The Labyrinth of London
A Sherlock/Labyrinth Crossover
Cause Baby It's Hot Outside
Inspired By
"The Thin White Sleuth…"
By
Pika-la-Cynique
The Almighty Disclaimer
Oh Moffat and Gatiss,
Henson and Doyle,
To you belongs all the characters
And none so for me!
Summary: It is among the hottest days of the year in London, and Jareth is being stubborn about needing to wear a full suit, even if it did make him pass out. One shot. Part of The Labyrinth of London. Between chapters 2 and 3 of "The Babe with the Power"
A/N: This story was inspired by "The Thin White Sleuth..." by Pika-la-Cynique of Girls Next Door fame.
*hands out buckets* Yes, Jareth will be shirtless in this fic. I don't want you slipping on your drool, dear readers.
&%&%&%
All of the windows in 221 Baker Street were wide open and every single fan that could reasonably fit into 221a and 221b without short-circuiting the electricity were on full blast. "I am so sorry that the a/c went out," Mrs. Hudson said as she passed cups of lemonade.
"It's not your fault, Mrs. Hudson," Sarah said. She was sprawled on the floor wearing a yellow camisole and shorts that hit her mid-thigh. (Sarah was impressed at Jareth's limited lustful looks. It was the most skin she had ever shown him in the entire time she had stayed at 221b.)
"I am fine Mrs. Hudson," Jareth said, waving away the lemonade as he lay on the sofa.
"How are not even sweating? You are wearing a three piece suit for crying out loud," Sarah asked.
"Because, as always, life isn't fair," Jareth said.
"Shut up," Sarah said, sitting up to drink her lemonade.
"He's been like this since I have known him. Unless he is wearing a disguise, he is always wearing some snazzy suit or other," Mrs. Hudson said, taking a breather in "Jareth's" chair.
"The word 'snazzy' is not used often enough," Sarah said, "Mrs. Hudson would agree that since Jareth is the best dressed of all of us he should get us ice cream?"
"That sounds like a marvelous idea, Sarah," Mrs. Hudson said with a small laugh.
Jareth groaned.
"Just go do it, Jareth. You threatened to punch a guy because he glanced at me when I was wearing a skirt that hit my knees," Sarah said.
With another groan, Jareth nodded. He stood up and immediately collapsed.
&%&%&%
Jareth woke up in St. Bartholomew's Hospital (the only place that a member of the Fair Folk could be healed). He was hooked up to an IV. Sarah was sitting in a chair next to his hospital bed, glaring at him.
"Why am I here?" Jareth asked.
"Because I can only fix things in a person's body if the materials are already in the body. You know, there are a lot of signs that you are getting dehydrated you idiot," Sarah growled.
Jareth shrugged. "I have never had this problem before once I was of age."
Sarah glanced around and covertly pulled out a cup of ice from her purse. "You can suck on one of these. You really aren't supposed to, but you will whine to me about being so thirsty, even if your body is getting rehydrated."
Jareth nodded and sat up as much as he could. Sarah supported his neck and gently brought the cup to his lips. When he had one chunk of ice in his mouth, Sarah pulled away and hid the ice again.
"I am sorry I worried you precious," Jareth said, cheeking the ice for a moment before sucking on it again.
"You should have been drinking more water and not have been wearing a stinking suit."
"I look good in a suit. Even you think so."
"Do you really think you look good in a hospital gown?"
Jareth looked down and horror covered his face. "Burn it," he said. (Sarah would later say it was a squeak, but Jareth would deny this.)
Sarah repeated the earlier procedure of giving ice before speaking again. "Maybe we could go to a pool or…"
"NO!" Jareth said a bit too loudly.
Sarah held up one of her hands. "Good grief! I am sure you would look good in a bathing suit too if your vanity is going to get in the way!"
Jareth calmed down and glared at Sarah. "We are not going to a pool, Sarah."
"Oh. Well… I didn't think about Moriarty and how…"
"It isn't about that bloody brat," Jareth said.
"How about the beach? I've never been to the North Sea and…"
"We are not going to any sort of body of water even if we visit Nessie!"
"Nessie is real? Sorry, off topic. What is the problem with water?"
Jareth glared. "I do not have a problem with water. We have a mutual dislike of each other."
Sarah resisted a smile. "It wouldn't happen to be similar to my dislike of heights, would it?"
Jareth looked away. "My easiest animal form is an owl. Just like owls, it is not natural for me to go swimming."
"When was the last time you went swimming?"
Jareth made a calculation in his head. "Hmmm… Christiana was five so…"
"You haven't gone swimming in a couple hundred years than?"
"… No."
"You are missing out."
"I doubt it."
Sarah smirked and leaned close to Jareth. She whispered in a low tone, "Not even to see me in my red bathing suit."
Jareth gulped and his heart rate monitor went up some. "I could be persuaded," he said hoarsely.
Sarah stood back and patted Jareth's head. "Good goblin. I'll go to the top of St. Paul's like you keep begging me to do if we go swimming. I won't toss you into the deep end, I promise. Shake on it?"
