weren't here Eva. There is a great deal of trouble brewing in the Labyrinth and in the Underground respectively. I hate to imagine you put in danger. But," Penny sighed. "One can't always plan for everything and when it comes to this other world there isn't such a thing as coincidence. If my magic mirror brought you here it is because that is where you are meant to be for the time being."

"I also see you've met Jareth which, under the circumstances is very fortunate indeed. I know he can be something of an ass. He always was of a temperamental character. At the core I assure you he's a good man and i must admit that I am slightly comforted you've found each other. Jareth needs practice interacting with regular people again and there are things he can tell you that I can't. Eva you are part of a legacy that few people could scarcely imagine. There's so much I could and should tell you...Oh but like I said there isn't alot of time. You might have to find some of the answers on your own. What I can promise you is that we will be reunited again dear and when that time comes it will be such a joy to see you again and explain everything. For now I can only appear to you in the middle realm of sleep and my time is limited. I'm afraid my abilities are a tad limited as well. I'm only a country fairy-type after all and not nearly packing as much punch as someone like Jareth is. That's all the more reason you need to stick with him for as long as safety possible. Once he understands who you are he will fully assist you in anyway he can." Penny explained.

"Oh, and another thing, hold tight to that ring you have Eva and any other little trinkets you might have directly on your person. Objects brought into the Underground tend to take on useful application after a time. The smaller, the more potent. That ring in particular might become very important someday." Penny added.

"Now, my dearest one, I have just enough time left to answer one or two questions. I know this is alot to take in but before you ask anything I need you to really think about the questions before you ask them. I might not be able to speak with you again for some time and knowledge is one of the greatest powers you can have to protect and defend yourself with here."

"Mother Night, guide me with your ethereal darkness. Consume me and bless your child. The light threatens me, tormentor of the tormented. I cannot fathom its touch."

A desperate pray in the crushing silence of the emptiness that swallowed up everything. All except Faen. A moment of weakness had struck him. The faces of the three men Faen murdered without hesitation were not eager to let the dark souled killer go on without some doubt. And it was squeezing in his chest. Sometimes the guilt came after he killed. Another drawback to being a child of two sides of the coin. It was disgusting.

Alone, his mind raced and thought of the unspeakable. The light was becoming stronger but still not nearly enough to snuff out the dark. A soothing thing to take note of. Yet it was there and hungry to encompass the mind, body, and soul. What eternal suffering. Faen had not done enough to feed the darkness, the darkness that he loved and understood. There was a certain kind of safety of knowing what exactly was inside of oneself.

Recovering from his panic, all insecurity was placed back into the deep pit that Faen had created when he was a child. In that abyss was memories of goblins and the face of a beautiful princess, someone he knew he might never meet in his lifetime. His lifetime was immortal. He slipped back into the underground, appearing on the Arid Flats, the portal delivering right where he wanted to be. In the distance, he saw fires. Fires meant long, long shadows. A smile crept on to his lips, years washing away from his face. A child on Christmas Day.

Feet made no sign. Eyes kept steady. It was not long before he came upon smells and sounds of familiar creatures. They triggered memories which only made his rage flare for a moment. A personality flaw. No one is perfect. Not even Faen Diavolos.

There was no point in delaying what he wanted. A great fan of instant gratification, he wasted no time getting the attention of one the lumpy things nearby. Faen didn't learn the name of the ones who walked through garbage. He just knew they were unpleasant, like vermin and splinters. But still he bowed remembering they were subjects, not just waste of the cosmos.

"I hear you have a new ruler. A woman that goes by Ariande. I would like to request an audience with her," he said, that odd smile plastered on his visage. Being so polite to things so beneath him made his stomach ache.

The little toad, as they looked like toads to him, hurried off. Apparently Faen was expected. How strange. Thinking back, he didn't exactly aim for the hearts of the two Junk People who wished to attack the thieves. Another note to make. Always go for the vitals. No more games. He wanted his arrival to be a surprise, catch the woman off guard. Next time, he had to use the shadows to deliver himself right into the witch's chambers.

As he waited, he sat down on a large boulder that looked somewhat like a head and polished his rapier.

Eva pulled in her legs and crossed them willingly to make room for Penny. Eva watched her intently, hardly believing what was going on. She nodded when Penny spoke of the letter, and tried to think back if there was anything she had missed in her mail. She couldn't think of anything and knew she never got it. So it must have been sent some other place, and she wondered what the reaction would have been of that person when they opened it. Eva internally sighed, of all times to mix up an address...

Her eyes shifted to her lap when Penny patted her hands, and a small smile formed on her lips. "Don't worry about it Grams, you helped me deal with this place more than you know. I even think Jareth is slightly unnerved at how calm I am at times." Her smile turned into a grin, thinking of some of Jareth's reactions and faces from the day. Eva realized he had tried to be kind to her, despite the situation that she was basically trespassing. And that someone had attempted to kill him. Biting her lip, she noted that she may have been a bit harsh on Jareth earlier when she was awake, and made a mental note to apologize to him when she woke up. She turned her thoughts back to Penny.

