Feather and Fang
A Labyrinth/Lost Boys Crossover
-o0O0o-
"Hey, hey."
Sarah looked up at the familiar greeting, a tall, lanky man ducking into the room. He wore his usual uniform: blue jeans, a tattered baseball cap, and a white t-shirt that read "Feather and Fang Wildlife Sanctuary". She smiled. "Hey, Jim."
He came up to stand behind her, looking over her shoulder. "What you got going this morning?"
Sarah turned her attention back to her preparations. "Breakfast."
Jim nodded at the containers of insects scattered on the counter and the pile of mush Sarah was creating on the cutting board. "Lookin' good." His hands went to her shoulders, kneading the muscles tense from leaning over. "Listen. You may have a new tenant today. Think you can handle it?"
Sarah made a grateful sound as his hands worked out the knots. "No problem, chief."
"Knew I could count on you." He squeezed her upper arms and pulled back to look at her. "You've got some guns, girl!"
Sarah laughed, moving to pull out the feeding syringes from a drawer under the countertop. "It's all those fifty pound bags you have me lift every day."
"That'll do it." Jim pointed at her. "You're the best."
"You know it."
Sarah smiled to herself as she continued to work, listening to Jim make his morning rounds, checking in with the staff and volunteers. It was going to be a crazy day today. It was always crazy on open house days. But she loved her job.
Making her own rounds, Sarah navigated the cluttered, windowless room, otherwise known as Flight Pod 1, feeding and refilling water for each of the inhabitants. It was the temporary home to variety of birds, and a few bats, until they could be released.
Coming to the end of her daily route, she paused in front of a large cage, a barn owl gazing serenely back at her. Her face lit up. "Good morning, you."
He blinked slowly and gave a small coo in response. Opening the cage door, she tipped his bowl toward her. It was full. She looked at him reproachfully. "You know you have to eat."
She held his gaze a moment longer before giving in and heading to the fridge. Retrieving a paper sack, she grabbed a paring knife from the counter and sunk into the chair next to the cage, crossing one leg beneath her. From the bag, she pulled out a peach, cutting off a small slice and holding it out to him. He ate it eagerly, scooting forward on his perch. Sarah shook her head and offered him another slice. "I don't know what to do with you. Whoever heard of an owl eating peaches? I'm afraid you're not getting enough protein."
He ignored her reprimand, taking each slice as she offered it. When she had given him all he would eat, she set about doing the dishes, leaving the cage door open.
He was such a strange little thing. He'd been here nearly a week, but there didn't seem to be anything physically wrong with him. She had found him one morning outside the sanctuary when she had come in to work, just wandering around the front yard. When she had gone to check on him, he had come right up to her, not the least bit frightened. She looked over her shoulder to find him quietly watching her from his perch. She had tried to release him a few times, but he would just stand there and look up at her with those big soulful eyes. She was really at a loss for what to do. She'd never experienced anything quite like it.
Drying her hands on a towel, she moved across the room, slipping a cassette tape into a large boombox on the counter. She glanced back at the owl still watching her. "How 'bout a little David Bowie today?" She took his silence as assent and pressed play. Pouring herself a cup of coffee as the sounds of "Let's Dance" flowed softly from the speakers, she turned to lean backwards against the counter.
The owl blinked at her a couple of times before he began twisting ever so slightly from side to side. A wide smile split her face and she began to giggle as his sways grew more pronounced, her coffee sloshing dangerously close to the rim.
It was at that moment that Jamie walked in.
Sarah looked up, struggling to get the words out between the giggles. "Look at him! Look how cute he is!"
Jamie leaned against the counter beside her, crossing his arms with a grin. "And now you have him dancing. You are somethin' else."
Sarah shook her head, her giggles subsiding as she continued to watch the large owl, his twists a little smaller now as he eyed the intruder warily. "I didn't do anything. He's just a Bowie fan, apparently."
"What was it you named him, again?"
Sarah had the grace to look ashamed. The number one rule in wildlife rescue was not to get attached. She brought the mug up to her lips in a feeble attempt to smother her next words. "Beany McFluffermuggins." She slid him a glance. "Don't tell Jim."
Jamie laughed, leaning in to whisper conspiratorially. "Your secret's safe with me."
They both looked toward the owl when he let out a low screech, his feathers puffed up in irritation. Jamie's grin widened. "I think he has a crush on you."
Sarah waved a hand. "Don't be silly. He's a bird."
"No, watch." Jamie slid closer, slipping his arm around her shoulder. He laughed when the bird flapped his wings and screeched in protest. "See? Totally crushing."
