Chapter Five: Grapes and Whine
Calliope blinked her violet eyes and looked around her. They were standing outside what looked like a cottage with grape vines growing all around it. Even though it was the middle of winter, large grape clusters weighed down the vines. She reached up and plucked a grape, popping it into her mouth. After a moment, she nodded.
"This is Olympus."
Caillean looked over at the Muse. "Oh... so *this* must be what you and Stephan were planning. To pretend Zeus abducted me." She watched a blush creep up her friend's neck. "I'll admit making it seem like Olympus is a nice touch, Stephan, but really." She walked up to the front door and grabbed the handle.
"What are you doing?" Stephan ran forward and grabbed her arm before she could open the door.
"Scared at what we'll find?"
Jareth noticed the look of challenge in her stormy eyes. He also noticed the look of pure fear on his brother's face. "Stephan may have a point, you know."
"How?" Now the defiant gaze turned on the Goblin King. "It's not like they can see us." With that, she opened the door, stepping into the house.
Calliope and the brothers exchanged a look. "I guess we had better follow her."
Stephan, now beet red, shook his head. "I still don't think this is a good idea."
Past and Present smiled. Future shook his head and laughed. "The future is what you make of it. This is just one possibility."
"Now *that* sounds more like Dickens." Jareth smiled and followed Calliope into the house.
The scene that met them was shocking, to say the least. Caillean - the future Caillean - lounged on a chaise clothed in diaphanous robes of green. Stephan averted his eyes. Jareth couldn't help but stare. Calliope looked at her friend in something akin to anger. Caillean just blushed brighter than her hair. Then, she shot an accusing look at Stephan.
"I... ah... I think I'm going to go outside for a moment."
Jareth frowned deeply at his brother. "I'll go with you."
They left the two women in the room, staring incredulously at the future Caillean. "You knew about the prank."
"Yes." Calliope hung her head.
"You helped *plan* the damned thing."
"Yes."
"You made me look like an idiot just so you could spend a little time with Stephan!"
Calliope lifted her hands. "Now, I wouldn't go that far."
"Where are you, wench?"
The bellowing voice startled both women. "What was that?" Caillean asked.
The Muse's eyes widened. "It's Zeus."
"You mean Stephan." Caillean smiled as she watched her double stand up from the couch. Okay, maybe the gown was a bit sheer. She would have to have a discussion with Stephan about that one. Zeus stormed into the room.
"Ah, there you are my pretty little thing. How are you enjoying my cottage of love?"
"Marvelous, your kingliness." The Future-Caillean simpered. "I absolutely *adore* this gown."
Caillean giggled. "I'm so obvious."
"Um... Caillean?" Calliope tapped her shoulder.
Caillean turned away from watching her own bad theatrics and regarded the Muse, who seemed to have a very deer-in-the-headlights kind of look about her.
"What?"
"That's really Zeus."
* * * * *
"I think you have even more explaining to do, brother." Jareth nearly growled at his sibling. "To think you would dress her in such... such..."
" I certainly didn't plan on doing that. Maybe I did it to keep her from being suspicious. You know I would never..." At the look on his brother's face, he stopped. "Maybe you don't. But I wouldn't." He suddenly smiled. "I recognized that look Jareth. I think you blushed."
"I most certainly did! For her own modesty!"
"Oh please. When is the last time you ever admitted to feeling sorry for a woman? Especially one who's half clothed?" Stephan stopped, and smiled evilly. "Especially Caillean, half clothed."
"I'm going back in there. We have seen enough." He walked back to the door.
"Not nearly." Stephan couldn't help saying it.
Laughing at the way Jareth's back straightened; he followed him into the house.
* * * * *
"Why is Stephan standing in the doorway?" Caillean looked across the room, puzzled as the man walked in. "I thought he was outside."
"Aren't you listening to me?" The muse was practically frantic. "That's really Zeus!!!"
Caillean shot her a dirty look. "Oh do shut up! Don't you think you've meddled enough? Besides, why would I *possibly* believe you now?"
"But I'm telling the truth. I know Zeus and THAT'S REALLY HIM!!!"
The redhead rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh, yeah."
"But..."
"Ladies, ladies, can we break it up here?" The King of the Fey stepped between the two women.
Wait a minute.
The King of the Fey?
Caillean did a quick double take. Yes, Stephan was standing right in front of her, holding her arm. And over there, another Stephan was standing in the doorway. That meant...
"Oh hell."
"I *told* you it was the real Zeus!"
Jareth looked confusedly at the two women. "What?"
Calliope sighed. "Stephan didn't kidnap her. That man," she pointed at the King of the Gods, "isn't you! And Caillean is in real danger if we don't figure something out - and fast!"
* * * * *
Future-Caillean smirked as Zeus left the room. If Calliope and Stephan could only see her now...