"Yes well, you know me...always love an adventure." She said rolling her eyes in a joking manner. If she was meant to be here, then she would stay for as long as was needed.

"Glad we found eachother? It was a fluke really...I helped him in a time of...need." Eva said carefully. Jareth seemed like a man with a lot of pride, and she wasn't sure how he'd react to her telling someone of what happened.

Eva was looking at her ring when Penny said she had to leave soon. Eva nodded, and sighed as she looked up to her Grandmother. "If you're a fairy...does that mean I'm not one hundred percent human then?" She asked slowly, thoughts running through her mind. She shook her mind clear, and gave one last hug to Penny before she had to leave.

"Hm? Well I suppose that's something of a matter of opinion, at least in this place. The point of the matter is that you were born in what many here call the Above. Your parents were very much human and during my lifetime in Boston I was more or less a human as well. At the very worst, my dear, I would say that you are a regular person who simply has a little vein of magic running through you. Everyone does, really. And those on my side of the family in particular." Grandma Penny reassured her.

"You are quite capable of being anything you set your heart on Eva. Its true that now that your here in the Underground where magic is apart of the status quo, you could make quite a bit more of yourself than you could staying in Boston. But there will always be a measure of choice involved." Penny said gently before kissing her granddaughter on the forehead loudly.

"I will confide that I always secretly hoped someone of a newer generation might pick up on the family trade. Your mother, although a wonderfully warm and compassionate woman, wasn't really inclined. Then again its not very unusual for these things to skip a generation or two sometimes." At that a bell seemed to tinkle off in the distance.

"Well, I'm afraid that is my cue." Penny hugged her granddaughter again with all the warmth and love she could muster. "Remember Eva, when in doubt look inside yourself and you will always find what you need. I promise you will never be in want for friends here or assistance and while you might not see me I will never be very far away. I love you all ways my dearest child. Now lay down and shut your eyes. I promise when you wake up everything will seem brighter in the morning." Penny waited for Eva to do as she asked before she rose up from the bed and preceded to tuck her granddaughter in as she always had when Eva was a child.

She then began to hum the faintest of lullabys which did not fully disappear until Eva had fully drifted back to sleep. It was only then that Penny slowly backed from the room, her image fading as the sound of bird wings fluttering filled the air.

It was a fair assumption that Faen might have done better getting a direct audience with Ariadne had he used the tricks of the Enchanted Forest to place him exactly within the witches chambers or across her general line of vision where she could not so easily ignore him. However not everything could be so completely well choreographed. Especially when one did not know exactly what they were walking into or the exact nature of who they were dealing with.

Ariadne was not inclined to come to anyone. No matter how impressive their entrance into her domain was. If Faen wanted an audience with the witch he would have to come to her directly and make his inquiries plan. It was in Ariadne's nature to make people wait and, while the Junk People might have seemed relatively ineffective in very small numbers, in the Arid Flats there were many many more of them than most people might have possibly imagined. If nothing else Ariadne most certainly hand the home advantage when it came to the flats.

While Faen might have felt disappointed that has presence had been announced, he still had the advantages of his parentage (however he might have defined it) as well has innate abilities to recommend him. While the dark sorceress was aware that someone quite interesting had come to appear in the Labyrinth apparently intent on seeking her acquaintance, she had little notion of who she was dealing with. As far as the witch was conserned this was all the more reason to error on the side of caught and make Faen wait.

"The man. He has come, my Lady." One of the other Junk People said once Faen had taken to polishing his rapier.

"Mm. And in record time too. I'm quite impressed. Let him wait another hour or so. I will not see the current proceedings of my people interrupted solely for the sake of a young man I have not formally been acquainted with. Tell him that if he will not wait the hour then he will not be admitted or received in the fashion an individual such as himself deserves. I have had such little time to prepare for proper company, after all, and I would not want to put the young gentleman out any more than he already is." Ariadne's tone was light an demur but just underneath existed the cold sharp edge of of a heart that knew no compassion and harbored only contempt.

"Let him wait. And when he has waited long enough, I will be ready to engage him."

The Junk person stared, its gray ashy mouth agape for a moment while Araidne expressed her demands. Once she was through it just as quickly shut its trap and ambled away quite a bit quicker than one might have imagined to relay the message and make to make the preparations it knew Ariadne desired and expected.

Eva let out a sigh of relief when she heard she was human, with a small side of magic. She nodded in understanding when Penny spoke to her, absorbing the words. She frowned slightly when she heard the bells, she understood that Penny had to leave. She settled back in bed, laughing slightly as her grandmother tucked her in. She felt as if she was twelve once again. Eva laid back, and almost instantly felt a wave of drowsiness. A soft smile formed on her lips when her hears received the tune of the old lullaby.

"Love you too.." Eva said before her eyes shut, and her thoughts seemed to disappear. She allowed herself to be lulled back into the darkness of sleep.