Sarah grinned. "You're ridiculous." But even as she said the words, she glanced at the bird curiously. He was oddly attached to her.
Jamie slid his other arm around her waist, pulling her so that she was standing in front of him, his arms crossing over her stomach as he rested his chin on her shoulder. He laughed again as the owl made it known that he was not happy. Sarah let her head fall back on his shoulder, inhaling slowly as the butterflies fluttered around in her stomach. He always smelled so good, like suntan oil and vanilla cookies.
As far as Sarah was concerned, Jamie was perfect – charming and fun and all beach boy next door with his sandy blond hair, freckles, and tanned skin stretched over a surfer's build. He was absolutely adorable with his dimples and backwards baseball cap, little wisps of hair sticking out through the hole above the band. The problem with Jamie was that he was also unavailable.
His fiancée, Becca, was the All American Girl – the kind the Beach Boys sung about with her blond hair and blue eyes. She was gorgeous – the bikini body, the pretty face, the dazzling smile. And then add on the rich parents. She was pretty much every girl's worst nightmare. The problem with Becca was that she was actually a nice person and Sarah liked her.
They were just perfect, too perfect, like a real life Barbie and Ken – the California Dreams version. They even had the jeep.
Sarah was the anti-Becca - dark and pale and bookish. She never stood a chance. More than happy to let him hold her any way that he wanted to, Sarah sunk backwards into him and sighed into her coffee. Sometimes life just wasn't fair.
Without warning, Jamie grabbed at her stomach, and Sarah squealed, laughing as she pushed him away. He grinned at her as he backed toward the door. "Morning meeting. You coming?"
"Yeah, I'll be right there."
Setting aside her mug, Sarah moved over to the cage and, slipping on a handling glove, held out her arm for the owl. He climbed onto her forearm, and then inched upwards. Sarah shook her head. "No. You have to stay on my arm if you want out." Apparently undeterred, he moved to the crook of her elbow, and collapsed onto her chest, Sarah wrapping her other arm underneath him to keep him from falling. She sighed through her smile. "You know, you're going to get me in trouble." He only snuggled against her, closing his eyes. Shaking her head, she adjusted her hold and walked out to the reception area.
Spotting Jamie, she moved to stand beside him as they waited for Jim's morning pep talk. Grinning down at the owl, he slid his arm around Sarah's shoulders. The owl narrowed his eyes. Oblivious to the mind games being played by the two males, Sarah slid her free arm around Jamie's waist, leaning her head against his shoulder. Really, a girl had to take what she could get. Feeling a sharp pinch, she jumped.
"Hey!" She pulled at the collar of her t-shirt, spying a small red welt rising along the soft flesh above her bra. She looked at the owl reproachfully as he glared up at her. "That wasn't very nice, Beany." He glared at her a moment longer before letting his head sink back down onto her chest, looking up at her with big pitiful eyes. Sarah sighed, scratching the feathers at the back of his neck.
Jamie shook his head, grinning. "That bird is crushing hard."
Sarah sent him a disapproving glance. "You're not helping."
The rest of the staff and volunteers filed in as Jim moved to the front of the small crowd and up the steps of the entryway. He went through his normal checklist of what to expect and watch out for on open house day, along with reminders about procedure, followed by his routine closing, "And don't forget to pass out the donation cards. Ok, everybody-" he raised his hands "-can I get a 'Go Team', in your inside voices, please?"
Sarah smiled as she chimed in with the chorus, turning to head back to Flight Pod 1.
Jamie called after her. "Chinese for lunch?"
"Sounds good. Around eleven?"
He gave a thumbs up before heading outside where the larger animals were kept. Passing Jim in the hallway, he raised a brow at the owl in her arms, and Sarah mouthed "I know, I know," before escaping through the doorway to avoid further reprimand.
After setting Beany back in his cage, Sarah flipped open the laptop on the counter to log the morning's activities and make notes before the doors opened to the public. She didn't get much farther than opening the spreadsheet file before Jim came into the room holding a fuzzy pocket.
"And here he is – your new tenant. Found this little guy flopping around on the road this morning on my way into work. A little bumped and bruised with a sprained wing, but not too bad off."
Sarah peeked inside the pocket to see a tiny bat. "Oh, isn't he cute!"
"Shouldn't have to keep him for longer than a few days while he recuperates, and he'll be ready to release. You got a place for 'im?"
"Oh, yeah. Right over here." Sarah took the pocket gently, carrying the bat over to a glass aquarium on the counter next to Beany, whom she figured would be a relatively quiet neighbor. She set him down carefully and draped a towel over the top.
Jim turned to leave, pausing with a hand on the doorway. "We'll be ready to Rock 'n Roll in about five minutes. You square?"