They did, but Sarah placed her hand on Jareth's wrist and looked at a necklace that was wrapped around his wrist. It had a black cross pendant on it. "How are you not on fire?"
"It was not blessed to protect against the Fair Folk. Besides, it is my mother's. It's part of a rosary. My sister has the beads. It's the only thing we have left of hers."
"Aw. That's so sweet," Sarah said sincerely.
Jareth gave a smile without humor. "Or pathetic."
"No, it's sweet. Why haven't I seen it before?"
"You have. Just not recently. I generally keep it private."
Sarah thought for a moment. "Nothing is coming to mind. You haven't worn jewelry like that since my run and… oh. The Ball."
"Yes. It was important to me, the only object important to me besides my Goblin King crest. It would have been my Fae favor to you."
Sarah released Jareth's wrist and rubbed her arms as if she was suddenly cold. "I should get a nurse to see if you can leave soon." She nearly ran out of the room.
&%&%&%
"How big is your house Sherlock?" Sarah asked as she stood outside a massive mansion.
"It isn't my house. It's the Holmes' estate. My brother is out of the country at the moment. I sometimes like to put things just the slightest bit off to mess with him," Sherlock said as the main doors were opened by a servant for the small group.
"How bloody rich are you?" John asked.
"I am not rich," Sherlock said.
"The family is rich, Doctor Watson," Jareth said.
Sarah rolled her eyes. "The pool is in the back?"
"Would you prefer the indoor or the outdoor?" Sherlock asked.
"Outdoor. All of us look paler than ghosts," Sarah said.
"I am a creature of darkness Sarah," Jareth said.
Sarah threw a beach towel over her shoulders and began flapping it like wings. "AND I AM THE TERROR THAT FLAPS IN THE NIGHT! I AM DARKWING DUCK!"
There was a universal look of "Sarah has lost her mind". Sarah sighed. "Am I the only one who watched television as a child?"
"Apparently," Sherlock said.
&%&%&%
"Wait, you are going to rub lotion all over my back?" Jareth asked.
Sarah nodded politely. Jareth quickly did a jump turn. Sarah nonchalantly drizzled sun screen she had stuck in the freezer all over Jareth's back and then ran away as fast as she could as he squealed higher than a two-year-old girl.
&%&%&%
Jareth strutted back and forth by the pool as Sarah casually floated in the deep end. "I will have my revenge," Jareth said.
"Not for a little bit," Sarah said, "I can't remember the last time I had a day off when I wasn't dealing with a case or babysitting."
Jareth sat at the shallow end's edge, legs crossed. Sarah swam over to him, keeping a little distance between them.
"I was expecting something a bit more… risqué," Jareth said, motioning to Sarah.
"You are the one with the dirty mind, not me." Sarah wore a fifties pin-up girl swimsuit top and men's' swim trunks, both in red.
Jareth shrugged. "Trust me; you become more perverted with age."
Sarah smiled and moved to rest her arms and head next to Jareth. "Thanks for coming."
"You did bribe me with you in a bathing suit and fantastic views, but alas, not together."
"You know, there is a very devious reason why I were men's bathing suits."
"And why is that precious?" Jareth asked.
"Pockets," Sarah said.
She did a quick draw with a water gun hidden in a pocket and she squirted Jareth's bare chest. Sarah tried to move away but Jareth slid into the water and quickly caught up with Sarah. Jareth grabbed her around the waist and started dragging her towards the deep end. He stopped when he reached a few inches above his waist and tossed Sarah.
After a moment under the water, Sarah burst up and half- tackled Jareth, causing him to be temporarily off balance. She clung to him and laughed. She gently patted his back, avoiding the long scars. Jareth never talked about the scars and Sarah was not going to bring up a subject as long as he did not bring up the subject of the scars on her back.
"They don't hurt," Jareth mumbled into Sarah's wet hair.
"You will tell me if they did hurt, wouldn't you? I could help if you need some healing," Sarah said.
"You do plenty enough, precious," Jareth said.
"As much as I would hate to end your snog fest, I do believe we have some business to attend," Sherlock said from outside the pool.
Sarah and Jareth looked up and saw Sherlock carrying a water gun the length of his arm. "I think someone is compensating," Sarah whispered to Jareth.
Jareth received a water balloon to the back of the head. Sherlock squirted water at Sarah's face. John came out from behind some deck chairs with a messenger bag full of water balloons. There was a great battle waged at the Holmes' outdoor pool that eventually included goblins with giant water balloon slingshots. There were several makeshift sword fights with pool noodles and several goblins started playing sharks and minnows until a goblin decided to use a little magic to make a real shark show up. The Goblin King was none too pleased to be called in to rescue the poor baby shark from the chlorine pool. (The shark made a full recovery and had stories to tell the other sharks for many years to come.)
By the end of the day, everyone was pleasantly exhausted and smelling of too much chlorine. On the train back to London, Sarah and Jareth fell asleep on the train, nestled together and completely content with the events of the day.
&%&%&%
A/N: I really needed some fluff. And angst. I really needed fluffy angst. I needed to write or go insane.
I was always rather confused over why a Fae would have a pendant that could kill him. This is my explanation. Also, it will come in handy later in the series…