Labyrinth - Dawn

Eva stirred lightly, and woke up. But she didn't move right away, she laid there with her eyes closed. Her sense of smell could still pick up her grandmother's perfume, barely. She smiled and opened her eyes and streched, that sleep had been much needed. The perfume smell seemed to disappear after she sat up, as if to only let her know her grandmother had been with her. Eva flipped the covers off of herself, and stood up. She grabbed her shoes and walked out of her room. She decided to leave Jareth be, he needed his rest, and headed downstairs. As she walked into the living room, she noticed the sun wasn't quite up yet. So Eva sat on the couch and threw her shoes on the ground near her. She looked out the window from where she sat, and watched as the morning sun gave the garden outside a beautiful glow.

"Pretty." She mummered to quietly to herself in approval. There she sat quietly, peacefully and enjoyed the silence and view.

By the time Toby had picked up his wanted supplies from the corner store all thoughts of dropping by the neighbors had left him. So instead he went back to the old house, defrosted his dinner, and spent the rest of his night writing replies to his friends and watching channel 2.

3 Days Later - Sarah's House - Morning

Mornings in the Ethden household were always active. Sarah and Malcolm liked to instill the importance of family time whenever possible and meal times seemed to be the easiest to organize even if breakfast time was often rushed.

"Mal, is Meri up yet? I'm not driving her late to school again." Sarah remarked as she simultaneously flipped a hot cake and tended bacon all in the same large pan.

"I believe I heard some nondescript groaning when I passed her door on the way down. I'm sure that's as good a sign as any." Malcolm replied as he settled into his seat at the kitchen table and made faces at their younger daughter while she spooned her Cheerios into her mouth and tried not to giggle.

Sarah was about to encourage her husband to double check when Meridith suddenly appeared in the archway between the kitchen and the living room fully dressed with her books already in hand. "Morning dad. Hey, mom. Look, don't bother cooking me anything I should have been out the door five minutes ago."

"Why is that again? I believe I've forgotten." Malcolm inquired. Although the truth was Meridith probably hadn't told told them her plans.

"I want to check out something before class. Don't worry. I promise I'll get to class. Is it OK if I barrow the car this weekend?" Meridine asked.

"Um...Ask your mother." By now Malcolm had plucked up the morning paper and disappeared behind it only to occasionally glance over the top and sides to confirm what was happening around him.

"Mom?" Meri asked after narrowing her eyes at her father for not telling her yes or no himself.

"What do you want it for? Where are you going with it? And who are you going with?" Sarah asked steadily as she plated the food she was cooking and carried the dishes to the table to set down before her husband and then her own spot.

Meridith rolled her eyes and sighed audibly for being delt the third degree.

"Mer, you know the rules. If you want to use the car you have to tell us what your plans are with it. When you get your own and can pay for the insurance and gas you can do what you like with it and your father and I will stay out of your business. But until then..." Of the two of them, Sarah was the stricter parent.

"Yeah. I know." Meridith said under her breath. "Look, never mind. OK? Its not important. I'll figure something else out..."

Apparently annoyed now Meridith rolled her eyes and shook her head as she grabbed her backpack and started to turn around and walk into the living room.

"Hey...HEY." Sarah eased out of her chair and walked towards her teenage daughter meeting her in the living room and encouraging Mer to turn and look at her. "You don't have to make this so hard, you know? I don't think these questions are that invasive. Your dad and I just want to make sure we know whats going on. I know you're a young adult and you don't feel like you should have to tell us certain things anymore but I'm telling you that we're only trying to do what we think is best. When you have kids of your own someday you'll understand."

"Wow. This conversation is way more uncomfortable than I imagined. Like I said, don't worry about it. I swear I'm not planing on joining any cults or orgies this weekend. If you won't let me have the car I'm sure I can work something out with Tess or Angela." At that Meridith glanced at her watch. "I got to go. I'll see you later."

Meridith gave Sarah a peck on the chin as if to say -this was just a discussion and not a fight- before she disappeared out the garage door muttering goodbye to her father and sister before the door finished swinging shut.

"Well isn't she in a sharing mood." Sarah muttered sarcastically in the same manner as her older daughter while she glided back into the kitchen. "Crysta, sweetie, if your done eating then go get your homework for daddy to check. OK? I'll take care of your dishes."

"Sure mommy. I know when to take a hint." Crysta said in a very non-childlike, though still adolescent manner.

Her younger daughter's tone made Sarah smile. "Where does she learn to say things like that?"

"I can only imagine, my love." Malcolm replied energetically as he folded over his paper and looked fully at his wife. "Now that you've strategically dismissed our other offspring, are you planing to tell me what's really on your mind?"

Sarah met her husband's eyes and then sighed deeply. "Something...Is going on. I don't know what it is yet but I swear..."

"Darling, you've had these kinds of feeling before and they've always proved to be exaggerations of very minor things." Malcolm knew what his wife was getting at and felt the need to reassure her.

"I just don't think its a good idea to let the kids too far out of our sight right now. Plus my brother is supposed to be coming into town and I know he's not telling me the whole reason he's coming back..."

