Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth or Superman
Sarah was encased in darkness once again. But she was aware of her surroundings now, she was dreaming again. She did not panic nor felt any fear when she heard his sigh caress her ear.
"Tell me Sarah," his voice whispered all around her. He was everywhere and nowhere. She whipped around, trying to locate him. But it was so dark. She could not even see her own hand in front of her face.
"Tell me it was just a meaningless flirtation. Tell me you felt nothing for him, nothing at all. Only bring me back," his voice was full of quiet emphasis, and desperation. "Only bring me back to you…"
Her mind was clear and she was somewhat surprised at possessing a depth of understanding for Jareth that she would never have dreamed possible. Somehow she could feel his struggle and the anguish he felt. She sensed that he longed to take back everything he had done. To beg, grovel on his knees even for some kind of forgiveness from her. She also knew that was impossible for Jareth to do.
She felt like weeping bitterly for what had done to Superman. But she kept her tears at bay. "Why?" she whispered into the darkness. "Why did you do it? How could you even bring yourself to do something like that?"
"He was a rival," she heard him whisper from the shadows. "Someone I detested even if he had nothing to do with you."
Sarah considered for a moment, embracing the silence that followed his words. "I can't," she said suddenly. "I can't even think of denying it, Jareth. He means more to me than you will ever know. Even if I don't truly feel he will be anything more than a friend… I still admire and respect him beyond anything else. Perhaps I truly do love him for who and what he is."
Silence followed. Not even a whisper of a sigh. The dream was ending, Sarah could feel it.
"Despite what you think, Jareth... I am not ready for you."
Sarah turned over in her sleep and nestled further into the flannel pillowcase. She awoke suddenly, her eyes flying open at the feel of warm sheets and blankets enveloping her.
Her eyes adjusted wearily as she felt warm sunlight on her face and heard birds singing out in the morning air. Her vision finally cleared after she rubbed her eyes vigorously and found herself in a large loft with a huge window that held a clear blue sky dotted with white clouds. The quiet peace that this place held was almost magical in its simple beauty. The bed she sat up in more than likely added to this scene of contentment, as it was small but soft and warm.
Then she saw Superman, or rather Clark without the glasses in blue jeans and a simple red t-shirt. He sat by in a nearby chair, staring at her. "You're awake," he said as he rose and settled himself next to her on the bed.
Sarah shook her head. She didn't remember coming here, wherever here was.
Clark saw the confusion on her face and smiled. "We're in Kansas. Where I grew up."
She cocked her head at him. "You mean where Clark Kent grew up, right?"
He nodded. "The Fortress of Solitude is a place for Superman, for Kal-El, the name my real father gave me before I came to Earth. Smallville is where my Earth parents found me and raised me as Clark."
Sarah shook her head again and shot up in the bed, suddenly remembering how he had been beaten and humiliated. She nearly shuddered at the memory but she instinctively reached out to Clark. "You're not hurt?"
Clark smiled again. "I'm fine now." His smile faded and he added, "We need to talk."
Sarah nodded and cast her gaze down to her lap, silently complying.
"Not here though," he looked away for a moment. "Why don't you come downstairs for breakfast first?"
Food sounded like heaven to Sarah right now. "Please!" She threw the flannel sheets off and took Clark's hand as he helped her up. He didn't let go of her hand until they reached the kitchen of the farmhouse.
Clark cooked everything for the both of them as his mother was in town picking up supplies for the farm. Sarah watched in amazement as Clark sped across the kitchen with the cooking. She tried to follow his every move but found it impossible to do. She finally laughed aloud when he finished everything in about thirty seconds flat. She then proceeded to clean her plate of pancakes, home fries, bacon, eggs, and nearly drank an entire gallon of orange juice and half a pot of fresh brewed coffee.
"Sorry," she said after finishing. "Guess I was really hungry."
Clark waved it aside. "I think the last meal you had was with me, and that was yesterday morning."
Sarah blinked several times, a thought suddenly coming to her. "You're right. But, why aren't you the Clark I'm accustomed to seeing?"
Clark dumped out the rest of his coffee and rinsed out his mug. "What do you mean?"
"Well, don't take this as offense, but you know… the bumbling, the constant nerves, the glasses even!"
