THE CAPTAIN AND THE KING
Amanda
(Author's note and standard disclaimers. Only the plot belongs to me, and I can't guarantee that no one else has thought of it. It'd cost you more to sue me than I have money, so please don't. This is a Labyrinth/Ghost and Mrs. Muir Crossover. However, Jareth reordered time so that everyone is in a slightly more recent setting for convenience.
On with the show.....
Carolyn Muir looked up from her computer screen, wondering again how she ever survived without it. It had indeed been worth the argument with both Claymore and Daniel to get a modem line put into Gull Cottage. Those two being on the same side was a miracle in and of itself, but the Captain had adjusted. A movement caught her eye and she watched what appeared to be a letter float down to her.
"How refreshing," a disembodied voice noted dryly. "Someone still uses the postal service."
"No matter how inefficient, she smiled, sticking out her hand for her mail.
"Oh, my dear, " Captain Gregg protested as he apperated, "I thought I could read it to you, so you could keep on with your machine."
"You can read it, after me."
With a defeated sigh, the ghost gave up, opting to save his fights for something worth it. "It appears to be from one of your relatives, Madam."
"Not cousin Harriet," Carolyn prayed.
"No, someone from your side of the family, the return address label says Williams."
Glancing at it, she smiled. "My cousin, Thomas, Dad's nephew."
Even with her smile, Daniel had to mutter, loudly, "I hope he's not visiting in hopes of meeting your captain." Seeing that walking jelly fish impersonate himself was enough to make even a ghost feel ill.
"No," Carolyn said, reading. "But he asks if his daughter, Sarah, could spend her college break here, a few weeks. She's - he says she's been in some kind of chronic depression since she was sixteen, but despite his and her stepmother's pushing, won't see a psychologist-"
"Wise young woman."
She ignored him. "Karen, the stepmother, refuses to let her come home unless she gets treatment, doesn't want a bad influence on her son. And he hopes maybe the sea air will refresh her a bit." Carolyn met Daniel's eyes. "I'd like to let her come stay. I haven't seen her since before — the children's father died. She was a little girl, but very sweet, and imaginative."
Could he refuse her anything? No. "Make the arrangements, Madam. Will the children be home from summer camp by the time she arrives?"
"I don't think Sarah would scar the children's psyche," Carolyn scowled. She never had liked that woman her cousin married. Being around her might be enough to make Sarah glum.
"I merely wondered. Candy and Jonathan might cheer her up a bit."
"Oh. Well, no they won't be. Maybe before she leaves."
The ghost nodded, fading out to tell Martha what was about to take place.
Two weeks later, Claymore ancient (he was too cheap to buy a newer, even more fuel efficient one) car rolled up to Gull Cottage with Sarah Williams in the passenger seat. He was being allowed entrance to his not uncle's ship to bring Sarah, and had best be off as soon as he delivered her suitcases upstairs. Daniel Gregg insisted on chivalry, and would have toted the bags himself, but did not think Sarah would react well to seeing them float by themselves. If only he knew . . .
Carolyn met them at the door. Ignoring Claymore's mumbled moans about his poor back, she embraced the dark haired young woman with sad eyes who followed him. Muffled barks from upstairs told them that Scruffy was not too happy about the Captain keeping him stowed away so he couldn't jump their guest.
Hearing them, Sarah's face lit up. "Aunt Carolyn! You have a dog?"
"I'm your cousin, dear," Carolyn corrected, gently, hoping she didn't look that old in her mid- forties. You are lovely as always, a voice whispered, reading her mind.
"Karen told me it would be respectful . . . "
"I don't see Karen anywhere. Her rules don't float on my ship," Carolyn replied in mock sternness. "er, home. My home, not my ship."
Sarah smiled weakly. "No, I can see the shippiness."
By the time they reached the parlor where Daniel Gregg's painting presided and Matha waited with tea, Claymore had moaned his way downstairs. Spying free food, he homed towards it. A thunderclap halted his progress.
"It looked so sunny outside," Sarah noted, looking out the window. Not a cloud was in the sky, but on the monkey puzzle branches, in the sunshine, sat a white owl with wide, mismatched eyes. Her hand shook, she barely got her cup set down. Carolyn followed her eyes. "What's wrong — oh — how — odd . . ."
Martha Grant looked up from watching Claymore scuttle out, tripping over his feet. She saw the owl the two cousins were staring at. "I'll get my broom, unless someone wants to scare it out of their tree.." she glared at the painting.
"No!" Sarah yelped. "I'm sure it's — no point in upsetting him — it."