"Sarah, Meri is almost eighteen. You have to admit we've kept her far more restrained than you or I ever were at that age. Very soon we're not going to be able to protect her from the realities we both know exist. And anyway there's been no indication that we need to worry about all that other business anyway. We've never had an unexplained incidents with either of the kids. As far as their concerned the things you experienced growing up are just make believe. Its not real to them and with any luck it never will be." Malcolm reasoned.

Sarah looked as if she wanted to say something else on the subject but was interrupted by the return of Crysta as the young girl bobbed her way back into the kitchen with her red book bag into tow and her book report in hand for her father to examine.

"Mommy when I get home from school today can I go over to Nana and Grampa's house and visit uncle Toby?" Crysta asked very seriously.

"No, sweetie. Uncle Toby isn't in town yet. but I'm sure when he get here you'll be the first person he wants to see. Promise." Sarah answered.

"But Mommy, Uncle Toby's plane landed already and I want to see him before the weekend." Crysta insisted.

"Crysta, Sweetheart, you need to put your name neatly in the top of this corner." Malcolm pointed out right before his wife kicked him from under the table. "...And your mother is right. Uncle Toby hasn't arrived yet, he'll call once he does and we'll all visit with him together."

At that Crysta gave her father the most adorable look of exasperation any child had ever possessed. "You're not listening to me, Daddy. Uncle Toby is already here. If you don't believe me than call him and see for yourself."

At that Malcolm and his wife exchanged glances and an unspoken question passed between them.

"Sweetie," Sarah motioned for her daughter to come to her so that she could look into Crysta's face. "Can you tell me how you know this? Did Uncle Toby talk to you when we weren't here?"

"No." Crysta replied honestly.

"Than how do you know. Explain it to me because I want to understand." Sarah implored her.

For a second, the nine year old simply stared at her mother as if she could see something Sarah and Malcolm couldn't. "I dreamed about it. Last Wednesday. Can I go now?"

Crysta tilted her head innocently to the side.

"Yeah. Go get your jacket and head out to the car." Once Crysta was out of sight Sarah settled uncomfortable back in her chair deep in thought while Malcolm observed her.

"Well," He said after a few seconds while placing down his folded news paper atop his plate. "If you make the call I suppose I'll drive her to school."

At that, Malcolm pushed away from the table and placed the remaining dishes into the sink to be tended to later. He then walked over to Sarah, bent down, and gently kissed his wife upon the lips lingering longer than necessary as the buzz of older but unfazed chemistry passed between them. "You can tell me about it later. I'll see you at three."

After this final exchange Malcolm straightened and hurried out the back door of the kitchen, scooping up his keys fluidly as he went, and headed out to the car.

Once he was gone it almost seemed like Sarah was planing to dismiss the entire conversation. That is until her teeth clamped down gently on her lower lip and she chewed at it thoughtfully. The next thing Sarah knew she was on her feet with the kitchen's wall phone in her hand punching the number to her parents old house.

Sarah realized she might very well be reacting to nothing and yet her daughter's insistence had struck her.

Sarah waited patiently as the ringer on the other end began to ding. Once, twice, three times. By the fifth and sixth ring Sarah was beginning to think she was being silly. That is until she suddenly heard the reciever click over and a groggy familiar voice on the other end.

"H-Hello?"

Where Eva had carried on a relatively peaceful sleep through the night Jareth's own slumber had not been so calm. For the Goblin King sleep was a reprieve from the demands so often placed upon him while aware. In the realm of his dreams Jareth was not restricted by his title or his circumstances and often times it was during periods of repose that Jareth allowed his mind to wander where it pleased instead of always directing its focus. Sometimes this was of great benefit and other times his mind traveled to places he would have rather avoided.

"William, come and find me!" The voice of a young girl and her giggles rang across his mind as the Goblin King was brought backwards in time to a place outside of the great maze and perhaps even the Underground itself. In away the atmosphere was not unlike the hedges and lawns of certain areas in the Labyrinth however the hedge maze of his dreams was entirely smaller and more personal, not to mention wholly ordinary.

At the younger girl's calling the boy of fourteen put aside the leather bound manuscript he'd been seriously reading under a large tree near the hedge maze and brushed the grass from his clothing before he tucked the manuscript under one arm and with a serene smile that had a sharp edge of intelligence behind it ventured into the maze to find the younger girl per her demands. Everything seemed so light and pleasant.

But as the dream carried forward the blue skies began to cloud over and darken as the wind began to blow and an ominous feeling come over the atmosphere. That's when the giggling ceased and the serene feeling around the boy and girl broke like the dawn and blossomed into confusion and fear. Then came the flapping of wings only instead of being gentle on the cheek the brush was sharp and quick like a razor.

Then came a scream. High and clear and the young man was knocked forward as if something has pushed him and was now restraining the boy in the dirt his hand shackled without iron to the ground so firmly that it caused the boys finger tips to go numb as he tried in vain to pull himself back up.