Sarah nodded as she adjusted the towel over the aquarium to block out as much light as possible. "I'll be ready."
The morning went by in a rush of activity as families wove in and out of the rooms with kids in tow. Right on schedule, Jamie popped in with a bag of take-out. Sarah handed off the room to another staff member as they broke for lunch, heading out to the picnic tables to meet Liz, a 72-year-old volunteer who seemed to have made it her life's mission to make Jamie blush with her bawdy stories and not-so-subtle innuendos. When Sarah returned, relaxed and smiling, the room was blissfully empty.
Stashing the leftover Chinese in the fridge, she went to check on the bat to make sure he was acclimating without any problems. He had moved out of the pocket and was resting quietly on the towel at the bottom of the aquarium. Beany was dozing on his perch, apparently unfazed by the chaos of the day. Seeing that all was well, she set about preparing another round of food.
Just as she had begun to pull out all the necessary supplies, two men walked into the room, eyeing the inhabitants distrustfully. They seemed to be about her age, one taller with dark floppy hair under a black beret, and the other short with dirty blond hair that hung down in shaggy layers around his shoulders. He had a bandana tied around his forehead. Both seemed to be fresh from battle, dressed in army fatigues and backpacks, complete with various tools and equipment strapped wherever it was possible to strap something. The shorter one even had what appeared to be a Super Soaker dangling from a harness on his belt. She dubbed them Beret and Bandana, thinking her brother would get a kick out of it when she called him later. Maybe they were actors.
Sarah gave them a hesitant smile over her shoulder. "Feel free to look around. I'll be over here preparing their lunch, but just let me know if I can answer any questions."
Bandana grunted in reply without sparing her a glance. She kept an eye on them as they prowled around the room, peering into each of the cages.
After they had made a complete circuit, Bandana turned to her. "Hey," he said gruffly. "Any bats come in here today?"
Sarah glanced over her shoulder. "You're interested in bats? Actually…," she dried her hands on a towel, turning to face them, "…we just had a bat come in this morning with a sprained wing." She walked past them, waving at them to follow as she made her way over to the aquarium. She lifted the towel so they could see inside. "This little guy is having a rest and should be ready to release later this week."
Bandana bent over to get a closer look. The bat hissed and he jumped back, stumbling into Beret who had been leaning over his shoulder. "Shit! Get the stake, man! Get the stake!" He fumbled with the water gun while Beret yanked open the bag on his back and pulled out a large wooden stake.
"Whoa! Hey! What do you think you're doing? You're scaring him!" Sarah moved to stand between the two guys and the aquarium, holding her arms out wide.
Bandana straightened, narrowing his eyes and pointing. "You've got a God-damned blood-sucker in that cage—"
"Step aside," Beret chimed in. "We'll take care of him for ya."
Sarah looked from one to the other. Were they on drugs? "What are you talking about? Who are you guys, anyway?"
"Frogs," they said in unison. Bandana crossed his arms and hooked a thumb at his side-kick. "That's Alan. I'm Edgar." He gave her a once-over. "Who're you?"
"My name's Sarah…but, listen. You guys can't come in here scaring the animals."
"That's no animal, lady," Edgar said.
"Yeah. He might look cute now, but he'll rip your throat out come nightfall," Alan added.
"Seriously, what are you guys talking about?"
They exchanged looks, some sort of silent communication, and were dead serious when they turned back to her and said, "Vampires."
She raised her eyebrows. "Vampires? You're kidding, right? There's no such thing as vampires."
Edgar advanced on her. "You think you know something about vampires? I'll tell you something about vampires, they—" He jumped back when Beany charged the cage with a screech. "Holy shit! What the hell is that?" Inching forward, he eyed the large bird warily. "Night predators. Can't trust 'em. You never know when one will turn on you." He poked at the cage with the business end of his water pistol.
"Okay. You guys need to leave." Sarah shifted slightly to stand between Edgar and the owl, reaching out to touch his arm. He flinched and glared at her. She walked forward, backing them up toward the door.
Edgar paused, raising a finger. "Wait. You're making a big mistake."
She continued to walk forward, causing him to stumble backward into Alan. "Out. Visiting hours are over."
Edgar paused again in the doorway, fixing her with his most menacing glare. "Harboring blood-suckers is a serious offense. You're not only endangering yourself, but everybody in this building. It'll be on your head when he vamps out and goes on a killing spree. I'm talkin' maximum body count. Blood and guts everywhere."
Sarah put an arm on either side of the doorway, forcing them out into the hallway. As an afterthought, she grabbed a card from a stack on the counter and handed it to him. "If you guys really want to do some good, donate to wildlife rescue."
