How He Watched

by Leki

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Labyrinth. Sarah/Jareth. Rated K. Genre - Romance/Fantasy.

Even kings fall in love. Set after the movie.

Labyrinth and characters belong to Jim Henson. I only made the story. This is a tribute only.

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Sorry for the wait, guys. Please excuse the name miss-types in earlier chapters, I just didn't bother closely reading before uploading. I'm learning though. Thank you all for reviews and favorites.

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Part III: Child's Thoughts

This particular chapter is dedicated to all those people that can see things other just can't, or won't.

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Young Toby curled his toes inside his warm socks, as he lay on his back under his thick blankets. He had to unstop his thumb from his mouth and use both hands to pull the heavy comforter up higher. As soon as he was done, his left thumb went right back to his mouth for sucking. Sarah had not tucked him in right, and that's why he had to fix them in the first place. He looked down at the blanket, and ran his free hand over the patterns over swords and shields, staffs and wizard hats. The emblems ran all over the fabric. Precisely the reason why he choose it in the first place. Well, second place really. He looked around at his room, and had to smile.

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Sarah had taken him to the store a few months ago, to outfit his room at her house. She had stopped at no expense. She had wanted his room to be just right. She adored him, as was obvious to anyone who saw them together, and that adoration did not stop at her house. Leading him around sometimes by holding hands, and with him sometimes running ahead, he had picked a cool wooden bunk bed, so he could tuck in a blanket round the top bunk to make a castle, as well as have a look-out tower. Sarah had stuck the ladder, which was at the end with his pillows, in the corner of the room when they assembled it together. That way, it was like stairs inside his castle. A night stand, with pretty knotting, curving patterns around the edge, stood in front of the open spacing to the side of that ladder with the drawers turned inwards, so he could 'hide' his secret possessions. A table to the side, perfect for a crawl-under tunnel. A tall bureau, a match for the night stand, against the wall. Blankets could easily be hung from it to something else to form a wall, or yet another tunnel. A knight night light stood on one wall, standing sentry against the Boogeyman and other frights of the night. Even some paint, sponged on all roughish, to make his room look like it was made of stone. Cracks of black pant, and trailing vines of green. Even one large tree with dark brown paint, with limbs that dominated one wall, and edged towards two others. The ceiling held a fair blue, with cotton glued on to make fluffy clouds. More than adequate for a little boy's imagintion.

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She had gone to great lengths to get what he wanted, and they had gone to several stores to get just the right things. Then they had moved onto what would cover the bed, now that they knew it's definite size. He had patiently looked through, until yes. He found exactly what he wanted. It was a grey-brown blanket, and prints of mud and little houses were repeated over the entire surface. Little goblins were running and roughhousing. It was truly something only a child could love, and love it he did.

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But Sarah had said no.

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He had excitedly reached up and pulled the package out, almost tumbling over in his effort to get it, his little hands slipping on the plastic that packaged it. Sarah had been looking through pillow cases, but when she saw him pulling at that ugly thing, she had crossed to him and shoved it back into it's place, almost knocking him off his feet.

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"No more goblins, Toby!" Her voice rose as it said his name, completely frustrated. He looked up at her, and shocked, bit his thumb. He gasped, and let go of the sore thumb, eyes watering, and lip quivering. Sarah never used that tone with him. She never did, not matter how frustrated she was with him.

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Sarah's eyes immediately softened, if not hiding abit of exasperation behind them, she crouched down while pulling him into a hug.

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"I'm sorry Toby. But don't you think we need something more besides goblins? All the dragons and pixies and knights must be feeling left out, since you always pick those goblins." He looked up at her with hurt eyes for a second before he hugged her back, and buried his face against her chest, hiding it.

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"Why does Sarah hate goblins so much?" Sarah gently rocked with him.

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"Toby... Goblins, just... aren't nice creatures." He thought they were better then most people thought, and in general, better than most people themselves. They had the power to get what they wanted, and could have all the adventures they wanted. But he dared not tell Sarah, because Sarah had been moody lately. He didn't know why, but she seemed sad. And she had taught him to be thankful for what he had. And Sarah had gotten him many things that he wanted. So, he took Sarah's hand, and went back home with her, glumly holding his loved and battered teddy tightly.