"William! Help me! Help me, please!" The child's voice was terror stricken and over it the sound of the wind in the tress almost deafening

It was to these screams of distress that Jareth awoke with a rather audible yelp and very nearly fell sideways out of the kitchen chair he'd been sleeping in with his long legs propped up on the table. Luckily he managed to recover himself by quickly pulling his legs down from the table. Of course this by no means relieved the intense tingling that erupted into his hands turning them both sharply into pins and needles as the feeling came back into them. Out of instinct Jareth shook his free hand viciously trying to restore the feeling back in it as he swore and then pressed it between his knees as if that would cause the symptoms to subside more quickly.

"Huh! Bloody nuisance...!" At that Jareth clamped down on the inner part of his bottom lip, biting it to the point of drawing blood in order to confuse the less comfortable sensation. During these seconds of disgruntlement Jareth quite forgot where he was and who was might have been present or within hearing range as he bent forward and pressed his forehead into the edge of the kitchen table. His free had still being pressed between his knees.

The glow of the world outside had seemed to put Eva in a sort of trance, and brought her back to childhood. Her grandmother mentioned how she had tried to prepare Eva for an event like this. An old poem and song flowed their way into her mind, one that used to be her favourite.

In the enchanted forest is where the fairies play,
To get to this place there are some magic words you'll have to say.

Once you see it you will be filled with mirth,
And in this playground t
here are many secrets for you to unearth.

And in this place together once again we will be,
Do not cry my child for you will soon see.

You are part of a family very special,
and a magic item shall be your vessel.

With their ruler the creatures hold back their wit,
But you shall fight back where you see fit.

Your experiences and memories are like the most precious jewels,
And in this place is where the Goblin King rules.

Eva's eyes snapped open at the memory of the old poem, her memories were indeed like jewels. She would have to try to remember more from her childhood, to seek out more hidden secrets that her grandmother may have given. She rested her back against the top of the couch, listening to the ticking of the old clock that was upstairs. The sound was faint, and she had to concentrate to hear it.

A sound of distress brought her attention back. Her head raised, uncertain of where the noise came from. Slowly she raised herself from the couch, and walked out of the living room. Her feet pattered lightly against the hardwood of the floor as she walked into the dining room. She walked towards the kitchen, ignoring the family pictures on the wall that she passed. She peeked her head into the kitchen, and saw Jareth.

Her heart slightly sank, and she internally sighed. Then she walked into the kitchen slowly.

"Jareth..." Eva called lightly, to make her presence known. She walked over to the form of the Goblin King and bent down. She noted how his hand was between his legs, and not really knowing if she could somehow comfort him, she placed her hand on his knee. Her family ring caught her view for a moment, but then she lifted her eyes to Jareth.

"Are you alright? What happened?" Her voice was soft and had a sweet sound. To anyone, this would be a friendly and comforting sound, but she wasn't so sure how Jareth would react. Eva remembered how proud and private he seemed to be, and started to stand up, sliding her hand off of his knee in the process. She found herself beginning to worry.

Instead of taking his head directly from the table, Jareth just pivoted his face to look at Eva. He then sighed inaudibly and straightened back up. "I'm all right. Just a little...Nightmare. Don't worry yourself over it."

From his calm though edged tone it seemed like Jareth was intent on being nice to Eva that morning; although that wasn't to say he hadn't had to think about it first. "You look rested and, I hope, not angry with me anymore. That's good...Being angry won't get either of us very far with each other." The last part seemed to be more to himself rather than to Eva. As if he was reinforcing a point of fact in his own mind so that he wouldn't waste time and effort in the future.

"Feel free to eat something. This all might be an illusion but your stomach won't know the difference, I assure you. And before you ask, which I get the feeling you will, I won't be dinning with you. Eating is not really a necessity in my case and I've mostly lost interest in the practice." He informed her, this time in a more cutting tone that better fit his demeanor.

Eva nodded and walked towards the fridge. As she looked through it, she spoke to Jareth.

"I realized I acted rather...rash last night. And for that, I apologize." She pulled out a bowl of fruit and set it on the table. She leaned to her left and opened a cupbard, expecting to see glasses. Instead there were boxes of cereal. Shaking her head and mumbling to herself about how she needed to visit the house more often, Eva hunted down the cups. She eventually found them and placed two on the table along with different drinks.

"And for my sleep? I had an interesting dream...do you know much about country fairies?" She asked, sitting down. She hoped that would peak Jareth's interest and distract him for a little bit. She grabbed a peach from the bowl, and bit into it and flicked her eyes to Jareth's.

"Help yourself if you feel the need to eat." She said, gesturing to the illusion of food around her.

Jareth stuck to his claims about not being interested in any breakfast and focused on her question instead.

"Country fairies...Yes, in theory. Although I haven't met one in quite some time and you're using a rather elementary term. Generally speaking I assume your talking about the human like things that go about granting wishes or helping wayward people like in your fairy tales. Here they tend to refer to magically endowed people who have a habit of meddling in other peoples affairs whether their invited to or not. Sometimes they have benevolent intentions and other times they don't. It just depends. Most of the times such people govern a certain area or place. Depending on their ability level and sphere of influences this might include whole geographical regions like a country or a very small area like a village or family house. The term Country Fairy in this context describes a person on the latter end of the scale. While their magic and realm of influence isn't very broad, some can become quite proficient in a specific area of magical study and cause quite a bit of trouble if they are sufficiently motivated." Jareth's explanation sounded more text book than anything else. As if he was quoting from something rather than giving his personal impression...Well, mostly anyway.