He sighed and rested his hands on the kitchen counter. He looked out the window for a moment, his eyes resting on the blue sky. He finally turned to her, an unreadable expression on his handsome face.
"It's a beautiful morning," he said quietly. "Let's take a walk."
Everything was so different now than it had been before. The sun seemed brighter and warmer, the wind felt softer, she felt more alive here than she had been in so long. The sound of the birds singing and even breakfast today had felt more real than before. Even her clothes felt real against her skin. She heard new noises and looked at everything through the eyes of a child, examining objects of the farm and even the clouds in the sky from all angles.
She gazed upward as they walked lazily into a field of wheat, a wall of corn lay not too far behind them in the distance.
"Have I been here before?" she breathed, more to herself than to Clark.
Clark looked troubled for a moment and ran his hand into his black hair. "There was a time… after I defeated Zod. This was the first place I came to after that." He stopped but he kept his gaze fixed to the horizon. "I could have sworn I saw you here, Sarah. But I could have been dreaming… maybe even delusional from exhaustion." He turned to look at her and found her eyes to be as wide as saucers.
"I have been here before!" She remembered her dream after the battle between Superman and Zod. She slept in the green room at the Academy that night and Jareth had given her that crystal. She laughed quietly but with a hint of uncertainty. "Don't ask me how… just, that I know I have."
He shrugged and shook his head. "I don't doubt you." He paused for a moment. "I believe you."
She was taken aback by the acceptance in his voice. "You… you do?"
"Yes… Sarah," he began quietly, "I need you to tell me everything now."
Sarah was silent for a moment. She turned her eyes back to the Kent farm. The windmill lazily turned in the breeze as the house and its red barn stood perfectly still. She knew who Superman really was now, and who Clark Kent really was. She took a deep breath before she started from the very beginning.
She told him everything and didn't leave any details out. She even told him about the ballroom, which was actually a rather humiliating memory for her. But Clark kept his gaze locked on her the entire time. His expression never changed, his eyes never wavered, he stood perfectly still as she told him everything about the Labyrinth, her friends, Toby, and finally the Goblin King.
When she began to talk about Jareth, Clark noticed something strange in Sarah's countenance. He had seen something like this before. He had felt like this for someone else once. "Wait," he stopped her, holding up a hand. "You mean… him?"
Sarah blushed. "Is it really that obvious?" she thought in dismay.
But she threw her hair in the breeze and looked away. "It doesn't matter anyway," her voice was cold and dismissive, but her heart was aching. She hoped Clark wouldn't be able to see that.
But he did see. "It's not your fault," he said gently. "It's not your fault for what happened. We don't choose who we fall for."
Sarah kept her gaze to the horizon. "I know."
"Is he gone?" He shifted his feet, trying to choose the right words. "I mean, did you really…"
"I don't know," Sarah supplied as best she could. "You never really know with him. He's not dead though, I know that for a fact. He could be waiting to make his next move, or he could have given up completely. But I doubt that too." She turned back to him, the sunlight casting a glow to her face. "As far as I know, he remains in my memory now."
Clark put his hands in his pockets and ducked his head. He kept his eyes lowered even as he spoke. "He was right you know. When you were unconscious, he told me something that I never wanted to acknowledge or even think about becoming."
Sarah furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
"I have thoughts, desires sometimes to be someone who uses my powers for something else. Use the world and the people here for my own advantage… maybe not as far as Zod, but with all the violence and hate I see in the world, maybe taking drastic measures would help change all that. I just thank God everyday that I grew up here," he raised his eyes up to his home. "Otherwise, I don't know what I would have become."
Sarah cocked one eyebrow at him. "So you're not such a boy scout after all?"
A tiny smile creased the line of his mouth as he saw her inner strength and fire returning. "Never even received my first merit badge." He smiled wider at the sound of her laughter. "I use the Clark Kent you see in Metropolis as a cover for Superman. For some reason, the glasses work perfectly as a disguise, even if it's a little ridiculous. But Clark Kent from Smallville is someone I've been for most of my life. Superman is just a red and blue suit I wear." He paused, crossing his arms over his chest. "This is who I really am, Sarah." He finally turned to her, a quiet kind of pride in his eyes. "The boy from Kansas. Plain and simple." He tilted his head to her. "Who are you really? Do you know?"