"Psst!"
She frowned at the interruption. "Who's there?"
A rather sheepish looking Fey King emerged from a doorway off to her left.
"Stephan!" she hissed. "What are you doing here?"
"Saving you, I suppose. Caillean, look, don't ask me why, but you've got to get out of here! Now!"
"Oh really? And why would that be?"
Stephan cringed. "Right, well, Calliope and I sort of planned this, you being kidnapped by Zeus. Only I was supposed to be playing Zeus -"
"I know."
"But somehow - you know?"
Caillean smiled. "Jareth and I overheard your plans."
The Fey King managed to look both relieved and frantic. "But something went wrong and that's really Zeus!"
"Oh right! Like I'm supposed to believe that!" She laughed. "I'm truly impressed, Stephan. You're a much better actor that I would have thought."
"WHO IS THIS?!?"
Caillean jumped at the voice. Slowly, she turned to face a glowering King of the Gods. "Nice trick, Stephan! And who is this, one of your fairy-folk?"
Zeus frowned. "Foolish girl, I am the Zeus, King of the Gods and ruler of this land!"
"Uh-huh, yeah. And I'm the Goddess of Wisdom."
* * * * *
Present-Calliope cringed. "Y'know, sometimes I think *you* should have been the blond one!"
Caillean looked indignant. "What do you mean by that?!"
"Athena's his favorite daughter. Think about it."
"Oh." Caillean sighed. "I never could keep your family straight."
* * * * *
"You dare make a mockery of my daughter?" Zeus thundered, his face turning an unhealthy shade of red.
Future-Caillean looked unsure. "Stephan...?"
"Yes?"
"You were telling the truth, weren't you?"
The Fey King sighed. "Yep."
"Oh dear." Caillean said in a small voice. "This could be bad."
* * * * *
"Do something!!!" Caillean gripped Calliope's arm, frantically pointing at the scene that was unfolding before them.
"Like what? We're powerless here!"
"Dammit, this is entirely your fault!"
"It is not her fault, Caillean, be a bit more forgiving." Jareth said
"Excuse me, oh high and mighty? It most certainly WAS her fault!"
Calliope let out an indignant squeak. "How so? It was Stephan's idea!"
"At your suggestion, I'm sure."
Stephan broke in. "Look!" He said, pointing at the future. "It's Jareth."
The four watched with bated breath as the (Once and) Future Goblin King stealthily crept up behind the fuming god.
* * * * *
Calliope blinked her violet eyes and looked around her. They were standing outside what looked like a cottage with grape vines growing all around it. Even though it was the middle of winter, large grape clusters weighed down the vines. She reached up and plucked a grape, popping it into her mouth. After a moment, she nodded.
"This is Olympus."
Caillean looked over at the Muse. "Oh... so *this* must be what you and Stephan were planning. To pretend Zeus abducted me." She watched a blush creep up her friend's neck. "I'll admit making it seem like Olympus is a nice touch, Stephan, but really." She walked up to the front door and grabbed the handle.
"What are you doing?" Stephan ran forward and grabbed her arm before she could open the door.
"Scared at what we'll find?"
Jareth noticed the look of challenge in her stormy eyes. He also noticed the look of pure fear on his brother's face. "Stephan may have a point, you know."
"How?" Now the defiant gaze turned on the Goblin King. "It's not like they can see us." With that, she opened the door, stepping into the house.
Calliope and the brothers exchanged a look. "I guess we had better follow her."
Stephan, now beet red, shook his head. "I still don't think this is a good idea."
Past and Present smiled. Future shook his head and laughed. "The future is what you make of it. This is just one possibility."
"Now *that* sounds more like Dickens." Jareth smiled and followed Calliope into the house.
The scene that met them was shocking, to say the least. Caillean - the future Caillean - lounged on a chaise clothed in diaphanous robes of green. Stephan averted his eyes. Jareth couldn't help but stare. Calliope looked at her friend in something akin to anger. Caillean just blushed brighter than her hair. Then, she shot an accusing look at Stephan.
"I... ah... I think I'm going to go outside for a moment."
Jareth frowned deeply at his brother. "I'll go with you."
They left the two women in the room, staring incredulously at the future Caillean. "You knew about the prank."
"Yes." Calliope hung her head.
"You helped *plan* the damned thing."
"Yes."
"You made me look like an idiot just so you could spend a little time with Stephan!"
Calliope lifted her hands. "Now, I wouldn't go that far."
"Where are you, wench?"
The bellowing voice startled both women. "What was that?" Caillean asked.
The Muse's eyes widened. "It's Zeus."
"You mean Stephan." Caillean smiled as she watched her double stand up from the couch. Okay, maybe the gown was a bit sheer. She would have to have a discussion with Stephan about that one. Zeus stormed into the room.