"Larger magical families tend to have one or two directly connected to them that act as councilors and guides on good days. They're usually blood relations. You could say its something of an occupation. Specific magical places will sometimes have them as well. These free agents, so to speak, will generally hinder or assist whoever crosses their paths." Jareth looked as if he didn't much care for the topic.

"Why? Just what kind of dream did you have?" Jareth's tone teetered on the verge of curiosity now.

As Eva listened to Jareth's explanation, she had stopped chewing to absorb every word. She mildly felt like a student infront of a teacher by the way he was explaining things to her.

"Larger magical families..." She repeated to herself, trying to sort through the new information. Placing the fruit down, she thought back to the dream. She maneuvered her feet to move the chair that was to her side closer, so that she could rest her feet ontop of it. She smiled and could hear the slightest tone change in Jareth's voice. Her feet crossed, one over the other and she shrugged and looked back to Jareth.

"It was my Grandmother, Penny. Seems like you were right in questioning her sudden death." From there Eva began to explain her dream, but she was careful to leave out the part when Penny had called him an ass in certain times, but explained everthing else. She left out no other detail, and paused once in a while to remember the conversation fully.

"And her clothes, beautiful. The moon beams seemed to dance off of them, it was almost hypnotic. They were very strange though-" Her eyes studied Jareth's clothes for a moment, then she shrugged. "Okay, well...maybe not so strange for this place." She decided, spreading a hand, gesturing to the house and the outside, to emphasize her words.

"So...seems like it wasn't a complete accident that I came here." Her lips formed a small smile.

Jareth let Eva explain what had occurred while she was dreaming in the night and managed to keep a straight face while she did it even if the light of her new information caused all sorts of gears to turn and pop under the surface. If Eva was the Granddaughter of...Then that changed a few things considerably. It was important that Jareth be careful from this point out.

"Well...That does explain somethings then. Including where the Good Mother has been for the last sixty years or so. You're grandmother, that's what she was called here once. Her formal title really. She was a kind of resident fairy godmother of sorts. Then she disappeared and other people had to take over her responsibilities. I suppose she's returned now and if she had any idea about what's been going on then she's likely in hiding. Now I have even more reason to take you with me. I don't know where she might be but Meriel likely does. When your ready we'll set out." Jareth was thinking hard now. As scenarios opened up like puzzles across his mind and variables were measured and weighed.

"The Good Mother was right. You are apart of a great legacy. I can only hope we get to where we need to go before anyone else finds out."

On the road - Dawn

Rodney Miller was driving on the road in Boston, heading for his old friend's house. He had promised Eva that he would come down and help her out around the old home, and to help with the funeral arrangements. Unwilling to admit it to anyone else, Rodney had missed Eva a lot and was glad to have the chance to be around her again.

A free hand ran through his short brown hair, while the other handled the steering wheel. The windows were down, and he was listening to the radio, which was threatening to lose it's signal completely with all of that white noise. His hand dropped to the wheel in mild annoyance, and the other quickly moved to change the radio signal.

His thoughts drifted to the conversation he had had with Eva around three days ago, when she had just arrived. She had sounded freaked out at some...dream she had. Or she was just a really good actor and liked to mess with his head. He opted for the latter, and smirked to himself. They had discussed later on about when he was coming to visit, and he told her he'd be in by the end of the week. He had kept his promise, and was a few days earlier than expected. He had problems to deal with at the university he and Eva had attended, but to his surprise they were cleared up rather quickly. Rodney was quite pleased and had called Eva to tell her the news that he'd be early. But she never answered her phone.

Glancing over to his passanger seat, he saw his cell phone sitting there. He leaned his right hand over and grabbed it. The road light had changed to red, and he took the opportunity to check his messages. None. He sighed loudly, and dialed Eva's cell phone. He let it ring a few times, only to end up getting the answering machine. His brown eyes rolled in frustration.

"Oh hi. It's Rodney, you know Eva, it would be great to get a call back. I'm just glad to have gotten your Gran's address before since you have seemed to disappear. I got into Boston half an hour ago, so see you soon. Love you." Rodney looked at his cell phone as the words passed his lips, then he ended the call and tossed the phone back to the seat next to him. He hadn't told her he loved her in a long time, but she would probably take it as a friendship love kind of thing. Didn't all the women and their friends say that to eachother? Clearing his throat, he turned up the music and sang to the familiar songs he came across.

Gran's House - Morning

"That's me in the corner. That's me in the spotlight, I'm losing my religion" Rodney bounced his head to the beat, making a turn onto an old street he hadn't seen for years. He had come to Boston with Eva a few years ago, for Christmas. He looked along the houses, until he spotted Eva's old car. He pulled in behind it, and shut of his car and pocketed his keys. He grabbed his back from the backseat, and stepped out of the car and jogged up the porch steps.

