Disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth. Like you didn't know this. If I owned the Labyrinth there be umpteen million sequels. We all know that there is not even one sequel. (Which Bites!) So Obviously I don't own it, Or anyone in it. More's the pity….mmmm…Jareth… * sigh * I know I'm pathetic. On the other hand even though I'm pathetic I do own all my characters; Toren, Sinoa, Mac, Nic, Lynx the cat, and any other characters you've never seen before. While I don't own Fate, Oberon, or Titania, I like to think my characterization of them is somewhat original. Eventually I may let you use my toys, but not until I'm done with them and not unless I like you.
Author's Note: I hope y'all are happy. I'm writing this when I haven't even read any of the new reviews on my latest chapters (5-6-7). I'm going out on a limb here with a little faith and assuming that you enjoyed them. Also, in about two hours I'll probably (definitely) be in trouble seeing as how I'm supposed to be cleaning house at the moment. But hey…Which would you rather do? Write or clean? Exactly. So without further adieu (which is Lauralye for 'rambling') I'll get on with chapter eight. I do have a plan this time, but for two reasons I'm not sharing. One it's becoming blatantly obvious that my plans are next to useless…or is it worthless? Anyway. And two, I think I like keeping y'all in suspense. Ain't I evil? Which by the way, I'm really beginning to enjoy. So for those of you who've never written, try it. You have no idea how therapeutic it is. ;o)
F.Y.I.- Any thing that is surrounded be these: * the stars * Is telepathic, internal, excluding all others dialogue between two people.
"The Irony of it All"
Chapter 8 : "It's the small victories that count"
Sinoa twitched. The look Jareth was giving her was somewhat intimidating. Okay…It was scaring the Hell out of her.
"Um…hi?" was the only tentative reply she could muster at the time.
Toren saw his baby sister, standing there, all alone, against the big bad Jareth. The valiant thing to do would be to step in, play the hero and rescue the damsel in distress. However seeing the chaotic play of mayhem on Jareth's face, being valiant promised to be an exceedingly hard task. Especially if the damsel was only your sister. When it was your sister who was the damsel, inevitably the level of distress seemed to dissipate. It wasn't like it was a conscious let down, but come on…which would you feel more gung-ho to rescue, your beautiful baby sister who adored you, or a beautiful non-related stranger who'd adore you? (And for the girls who are reading this, any guy now sitting at their computer just nodded their head in favor of the stranger. Trust me, I know…I have two older brothers.)
Sighing over his own stupidity, Toren decided to do the 'gentlemanly' thing and step in on his sister's behalf. She was beginning to go even paler than she normally was. Which was pale.
'Star you owe me for this one…' was his last thought before heading in to what could very well be called battle.
"I'm sorry Jareth" Toren audibly gulped before continuing, "Did you ask a question?"
Jareth's head pivoted slowly. "Actually yes. I did." Sub-zero couldn't have described the ice in his voice. Antarctica would have been a summer beach resort compared to this tone.
Once more Toren summoned up his reserve of courage (or asinine stupidity depending on how you wanted to look at it) and lifted his cowed gaze from the floor to meet Jareth's eyes, or at least somewhere there about.
Truthfully the closest he could manage was Jareth's shoulder, but hey…that one shoulder was pretty damn scary.
During her brother's intervention, Sinoa had quite effectively inched her way across the room. And now that Jareth was out of her line of sight, she felt she could breath somewhat easier now. Sort of like how a child reasons that if they can't see you then you can't see them.
Jareth, on the other hand was very aware of all of Sinoa's movements and, if he had chosen, he could have blinked both Sinoa and her older brother back to their family's domain in the underground.
His pride was screaming that he needed to be alone but on the other hand his rational mind, was screaming just as loudly that he needed some help out this mess and two of his oldest friends and favorite cousins, might just be the only people he could tolerate speaking with at the moment.
He doubted this situation was helping any with his headache.
The throbbing in his temples increased and against his better judgement he decided he needed unbiased opinions more than he needed to hide his wounded pride. '…And heart…' taunted his mind.
Toren looked at Jareth and fidgeted while he deliberated. 'That gaze is definitely unnerving, although I suppose that's what he intended it to do. Now I/we have two choices; One, we can stay here and hold our ground, or two, we can tuck tail and run, and come back when Jareth's idea of quality time isn't dunking both me and Sinoa into that particularly vile Bog of his. Hmm, decisions decisions.'