Carolyn looked up at Daniel's picture. Could Sarah see him or sense him? In her ear, an invisible voice whispered. "I do not think I'm the him, Madam. There is something unusual about that bird, but for the death of me, I don't know what."
The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. Carolyn and Martha gave Sarah a tour of the house, both watching to see how she reacted to the attic and the telescope, and not sure if they wanted her to be able to sense Daniel Gregg's spectral prescence or not. It might be easier if he could pop at will while she was here. The threat of him moving in with his "nephew" for the duration had been the stick to make Claymore donate his time and car to pick her up.
After a beach picnic, Sarah, pleading jet lag, retired early. She had gone stark white when Martha offered her a peach tart. Noting the circles even makeup could not conceal, Carolyn did not argue. Looked as if she had not slept for years, honestly.
Hours later, Daniel Gregg began making his nightly rounds, assuring himself that all of his family was safe asleep. Years at sea honed his hearing, and that carried over to his current life, making the soft sobs easy to hear. He knew Caroyn's voice, and her sleep had been tearless for years now. Candy was not there, though after a break up or two, she had sobbed in her sleep, but not as much as the scoundrels who broke her little heart. Martha? No, the voice was soft, young. Ah, Sarah. Recalling the slightly vitriolic tone of the letter regarding her, he concluded there might be something to investigate. Fading into her room, he saw the owl sitting on the window ledge. Nothing chilled his soul like that bird's stare, well not since the ghost ship stole his powers. After staring it down for a moment, he looked at Sarah.
She was muttering in her dreams. Tears shone in the moonlight. "find him . . . thirteen hours . . . forever . . . don't . . . Jareth!"
The last word came out as a whispered scream. She was near to waking, and if she did, Daniel's chance to help would be gone. She was a sweet girl, as Carolyn said, but more importantly, she was dear to someone dearer than anything to himself. Pushing a soothing thought ahead, he sent himself into her dream.
Daniel found himself at a cotillion. Pity he couldn't summon Mrs. Muir. She was a charming dancer. Looking around, he corrected his impression. Not a cotillion, at least not such as he often made for Carolyn. A masked ball. Overhead, a clock loomed menacingly. Something about it was off . . . thirteen hours were on the face. It reminded him of a less than pleasant meeting with Claymore.
But thinking about barnacles did not get anything done, except raising his nonexistant bloodpressure. Looking over the revelling crowd, he spotted Sarah in a second. She was looking around, lost. Should he approach her?
Before he could decide, Daniel was distracted by a movement at the edge of the room. The most outlandish looking not young, not old man was nearing Carolyn's cousin. Had the idiot never met a barber? Perhaps the look was fashionable . . . he'd have to ask Candace at some point, but good heavens, he hoped it wasn't. If that was what young men looked like, he was going to lock Candy in the attic until she was thirty five. Then, his eyes met the dandy's. The owl's eyes. The young man turned to Sarah, whispered something to her, and suddenly, the dream room vanished. Sarah's voice sobbed, "Jareth, I don't want to go."
An English accented voice soothed her. "Don't worry, precious thing. I just have some — kingdom business to attend. Nothing too important. Someone might find themselves in the bog for a bit, if they don't answer correctly," however, the last words were muttered so low that she could not hear them. With a gallant, sad smile, he kissed her forehead. "Do you believe in me yet, dear girl?"
Daniel had never seen eyes as sad as hers. "I know you are just my dream."
Sighing, Jareth said, "Go back to sleep, princess." A Crystal appeared then, exploding in a shower of stars, taking both men out of Sarah's mind.
Daniel found himself in his own attic, watching that Jareth fellow pour a glass of HIS Madeira for each of them.
"So, old son, tell me how you got in Sarah's head, or I'll send you shoulder deep to the bog of Eternal stench. Or, upside down, if I don't like the answer." All this was said with a charming smile.
Taking the glass, mustn't waste a drop, after all, Daniel glared back. "I'll think you to recall that this is my ship, and I don't take stowaways. Who are you, and why shouldn't I toss you to the sharks?"
Jareth's face hardened. "Perhaps you don't know me, yet, so I will excuse your insolence. I am Jareth I, King of the Twelve Fae Realms. Since you can dream walk, that makes you one of my subjects, though I'm not familiar with you."
Captain Gregg was not sure what to make of this. "How does it concern Carolyn's little cousin?"
"I asked first."
Both men were silent, staring each other down. Finally, Jareth sighed. "You must be one of Sarah's kin. Such stubborness must be inherent in her family. Fine. Sarah and I had something of an adventure a while back, but she can't admit it was real, so we are both trapped in a half-life. Your turn."