Sarah blinked and bit her lip at his question. She looked away and sighed deeply. "I'm just an ordinary girl, Clark."
"No you're not," he said gently, despite his impatient words. "You are anything but ordinary. Don't ever forget that."
They stood side by side in silence for a long while, watching the horizon of blue sky and fields of gold wheat. The scene that lay before her was so simple but it was the pure simplicity of the peace that lay here that captivated her.
Sarah inhaled the clean air deeply before she spoke. "I believe there is a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and will allow us to die with pride… even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams…"
She turned back to him, waiting for Clark's response but he only frowned openly. "Don't ever give up on your dreams for how you think things should be or even how they are." His eyes gleamed a brilliant blue as his voice became stronger. "Dreams are what save us. They lift us up and transform us. I dream of a world where honor, dignity, and justice do exist, and I never will stop fighting for that. Ever."
Sarah nodded, taking in his words. His dreams were far larger than she could ever imagine. Hers were simple and paled in comparison. But they were still hers. No one could take them away from her.
She suddenly looked up and ventured, "Clark, you never told me how-"
"We got here?" he finished.
"Right." She put one hand on her hip. "Want to explain that to me now?"
He suddenly looked up skyward. "The sun," he said very simply. "The yellow sun." He looked back at her, but she only raised her eyebrows, silently urging him to continue. "I was born in another galaxy, on a planet with a red sun. When I came here the molecular density of my body adapted, almost too well, to the Earth's yellow sun. That alone gives me my powers and my strength. It took a while, but when I finally graduated from high school I learned to use and control my powers well."
Sarah's mouth formed a silent 'oh', trying to absorb the information.
"I wanted to come here, since you know me as Clark Kent now. This morning you passed out after he disappeared, and when the sun finally came out, my powers came back as if nothing had happened. Simple as that…"
Suddenly, Sarah took a step back and raked both of her hands through her hair. The dream… the dream she had with the mirror. There were two knobs – a crescent moon and a sun. One symbolized Jareth because of the pendant he always wore, and the other Superman. They were both as different as night and day, and she loved both equally yet differently as well.
She sighed deeply, getting as much of the clean, Kansas air as she could. Clark was right. Just because she loved a man didn't mean she would have to give anything for him. She almost considered becoming a Goblin Queen once before, but now the thought of it made her shudder. But only because she nearly gave up on her life here on Earth. There was still so much she needed and more importantly, wanted to do as Sarah Williams. She was ready for a new life outside of Metropolis, but very far away from the Underground… away from Jareth.
Sarah touched Clark's arm lovingly, feeling his skin and the muscles underneath her fingers. She let her hand linger and smiled up at him, her eyes gleaming in the golden sunshine. He did the same, but it was a sad smile. He knew what she had to do once they returned to the city.
"I never believed in magic," he murmured, "until I met you."
Her smile widened as she jumped into his arms to embrace him. He wrapped his arms around her and held onto her for all he was worth. He would have begged her to stay in Metropolis. But it wouldn't have been fair to her. He had to let her go. But right now he savored this brief moment of happiness they shared. He held it in his heart like a precious jewel. He knew he'd never know love as long as he was Superman or even Clark Kent. But he knew tenderness, happiness and joy when he was with Sarah. She let him smell the sweetness of her hair and the feel the softness of her skin before he slowly, reluctantly let her go.
She pulled away from him only to look up into his blue eyes. She smiled before she said, "As long as the world keeps turning Superman, your secret is safe with me."
Professor Lambie shifted through his papers absently at his desk, adjusting his half-moon spectacles every now and again. When he heard a knock at his office door, he bid them enter without looking up. When he heard his visitor slide into the room and shut the door behind him, he finally looked up and his breath caught in his throat in shock. Superman was the last person he expected to have in his office.
Superman smiled and nodded at the man sitting at his desk. "Good afternoon, Professor." His smile only added to the brilliance of his red and blue suit, which stood as a great contrast to the white walls and clutter of his office.
"Superman!" Professor Lambie exclaimed, jumping out of his creaky leather chair. "This is a surprise! Won't you have a seat?" He gestured toward the chair opposite his.