Rodney tried the front door handle, and found it unlocked. He walked in, hit by the pleasent aroma the house had and turned to lock the front door.

"Ev! I'm here and I'm going to bed!" He called, walking up the stairs. He saw the attic door opened, and raised a brow. "Eva! You up there?.....No? Ok." He shut the door, and walked into a bedroom, knowing it wasn't Penny's. He could tell it was Eva's, and he walked out and into the spare bedroom. He dropped his bag, and flopped onto the bed. He had been driving for a few hours, and he was tired. Soon, he fell asleep and began snoring lightly.

If Eva hadn't been sitting in a chair, she may have fallen over. Penny seemed to have been more important in this world then Eva previously thought. And Eva herself was part of a great legacy? She could hardly believe it. She nodded to Jareth's words, and stood from her chair. She was a bit shakey, showing a bit more emotion than she wanted to. She left the kitchen to go back into the livingroom where her shoes were. She quickly slipped them on, and noticed the harder sound they made when her feet connected with the floor. Eva also took this time to calm herself down, and get her head back on straight. She popped back into the kitchen, acting as if nothing bothered her.

"Ok, well...I'm not too hungry anymore. So I'm ready to go." She said, after taking a deep breath. A smile was back on her lips, and she seemed focused. But her mind was flowing like a river with ideas of what Legacy she was apart of, and her grandmother, and other things. She then briefly wondered if Rodney was going to actually end up showing up at her house like he had promised her, and what his course of action would be when he found her missing.

Eva shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. It seemed to work for the moment, and she ran a hand though her hair. She grabbed her peach and threw it out, forgetting about the illusion for that moment, and remained standing. She looked to where Jareth was, "Before anyone else finds out? What's so special about this Legacy I'm in?"

Toby had been in a sound deep sleep when the phone in the corner of the master bedroom had begun to ring. Had he been in full possession of his mental faculties the young man might have been smart enough to just let it go one ringing like it was until the person on the other end gave up. But alas, such foresight was not meant to be.

"H-Hello?"

"I suggest for your own bodily health that you stay where you are, I'm coming over in ten minutes. You have until then to get yourself presentable for the firing squad." At that Toby's sister promptly hung up on him leaving the younger man blinking where he stood.

"You are in so much trouble." Sarah muttered evenly a little while later when she let herself into the house and met Toby as he swiftly padded down the stairs. "You wanna know how I found out you were already in town? My nine year old daughter had to tell me. And you wanna know how she apparently came across this information? She had a dream about it."

"Now," Sarah's arms were crossed over her breasts as she tilted her head to the side and stared at him. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I'm sorry?" Toby offered after a few seconds of assessing his sister's level of annoyance.

"Nope. Try again. And this time really think about it." Sarah replied.

"I meant to drop by the house today. I swear. I was totally planing on showing up on your doorstep and surprising you." Toby replied insistently.

"Crysta seems to think you've been her a few days. Is that true?"

"Yyyyyyes." At that Toby came the rest of the way down the stairs to meet his half sister directly. "I really hoped you wouldn't be made at me. The truth is I needed some time to myself and so I made arraignments to arrive here early and unannounced. I know it might have been a little inconsiderate of me but I can't exactly undo it now. How are you? You look really good."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Golden Curls. And anyway I'm not mad, I'm just a little annoyed. I can appreciate that you wanted some you time but I have to admit you make me nervous when you do these kinds of things. Now come here you big brat and give me a hug." At that Sarah finally smiled and relaxed her body opening her arms up to her brother and motioning him towards her.

---

Not to long after they had there nice sibling reunion Sarah was seated in the dinning room with a hot coffee mug in her hand waiting for Toby to join her.

"So why are you really back here? I could have sworn being overseas was like...Your home away from home. Are you and your mysterious boss not getting along or something?" Sarah asked before taking a careful sip from her steaming mug.

Toby sighed as he eased into the chair beside her. "Alfonse dropped me from his project, Sarah. I still can hardly believe it. I've put practically my entire adult life into our work and now its just...Over. Honestly I decided to come home because I just didn't know what else to do with myself."

"Well I can't say that I'm not happy to have you around, but I also can't really claim to understand why he'd do that to you. Granted you've never exactly been upfront about what you've been researching for him these last several years. Does not working with him anymore mean you can finally clue me into what you've been doing since you left college?" Toby had always been more secretive than she was but generally Toby told her about the important stuff eventually.

Toby's work for the reclusive writer however had always been a sensitive topic though and one of the few secrets Toby had withheld from her out of respect to his employer, so he said.

As for Toby's real motivations for secrecy the fact was that he'd always been a bit afraid of bringing his work up with Sarah mostly out of a real fear that she wouldn't approve. But then again with his work now permanently suspended it seemed silly to deny, if only to her, the truth of what had really been going on.