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Now, Toby settled down into his new fluffy white pillow, elbowing it to nudge it into just the right shape to cradle his head so he could sleep. He curled up on his side, sucking on his thumb, and squeezing his teddy against his little chest. It rose with each little breath taken, and heaved with the sigh from it's holder.

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"Sir Toby cain't sleeeEEP..." He popped his thumb from his mouth, and wrapped both little arms around the loved bear, his little right hand stroked it's now flat fluffs of fur. He nudged it around till it's black little nose faced his, and touched his nose to it's, "And Lancelot cain't sleep either, huhn?" Toby closed his eyes with another sigh, and put his chin on the top of Lancelot's head. He yawned, as it's familiarity soothed his nerves. Sarah had always been his friend and protector, and if she felt unnerved, sad, or such, so did he. But Lancelot helped. He always helped. Because Lancelot was his friend. But he still needed to help Sarah, because he loved Sarah, Sarah was his friend, and Sarah had done so much for him. Sarah gave him a home where he felt loved, and not rushed. Where he wasn't alone, not like he was in his own house, where his mommy and daddy where always leaving him with a babysitter or nanny who didn't care. Just so they could have fun themselves.

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Toby slipped deeper towards sleep, the connections to the waking world disconnecting one by one, unconsciousness taking over.

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How can I make 'er happy? I dunno how... He laid there in half sleep, the light of his sentinel night light flickering weakling over his eyelids. Slowly, his eyelids slid up, his pupils dilating in the dark as he watched the shadows flickering on the wall. He wanted with all his heart to help Sarah, but for all his little head, couldn't figure out how.

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Vaguely he could make out the shape of an owl before he blinked sleepily, and it was gone.

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He remembered clearly, a few months ago, playing with Sarah in the park. Slides and swings, teeter totters and monkey bars. They had played pretend, make believing and dreaming up medieval times. Both could easily see everything, feel every stone of the castles, see every spark from the dragon's breath. How they had both laughed and giggled and enjoyed themselves, running amok amongst all the children enjoying the park.

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"Go on Toby," Sarah had said to him, "Ask them to play. Make friends early, so you'll have them to play with later." The children had gaped at him, not understanding. All they wanted was tag, and hopscotch, or perhaps swings or hide and seek. Something simple, without imagination. They couldn't see all these pretty things that surrounded them. And all the adults, they looked on, and they snickered, whispering gossipy things behind their hands to each other. They're cold, mean eyes appraised Sarah. Toby had looked back at her. She had been sitting on the swing, now the only one occupied, looking up at the sky where the early moon could already be seen. All she was doing was watching the moon, doing nothing to them. He looked at himself, and he realized something to, about himself. He stepped back another self, whimpering gently. The other children where in a group, and he was standing alone. As Sarah was sitting alone, swinging, alone.

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He returned to her quickly, retreating from them. When he did, they had contented themselves to drawing castle rooms in the dirt, the gymnasium the towers, and so on and so on. It had ended happily, but somehow, he couldn't forget that one time when he had felt so isolated. Or when he noticed other times, that it was just Sarah and him. Off playing by themselves almost every time, now that he thought about it.

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And maybe, Sarah was feeling like he did. Isolated. For some reason, the others wouldn't play with Sarah. Even Papa and Mama wouldn't play. They called her over imaginative, in fact, just like the did him, or gave her weird looks when they were to tired of her to say anything. So they wouldn't help. They thought it was all from her imagination, all make believe.

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"You are her Knight, Toby." He was already half asleep, and didn't think twice about the cool voice. Toby lay in his bed, as the tips of long fingers gently stroked his cheek, "So why don't you help your Fair Lady? She must be oh so sad here, in such..." A small derisive chuckle, "A faded, dull place."

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Props to those who figured out the teddy was Lancelot before it was named. So, is the layout abit easier to read?