He pressed his lips together as he glanced down at the card, ultimately snatching it out of her hand.
Alan pulled a rolled up magazine from his back pocket and handed it to her over Edgar's shoulder. "At least take this. It just might save your life."
Sarah took it from him, unrolling it to see that it was a comic: Vampires Everywhere. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and instead gave him her most generic smile. "Thanks. I'll put it at the top of my reading list."
He straightened his beret and pointed at the comic. "Our number's on the back, if you need to call us." He smiled slightly, and she thought he might be blushing. "You know, for anything…"
Edgar turned to glare at him, grabbing him by the shirtfront and pulling him down the hall toward the front entrance. They argued the entire way. She caught a few words as they floated back to her above the din of the open house – "girls", "distraction", "higher purpose", and "Plan B". That last had her narrowing her eyes. She'd have to be extra vigilant about making sure someone was always in the room. She'd met some crazies from time to time, something she'd come to expect in Santa Carla, but those guys were in a league of their own.
Sighing, she tossed the comic on the counter and walked over to the aquarium to make sure the little bat wasn't too traumatized. He had crawled back into his pocket, and she readjusted the towel to give him some peace and quiet. She opened the door to Beany's cage, leaning her forehead against the bars as she idly ran her fingers through his feathers. He pressed into her hand with each stroke. "Sorry about that, guys. They're gone now."
The rest of the day passed quickly, busy but uneventful. They'd even had a few hefty donations from some of the visitors, which was a much needed salve on an overstressed budget. The doors closed to the public at 4 p.m., and an hour later most of the staff and volunteers headed home for the night. Sarah poked her head into Jim's office before she left to let him know she'd come back later to check on the bat and the other animals that needed special attention.
Grabbing her purse from the cabinet under the counter, she noticed the comic she'd tossed aside earlier. Shrugging, she slipped into her bag. Flipping off the lights, she walked over to the large owl, running her hand over his head and touching his beak before closing his cage door.
"See you in a few hours, Beany. Sweet dreams."
-o0O0o-
Night had fallen, and the sanctuary was empty save the myriad animals in residence. Most had settled down, the cries and peeps swapped for the soft sounds of sleep. Boots echoed across the linoleum floor, the large cage of the barn owl in Flight Pod 1 open and empty.
The suck of rubber was loud in the small room as Jareth opened the refrigerator door, the interior bulb highlighting his jagged blonde hair and casting his angular features in eerie relief. His jacket sparkled in the yellow light. Spotting the object of his quest, he pulled out a plastic take-out bag and grabbed a can of soda from the shelf in the door. Retrieving a container of rice and a pair of chopsticks, he turned to lean against the counter as he popped the top of the soda. He paused when he saw he wasn't alone.
Across the room, a figure of a man stood out in the shadows, one booted foot propped up on the countertop where he sat. He was dressed all in black, in stark contrast to the paleness of his skin, a tattoo of a red star visible beneath the sleeve of his t-shirt. The towel that had been covering the glass aquarium lay forgotten on the floor.
"I thought so." Jareth sneered. "Run into a bit of trouble?"
The man smirked slightly. "You could say that." He ran a hand through his spikey blonde hair as he rolled his neck, flinching slightly. Retrieving the cigarette tucked behind his ear, he slipped it between his lips and mumbled, "Got a light?"
When it was apparent Jareth wasn't intending to answer, choosing instead to focus on his makeshift dinner, he hopped down, rifling through the drawers until he found what he needed. His face was deathly white, young but ageless, in the glow of the small flame. He inhaled, tucking the lighter in his pocket as he jerked his head toward the door. "You got a thing for that girl?"
Jareth looked up, placing the container on the counter as he regarded the man coolly. "That girl is none of your concern."
He laughed, giving Jareth a once over. "She's not bad. Pretty." He smiled slowly. "Sweet—"
"I would choose my words carefully, if I were you."
His smile faded as he considered the thinly veiled threat. He shrugged, looking over his shoulder and flicking his ash in the sink. "She reminds me of someone." He took another drag, exhaling as he gazed down the dark hallway. He was quiet for a long moment before speaking again. "Not really."
The sound of the front door startled them both and then they were gone, the owl back on his perch in a flutter of wings. Moments later, Sarah walked into the room, humming a song she'd heard on the radio on the way over. She left the lights off as she set her keys on the counter, not wanting to disturb the animals if she could help it. Making her way over to her favorite corner, she stopped short when her feet found the discarded towel.