Captain Gregg scowled. Was it all some modern code talk, like Jonathan and Candy spouted. He'd never forget when Candy, smiling, had yelped "SHUT UP," but not meant pipe down, just that she was flabbergasted.
Well, claiming to be a Fae opened one up for answers like his. "I'm Daniel Gregg, Captain of Gull Cottage, and a ghost. As Captain, if someone's dream sounds disturbed, I can as a ghost, look to see if there is trouble." He shuddered mentally, remembering the mummy incident.
Jareth's mismatched eyes seemed to analyze his words. "And you love Carolyn Muir," he said flatly. "Such a pity . . . always together, but not. If only you could . . . ah . . . touch her hand." His smirk was almost insufferable.
"Aye. If only."
"Seems we are in the same — boat, old son."
"Carolyn believes in me." Daniel's protest was soft, betraying nothing, he thought.
"But — has she always, or were you a dear delusion?"
Could he keep nothing from this Jareth?
"No, you can't." Another crystal appeared in his hands. "All your dreams, Captain. All her dreams. Quite pretty, they are. If only . . . you two are patient, she will be yours, forever. But Sarah is just as much mine as Carolyn is yours. I love her," he admitted in a moment of raw, humble emotion. "And she loves me. But this world, so scientific, tells her she is mad, so she is caught. Look at the ball room, again, friend."
A new crystal showed the empty room. No not empty. In a corner stood a statue of Sarah. "It's the trapped Sarah, the one she reunites with each night to dream of me. " The words were sad. "We met when she was a child. The child can believe in me, but is afraid of my love. The woman needs my love, all my love. But can not believe. She is trapped, as am I. When she entered my world, we were bound heart and soul. Even if I wished to, we could not part. So, we are locked. When two become one in my world, their lifeforces are joined. Ideally, Sarah would become immortal, but in this state, it is more likely to kill us both."
Moved, Daniel asked, "How can I help, lad?"
Jareth paused, considering. "Make her believe. If she can do that, the rest is done." Glancing out, "Sun's coming up. I'd best not leave the goblins alone too long. I won't have a castle left, and I want it perfect. I trust you, Captain. Don't let me down." Though he wanted the words to be a threat, they were a plea.
With that, he was gone. Daniel considered what to do as the sun's pink light washed away the night's dreams. His plan crystalized as Martha began making noises downstairs.
As Carolyn let Scruffy out while Martha set the table, Sarah came down, wrapped in a caftan that reminded the invisible watcher of the ball gown, slightly. Her cousin noted that the circles seemed deeper, the eyes more haunted.
Before good morning could leave Mrs. Muir's mouth, "trust me," flitted through her mind.
Before the three women's startled eyes, the plates were removed from Martha's hands, a fourth one added, and they began to float to the table.
"Captain, what in the blasted seven seas are you doing?" Carolyn sputtered.
"Helping Martha," he said innocently, materializing. "Put another hot cake on the grill, please, Martha." Setting the last china piece down, he brought out a rose for each lady, smiling gallantly.
Carolyn flushed. "This is - Danny Gregg. He's a mag — "
"Ghost, dear lady. The word is ghost, not old spookface, as Claymore claims."
Sarah sat down hard as he finished. "There are more things in heaven and earth, Sarah, than in your dreams."
"Horatio, imagination," Mrs. Muir corrected.
"Shakespeare got it wrong."
She swatted him, and the paper passed through his arm.
Sarah watched, wide eyed as an owl. "You — you are real. You are a ghost. But ghosts are–"
"We are, dear girl. Don't deny the 'crystal clear truth.' It would be . . . such a pity."
Abruptly, she rose. "I'm sorry, Carolyn, but — I — I wish the goblin king would take ME away, right now."
Nothing heralded his appearance, but he was there before the 'W' ended. "Finally, you stubborn girl. Thank you, Captain. Look for your thank you tonight. I always pay my debts." He shot both women a charming smile that completely made them forget his odd hair and strange eyes. Then, he and Sarah both vanished.
"Captain . . . " Carolyn's voice demanded an explanation.
So, he told her about seeing Sarah weeping, entering her dream, and meeting the king. "As my grandmother taught me the golden rule, what else could I do?"
Carolyn nodded, agreeing, though how she'd ever explain this !
That night, there was a grander ball than any dream had ever held, but it was for two couples only. The wedding ball of a king and his princess, officiated by a captain of dreams.
THE END