~Chapter One~

"Trevor Patrick, if you wanna live to rule the Goblin Kingdom, you'll come out right NOW!"

Silence.

"Troubles?" Jareth inquired, biting his tongue to keep from smiling.

"Your son is going to be the end of me!" Sarah screamed at the King. "He's the best hide-and-seek player ever, but I can't get him to come out!"

A giggle from behind Jareth's throne made them both turn. The smile broke free on his face.

"My son is behind there."

"Really? Why, thank you, your highness." Sarah bowed sarcastically, to reflect her comment.

"Daddy!" The boy ran from his hiding spot and into his father's arms.

"I'll strangle you!" Sarah raged. Trevor only giggled again and threw his own small arms around her leg.

"I love you, Auntie Sarah."

Jareth began coughing then, but when she glanced at him, surprised, Sarah saw a smile on his face. She knew immediately he was trying hard not to laugh.

"You're terrible!" She told him.

"Daddy, can me and Auntie Sarah go outside?" Trevor asked, grinning up at him.

"‘Sarah and I’," Jareth corrected. "And yes, you may."

"You didn't ask me if I wanted to go outside!"

"Do you?" Jareth blinked.

Trevor looked up at Sarah then, his big blue eyes shining. She sighed.

"Yeah, I'll go."

"Yeah!" The Prince jumped around excitedly.

"Why me?" Sarah wondered aloud, shaking her head.

"Because," Jareth answered, "Ana, Catrina, and I have to live with him. You do not."

* * * * *

"Trevor, what do you say we quit playing hide-and-seek for awhile?" Sarah sat down on the edge of a fountain in the Goblin City and closed her eyes. "You've found me every single time, and I haven't found you once. What do you say?"

"Auntie Sarah, hide-and-seek is my favorite game in the whole Underground!"

"Really?" The woman rolled her eyes. "I had no idea."

"I know what will make it more funner!"

"More fun."

"We can play in the Labyrinth!" Trevor bubbled.

"No, Trevor. The Labyrinth is too bit; you could get lost very easily. I'm sorry, honey."

"But I'll only hide in certain places! And I won't wander off! I promise!"

"Do you have any idea what your dad would do to me if you did accidentally get lost?"

"He wouldn't do nothing to you, Auntie Sarah. You're one of his bestest friends."

Sarah smiled, knowing quite well he was sucking up to her.

"Alright, but we won't tell your dad, okay?"

"Okay!"

Trevor took her hand and closed his eyes. He concentrated on the gates, and in an instant, that's exactly where they were. Upon opening her own eyes, Sarah frowned.

"I thought you wanted to play in the Labyrinth, Trevor."

"Well, I wanna see how many hiding spots I can use outside of it, first."

Sarah shrugged and put her hands to her face.

"One…two…three…"

Trevor held back a giggle as he ran aways down the large, brown, brick, outer wall, and finally hid behind a small, thick bush.

"She'll never find me here!" He exclaimed silently.

"Ten."

There weren't many hiding places one could hide in or behind, but somehow, the Prince had managed. Sarah looked behind the trees, the tall grasses, and even down the other side of the grand hill; no Trevor. He's too good at this, she thought.

It was fifteen minutes of looking for the young Prince that made Sarah call "Olly-olly otsenfree!"

Nothing. "Trevor! I give up! You've won…again…!"

The boy came bounding out from behind the bush, pouting.

"Aw, you usually look for me longer!" He protested.

"Trevor, let's go back, okay? Auntie Sarah needs to go home and take a cold shower. She's dying of exhaustion."

"Just one more game, Auntie Sarah? Please?"

"Fine. One more." Sarah took a deep breath and stood up. "Do you want to hide again?"

"Yeah!" Trevor shouted. "Alright, Auntie Sarah, close your eyes!"

Sarah did as she was told and counted. Trevor quickly singled out all the easy places and looked only for the top-notch spots.

It was then that a soft, green glow appeared, and faded, leaving behind a small opening in the wall. That wasn't there before, observed Trevor. A grin crossed his face.

He dashed for it and crouched inside, just as Sarah reached ten.

"Ready or not, here I come!" She called, then to herself, "Man, am I glad none of the kids at the orphanage play hide-and-seek."

Trevor went from on his knees, to sitting, to lying down. Sarah was not good at this game. It would take her forever to find him!

The boy was just about to drift off when a small voice whispered softly.

"Huh?" The Prince shot up and looked around. The small hole in the wall of the Labyrinth was slowly closing, surrounded by the green light. It was still big enough to squeeze through, and the boy, even though he was scared, knew he had to try.

Trevor got to his knees again, crawling fast toward the hole. He was going o make it out! He was-

Pulled back, somehow. The hole fully closed, and Trevor whirled around, eyes watering, to see what had kept him back.

A small girl with long, white hair and wings floated before him. She was only a bit bigger than his hand, but she'd done something powerful.

"You're from the Goblin Kingdom, aren't you?" She asked, her tone harsh.

"Yes. My daddy's the Goblin King."

"Oh? So you're that brat, Prince Trevor?"

"Yes." Trevor had never been called 'brat' before, although he knew what it meant. That, and the fact that she was scaring him, made him sniffle.

"Aw, don't cry, little one." The girl told him in mock sympathy. "I'm going to take you to the Land of Fae."

"Fae?" Repeated Trevor. "Then…you're a fairy?"

"At your service, Brat." She bowed as she floated. "My name is Lydia. Now, are you ready to experience pain and suffering?"

"I want my Auntie Sarah!" Cried the boy.

"That human from Aboveground? We have to matter with her…yet."

Trevor screamed, kicked, and cried-none of it doing any good. Lydia touched a tiny hand to his shoulder, and they disappeared, the Prince's cry of,

"Auntie Sarah!" echoing in the void they left behind.