She bent to pick it up, but paused when she smelled smoke, alarm bells going off in her head. Sarah whirled around and screamed, clamping a hand over mouth as an afterthought. She watched with wide eyes as a man brought a cigarette to his lips, stepping closer to her. Her mind was going off in a million directions at once, the images flickering by so fast that she couldn't focus, couldn't decide what to do, so she just stood there, paralyzed in fear.
"It's Sarah, right?" He smiled. "Got to admire your spirit, Sarah." Pointed fangs flashed white as he reached out to slide a hand along the side of her face. "Even though you were wrong about the vampires."
Behind her, a cage crashed to the floor, and she was pushed sideways into the counter as something large flew past her. Dazed from having the breath knocked out of her, she looked up at the sound of the refrigerator banging loudly against the wall.
"That girl is spoken for," Jareth snarled. "Touch her again, and I will end your pathetic existence."
Sarah felt a little bit like she wanted to scream, a little bit like she wanted to cry, and a little bit of a whole mess of other things that she didn't know what to do with. Her attacker was pinned by the throat against the refrigerator door by none other than the Goblin King.
She inched toward the doorway, her eyes flicking from the empty cage and back to Jareth. "You…you're…the owl…oh my god…how could you?"
Jareth turned at her voice, his features softening. "Sarah…wait—"
"Yes, Sarah. Wait." The vampire licked his fangs and smiled. "Come back."
Tears stung her eyes, and she fumbled blindly for her keys. She felt a flash of relief as her fingers found cold metal, grabbing them and bolting for the front door. She was shaking as she flipped through the keys trying to find the one that would open her car. Ohmygod, ohmygod…this wasn't happening. There is no such thing as vampires. And Jareth. Ohmygod, Jareth. And the owl. And he—
She dropped her keys, cursing as she fell to her hands and knees. Spotting them under the car, she snatched them, shoving the key in the door and crawling inside. What was it those guys called themselves? Frogs? Toads? She started the ignition, one hand on the steering wheel while the other searched her purse for the comic as she tore out of the driveway.
Back in Flight Pod 1, Jareth snarled as he slammed the object of his fury up against the refrigerator, hard. "You've just caused a lot of trouble for me, boy."
"Relax." He raised his hands in surrender and smirked. "Can't take a joke?"
Jareth narrowed his eyes. "You're treading on dangerous ground. You'd be wise to avoid it in the future."
"Must have missed the pissing contest. Sorry about that." Jareth tightened his grip and he grimaced, swallowing roughly. "What'dya say we just forget this ever happened and I'll be on my merry way, huh?"
Jareth eyed him coldly for a long moment before releasing him. Rubbing at his throat, the vampire stepped past him toward the doorway. "I guess I'll just be going, then." He took one last drag of his cigarette, glancing back at Jareth as he dropped it and stamped it out with his boot. He raised an eyebrow and grinned as he turned away, disappearing in the shadows of the hallway.
Jareth leaned back against the counter, conjuring a crystal with a flick of his wrist. In its depths, a bat flew against the current, waves crashing below a jagged cliff face. Flipping the crystal along the back of his hand, the image was replaced by an '85 Ford racing in the other direction. Satisfied that Sarah was in no immediate danger, the crystal vanished with a small pop, traces of glitter drifting to the floor.
Glancing over his shoulder, Jareth reached for the container of rice he had abandoned earlier. Looking down, he grimaced before tossing it back on the counter in disgust. "One thing about Santa Carla I never could stomach – all the damn vampires."
-o0O0o-
Author's Note:
Inspired by a bat flying at my face and watching cute owl videos on youtube. This is not beta-ed at the moment, and also my first time writing characters from the Lost Boys, so if you spot any errors or have any suggestions for improvement, I'd be happy to hear about them. (Thanks, Kat!)
In my imaginary crossover world, vampires can turn into cute tiny bats as well as grotesque bat/human hybrids. And that while having that magical ability to change back and forth complete with clothing and accessories. Since Jareth seems to have that special talent, I thought it was only fair that David did, too. ;) And, yes, that was David. Though I haven't read the follow-up comics to the movie, nor do I consider anything outside of the original movie cannon, I've heard that David was never intended to die, the reason being that the antlers missed his heart.
I haven't quite sold people on the meshing of Labyrinth & Lost Boys yet, so I'm wondering if you think a bona fide crossover (as opposed to the silly bit of silliness that you just read) is actually possible. Can you see it? Can you see the awesomeness of how they could work together or am I really the only one? And if you do it see it – write it! 'Cause I want to read it. :)
Anyway, that's quite enough rambling from me. Thanks for reading! Please, leave a contribution in the little box. :) Constructive criticism is always welcome.
Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth or Lost Boys. I just like to play there.