Superman held up his hand graciously. "No thank you, I can only stay for a little while. I'm here on behalf of Sarah Williams."
The Professor tilted his head. "Sarah?" He blinked and then nodded, remembering. "That's right, she wasn't in any of her classes this morning. I thought for sure she would be."
"Unfortunately," Superman began, "she ran into a bit of trouble last night. I'll leave out the details, but I took the liberty of taking her to the hospital."
"Oh my! Is she alright?"
"She's fine. She's resting now. I expect she'll be back at her apartment this afternoon. But if it's all the same with you, she'll need to take the rest of the day off."
Professor Lambie was not one to argue with an emergency situation involving one of his students. Especially if it involved Superman as well. "Of course, of course. That's fine. I'm just grateful she's alright. I'll send one of my students to check up on her later today."
"Thank you, that's kind of you. She also wanted me to tell you that she's sorry she missed her classes this morning and she will be back to finish her term starting tomorrow."
Professor Lambie waved it aside and sat back down in his chair with a heavy sigh. "She's a wonderful actress and a dedicated student. I have been worried about her these past few days, but I think she will come through. Unfortunately, if anyone else came in here besides you I would definitely have my doubts." He rested his hands on his burly chest as he was accustomed to do. "But I trust your judgment, Superman. Thank you, it was good of you to come here personally to tell me of her situation. I hope whatever it was doesn't deter her..." He held up his hands apologetically. "Forgive me, I assume too much. She probably didn't tell you she's relocating."
Superman flinched. "No. She did." A flicker of emotion passed through his striking features.
Professor Lambie had been an actor once, he knew the difference between acting and genuine affection. A long moment of silence passed between them as they each regarded each other. But the Professor was the first to speak.
"She's an extraordinary girl, isn't she?" he asked Superman.
Superman looked away and tightened his jaw, his eyes suddenly darkened with longing, and equal admiration. "Yes, she is."
He turned his gaze back to the Professor sitting at his desk, a knowing and passive look on the older man's face.
Superman nodded his head slightly and said, "Thank you, Professor. Have a nice day." He turned on his heel, opened the door, and walked out without another word, his red cape swaying behind him.
Professor Lambie sighed again and shook his head. Sarah was indeed an exceptional young woman. Besides her peers, her professors, and her audience; it seemed now she received the attention of the Man of Steel himself. Simply exceptional and extraordinary…
"Incredible," he muttered under his breath as he returned to his papers.
Sarah sighed deeply as she placed several books inside a cardboard box. Pushing it aside, she grabbed another piece of cardboard and proceeded to put it together to make another box for packing. She wanted out of Metropolis as soon as possible. As soon as her last play was over anyway.
She had played Beatrice before when her high school put on 'Much Ado About Nothing'. Playing her again would not be so hard.
The thought of Superman going to her Professor on her behalf brought a smile to her weary face. She needed today to freshen up and rest, and tomorrow she would return tomorrow to finish her rehearsals and then continue to pack until performance day came.
A soft knock startled her from her thoughts. Usually the only visitors that had come here to her apartment would either fly up to her window or simply appear out of thin air. She was almost relieved to hear a knock at her door this time.
She rose from her sitting position on the wooden floor and stretched before she made her way over to the door, unlocked it, and opened it hesitantly. She threw it open when she saw her friend, Richard grinning at her from the hallway.
"Hey! You're alive!" he exclaimed, throwing up his hands.
She laughed softly and stepped aside, letting him enter. "I'm alive, Richard. How are you doing?"
Richard shrugged. "Can't complain." He stepped into her apartment and stopped midway through when he noticed the half-empty apartment and the cardboard boxes that were placed sporadically here and there. "Wait…" He turned to look at her as she shut the door quietly behind her. "You're packing already? You've already chosen a theater?"
Sarah crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows at his question. Apparently word had gotten out about her 'offer'.
"Sorry," he smiled apologetically. "Lambie let it slip today. He actually sent me over to check on you. But it looks like you're doing okay."
"I'm a lot better, thanks. I'm actually going back home after the play though. I haven't decided on a theater company yet." She began to brush past him, but stopped when she noticed a rolled up newspaper in his hand. "Oh, look!" She gestured toward it. "You brought packing material anyway." She smiled and made her way back into her living room.