"Originally Valentini approached me to help compile research for a new manuscript he was working on. I was bored in college and I jumped at the chance to travel around Europe. About a year and a half into it Alfonse trusted me enough to tell me the truth. He told me that he'd once traveled to a strange and magical world that he believed existed like a mirror image to our own. Something else happened and he eventually came back but from the way he told it Alfonse seemed desperate to return to this other place but didn't understand how to. He never told me why but I assume it was probably because he'd formed some kind of intimate connection with someone on the other side and being separated tore him apart. Since that time I've been working with Alfonse to try and discover away to travel to this other place. In the last eight months I swear we came close to a huge breakthrough but I don't have all my data so I never finished making all the connections." Toby explained at length.

Sarah remained quietly stunned into silence as she listened to her brother explain what he's been up to in the last few year. "Toby no offense but your boss sounds like a raving crackpot. Why..."

"No, Sarah." Toby interpreted firmly. "Alfonse Valentini isn't delusional. I've read his books, including the three unpublished manuscripts. It all adds up. Alfonse's novel aren't works of fiction their directly autobiographical. In the last few years I've seen enough to know the truth of his experiences. And besides, you and I are ones to talk when it comes to taking unexplained trips to places that shouldn't rationally exist."

"Toby your not suggesting that this guy...I mean thats so..." She couldn't seem to find the words.

"I'm not suggesting anything. I'm flat out tell you. Alfonse has seen the maze. I don't know that his experiences went along the same vein as ours but there's no denying he was there...Underground, as he likes to call it." Toby paused. "If I hadn't been there myself I'd call Valentini a crackpot as well. But I have and I can't dismiss it."

"But why help him rediscover something we both know is better off left alone?" Sarah's tone had gone cold. Here she thought she'd spent her entire adult life distancing herself and her family from the sibling magical encounter and run in with the world of Faerie, only to discover that Toby had been openly seeking it out for the last several years without telling her.

"Sarah, not everyone is like us. I think some people who go to that other place are supposed to stay there. Who knows what Alfonse left behind there? Maybe its like what happened with us only in reverse. Instead of getting out he was trying to get back in. Can you honestly say that if you were ever separated from Malcolm and the kids and brought back there you wouldn't do everything in your power to get back home to them?"

"Fine." Sarah conceded. "Point taken. I just think its dangerous, is all. I almost lost you once, Tob. I never want to lose you like that again."

After that the siblings finished their coffee and Toby promised to come to dinner. Sarah wanted to speak more about the situation but she still had to get to work. Toby promised they talk about it again and there was also the subject of Sarah's younger daughter Crysta to mill over.

Shortly after Eva finished her breakfast the duo headed out of doors and the house that Jareth had created seemed to quickly fade as if it had never been a solid place to begin with.

"Your legacy is one that could quite possibly reshape our world. Or at least bring about events that could drastically change it. You grandmother was apart of that and now so are you. I'm not going to pretend to have any idea what your destiny is Eva. But I do strongly feel that you'll serve a great purpose someday if you so choose. In some ways I envy you." For the moment Jareth was speaking with absolute sincerity as he lead them toward the edge of the lawn.

"For some of us personal choice is a costly luxury we can only gamble with at best. That's the other purpose people like your grandmother serve here. Occasionally they see and open up possibilities for those who haven't got an other alternatives regarding the paths they find themselves walking in life." When they got to the edge of the lawn where the hedges began Jareth had them pause as he produced a crystal orb in his good hand. Somewhere along the way Jareth had altered his appearance and was now wearing thin kid gloves that fastened at the inner wrist.

"Here. I want you to take this in case something happens and we get separated. to anyone else it's merely a crystal but if you hold it in your hand and roll it like this it will become whatever you need it to be in the moment that you need it. It can only be used once however so have a care." Jareth demonstrated how Eva needed to only roll the orb in a circular manner with her thumb to activate it before he held it out to her to take.

Gran's House

Rodney woke up with a start, his neck sore from the position he had been laying in. He streched, and pushed himself off of the bed. His feet shuffled across the floor as he walked, and he continued back downstairs.

"Evvvvva?" He continued to call her, wondering where the woman had went. Walking into the kitchen, he saw a bottle of pain medication. He sighed and popped open the bottle. Swallowing the pill dry, he turned and leaned against the counter and rested his hands on the edge. He sighed in deeply.

"Well...this is fun.." He said to himself, looking around the room. With a smirk appearing on his face, he pulled away from the counter and went back upstairs to Eva's old room. He walked in, and looked around. Wandering to the bookshelf, he let his eyes scan the title. The books were about either Myths, history, or psychology. Rodney ran his fingers across the different books, smiling to himself how Eva hadn't changed in all the years he'd known her. He grabbed a random book, and went back to the room he had dubbed as his during his stay.

Sitting on the bed, he looked over the book he had taken. It was worn, and well used. "Myths and Legends from the anicent worlds", was the title. He opened it up, and saw the hand written note that Penny had written to Eva.

'To my beautiful granddaughter, may this book tell you it's secrets and perhaps some of my own.' He didn't understand the note, but began reading it anyway. Rodney wasn't to worried about Eva, she often disappeared when they came here...went for a walk, walked to the nearest shopping store. The possibilites varied, so he was calm for the moment.