"Ah, there you are my pretty little thing. How are you enjoying my cottage of love?"
"Marvelous, your kingliness." The Future-Caillean simpered. "I absolutely *adore* this gown."
Caillean giggled. "I'm so obvious."
"Um... Caillean?" Calliope tapped her shoulder.
Caillean turned away from watching her own bad theatrics and regarded the Muse, who seemed to have a very deer-in-the-headlights kind of look about her.
"What?"
"That's really Zeus."
* * * * *
"I think you have even more explaining to do, brother." Jareth nearly growled at his sibling. "To think you would dress her in such... such..."
" I certainly didn't plan on doing that. Maybe I did it to keep her from being suspicious. You know I would never..." At the look on his brother's face, he stopped. "Maybe you don't. But I wouldn't." He suddenly smiled. "I recognized that look Jareth. I think you blushed."
"I most certainly did! For her own modesty!"
"Oh please. When is the last time you ever admitted to feeling sorry for a woman? Especially one who's half clothed?" Stephan stopped, and smiled evilly. "Especially Caillean, half clothed."
"I'm going back in there. We have seen enough." He walked back to the door.
"Not nearly." Stephan couldn't help saying it.
Laughing at the way Jareth's back straightened; he followed him into the house.
* * * * *
"Why is Stephan standing in the doorway?" Caillean looked across the room, puzzled as the man walked in. "I thought he was outside."
"Aren't you listening to me?" The muse was practically frantic. "That's really Zeus!!!"
Caillean shot her a dirty look. "Oh do shut up! Don't you think you've meddled enough? Besides, why would I *possibly* believe you now?"
"But I'm telling the truth. I know Zeus and THAT'S REALLY HIM!!!"
The redhead rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh, yeah."
"But..."
"Ladies, ladies, can we break it up here?" The King of the Fey stepped between the two women.
Wait a minute.
The King of the Fey?
Caillean did a quick double take. Yes, Stephan was standing right in front of her, holding her arm. And over there, another Stephan was standing in the doorway. That meant...
"Oh hell."
"I *told* you it was the real Zeus!"
Jareth looked confusedly at the two women. "What?"
Calliope sighed. "Stephan didn't kidnap her. That man," she pointed at the King of the Gods, "isn't you! And Caillean is in real danger if we don't figure something out - and fast!"
* * * * *
Future-Caillean smirked as Zeus left the room. If Calliope and Stephan could only see her now...
"Psst!"
She frowned at the interruption. "Who's there?"
A rather sheepish looking Fey King emerged from a doorway off to her left.
"Stephan!" she hissed. "What are you doing here?"
"Saving you, I suppose. Caillean, look, don't ask me why, but you've got to get out of here! Now!"
"Oh really? And why would that be?"
Stephan cringed. "Right, well, Calliope and I sort of planned this, you being kidnapped by Zeus. Only I was supposed to be playing Zeus -"
"I know."
"But somehow - you know?"
Caillean smiled. "Jareth and I overheard your plans."
The Fey King managed to look both relieved and frantic. "But something went wrong and that's really Zeus!"
"Oh right! Like I'm supposed to believe that!" She laughed. "I'm truly impressed, Stephan. You're a much better actor that I would have thought."
"WHO IS THIS?!?"
Caillean jumped at the voice. Slowly, she turned to face a glowering King of the Gods. "Nice trick, Stephan! And who is this, one of your fairy-folk?"
Zeus frowned. "Foolish girl, I am the Zeus, King of the Gods and ruler of this land!"
"Uh-huh, yeah. And I'm the Goddess of Wisdom."
* * * * *
Present-Calliope cringed. "Y'know, sometimes I think *you* should have been the blond one!"
Caillean looked indignant. "What do you mean by that?!"
"Athena's his favorite daughter. Think about it."
"Oh." Caillean sighed. "I never could keep your family straight."
* * * * *
"You dare make a mockery of my daughter?" Zeus thundered, his face turning an unhealthy shade of red.
Future-Caillean looked unsure. "Stephan...?"
"Yes?"
"You were telling the truth, weren't you?"
The Fey King sighed. "Yep."
"Oh dear." Caillean said in a small voice. "This could be bad."
* * * * *
"Do something!!!" Caillean gripped Calliope's arm, frantically pointing at the scene that was unfolding before them.
"Like what? We're powerless here!"
"Dammit, this is entirely your fault!"
"It is not her fault, Caillean, be a bit more forgiving." Jareth said
"Excuse me, oh high and mighty? It most certainly WAS her fault!"
Calliope let out an indignant squeak. "How so? It was Stephan's idea!"
"At your suggestion, I'm sure."
Stephan broke in. "Look!" He said, pointing at the future. "It's Jareth."
The four watched with bated breath as the (Once and) Future Goblin King stealthily crept up behind the fuming god.
* * * * *