"Actually," he said, following her, "I picked this up today and thought you might want to see this."
She began to file through her script in case he wanted to go through some lines tonight. He was to play Claudio. "What is it?" she asked indifferently.
He held the copy of the Daily Planet out to her. "I thought you might want to choose another city besides Gotham. Bad stuff going on over there."
She took it hesitantly, remembering who was a reporter there. "What do you mean?"
"Look at the front page."
She did as she was told and unfolded it to read the large headline, 'Batman Saves Gotham'. She blinked and furrowed her eyebrows in utter confusion. "Who? What is this?"
He snatched the paper from her. "Christ! You don't know!"
She was a bit taken aback at his impatient response. "Know what? What's this Batman?"
"Not what, who. The Batman is a person who's been dressing up and cleaning up Gotham City. Apparently he's been pulling a couple of Supermans and this is his latest good deed for his city."
Sarah threw her hands up and rolled her eyes. "Guess I'm not going to Gotham!" She sighed and sat at her window bench. "The last thing I need is someone else who dresses up in a suit."
Richard sat next to her. "You haven't even heard of him?"
She huffed. "I've been a little busy."
"You haven't been around."
"No, I haven't."
"No Sarah," his voice was harsh, and caused Sarah to look up with wide eyes. "You haven't been around up here," Richard tapped his forehead. "You're a great actress and a good person, and as a friend I'm telling you - you need to get your act together. Literally. Focus on your art, your talent…" his voice and his face softened in open concern. "Don't throw it away for someone else. You need to do what's best for you. You might not know it now, but in the long run you'll thank me." He smiled sarcastically at giving credit to himself.
She pushed him playfully, remembering he had once told her it was obvious she was falling in love and everyone at the Academy had noticed. "Thanks," she muttered. "I guess that's why I want to go home first… figure things out before I make another big move." She sighed again. "I need to get away and get my head straight, you know?"
Richard nodded. "I know." He placed a hand on her back and rubbed it reassuringly. "You'll figure things out, I know you will."
Sarah didn't reply. She only tucked her hair behind her ears and sat next to Richard in friendly silence. They sat like that for a few moments, each enjoying the company of the other, until Richard broke the silence when he opened the paper again to another section.
"Well," he said, "there's the Batman and then this guy who burns down his home…" he pointed to a photograph of the ruins of a once magnificent estate, "billionaire Bruce Wayne, who by the way was thought to be dead, got completely blitzed and then burned his home. Can you imagine? Not even a home, but a mansion! A mansion that's been in his family for about six generations. Unreal..."
Sarah took a glance at it, but didn't pay it much mind. Obviously, Gotham City was a bag full of nuts. Wasn't Arkham Asylum there? She thought she remembered her father telling her that once. But she paid that no mind, either. Right now, she had other things to worry about. Like trying to persuade Richard to help her pack, or even go over some lines with her…
"Oh, and check this out!" Richard suddenly exclaimed. He turned over the newspaper almost excitedly until he came to a small box tucked away in one of the last pages. "Astronomers said they found a new planet!" He flattened out the paper with a quick jerk and held it out for Sarah to see. She actually feigned an interest this time because she knew how much Richard was into astronomy. "It doesn't say what or even where it is actually. But they did find the precise coordinates, it's in the neighboring galaxy of course… but they think it may have even had its own sun!"
Sarah suddenly grabbed the paper. "Let me see." She scanned through the article. It was small as the evidence scientists had were very minimal. But it was true. STAR Labs had indeed found a new planet with its own sun. Sarah read on and her heart skipped a beat when the scientists found that the sun may in fact be a red sun.
Sarah let the paper drop to her lap. She stared at it for a long time. The astronomers and scientists didn't know for sure what it was. But somehow, she did.
It was Krypton.
AN: Besides some of the technicalities that some people pointed out, I don't apologize for anything from the last chapter. That's how I wanted this story to go and I think this chapter continues in that direction. Take it or leave it, but I personally love this chapter, I was on a roll with this one and I'm really happy with it. As another side note has anyone seen Waking the Dead? Jennifer Connelly as Sarah Williams... weird! Thank you for some of the recent kind words as well. Really brightened my day and actually touched my heart. Thank you again.
We're almost done...
Shalom y Amor