Personally Toren knew what he wanted to do, and he also knew what he should do. Unfortunately, desire and duty rarely co-inside with one another. Deep down he knew that Jareth wouldn't actually do anything to harm either of them, but whether or not he would welcome their intrusion; however well intended, remained to be seen. Sighing he decided to consult with 'Noa before actually delineating a course of action.
* Psst. 'Noa…*
* Yes? *
* You know what our options are at the moment right? *
* Ya…run and hide or stand and face the firing squad, I'm leaning towards the former at the moment. *
* You!? I'm the one in his line of very chilling sight. Although he does know you're here *
* That's comforting. You know what we ought to do right? *
* Yes…I do. I have a feeling it won't be appreciated but I do think we should at least try. I just hope he isn't given in to any of his dunking tendencies at the moment. *
* Eew. I always forget about the Bog. He was in a foul mood when that thing was created…alas. It was regrettably necessary. All in all I'd rather be dropped in the Oubliette than that horrid place. *
* You've been dropped in the Oubliette before, remember? It was after that that we decided that the human game… 'hide and seek' wasn't it? Was better played somewhere other than the Labyrinth. *
* Very true brother dear. And although this is all very nostalgic, we're deterring from the situation at hand. So…should we stay or should we go? You know what I think we should do, stay and face hurricane Jareth. I don't think he'll do anything too drastic. *
* Oh really? What makes you think 'Star? *
* Mainly due to the fact that he hasn't blinked either of us back to Tier Na Nog…yet. The way I see it, that at least gives us some form of hope for the moment. And even though I'm sure he'd like to lick his wounds in private, I think some rational part of him knows that he needs to sort through what happened tonight, and then get an objective idea of how to fix this snarled situation. At least that's what I think. *
* I hope you're correct in your assumptions 'Noa. If you're wrong then we're going headfirst into the Bog and that sister dear, is an experience that I'd prefer to forego. *
* You and me both brother dear, you and me both. It's kinda funny, as much as he claims to hate that thing he sure as Great Uncle Hades makes good use of it. Anyway…So you're in right? We stay and brave the Griffin's den correct? It's what he needs. *
* Yes…to Tartarus and damnation. We stay. Although I'm not as confident of his manners at the moment as you seem to be. Nevertheless, You're right, he needs us at the moment. *
* Excellent * was her only reply. Somewhat more courageously than she had previously been, Sinoa moved back and into Jareth's line of sight and turned to face the livid King.
Then she wished she hadn't.
The look on Jareth's face was even more hostile than it had been a moment ago. And though their entire conversation had taken a little over a minute and a half, the Goblin King had not moved his position, relaxed his stance, or lightened his expression.
'Okay, maybe this wasn't the best idea in the Underground, but there's little to be done about it now.' Sinoa breathed deeply, and waited. And waited, It was then that she realized that Jareth had been the last one to speak, and was even now waiting for comment.
"I'm sorry Jareth, what was the last thing you said?" Sinoa cringed when she heard the acid in Jareth's reply.
"Well Sinoa, I'm pleased to know that it's not only Toren who has a hearing problem. Or maybe it's more your combined intellect that I should be questioning. After all neither of you seem to be able to answer my original question or adhere to any form of actual intelligible conversation." Jareth paused and raised his lips in a sardonic smirk, before continuing, "Save between yourselves of course."
Somewhat shocked, Sinoa grimaced, "You heard…?"
"Everything. The two of you never have learned to think quietly. Really, I'm not in the mood for company, regardless of how much the two think I need otherwise. And before you say that it's doubtful I'll toss the two of you into, what did you call it Toren?" Toren blanched as Jareth continued, " 'That particularly vile Bog' of mine? I suggest you remind yourselves that I'm feeling particularly vile at the moment, and the only reason I haven't blinked both of you back to Tier Na Nog yet is because I wanted the two of you to relay a small message to the rest of our very nosy family; Leave me alone. I want no help, or comfort. In fact I'm not at all sure why you seem to think that I'd need either."
The last part was said defiantly, as though he'd rather not believe anything of great importance had happened tonight.
Sighing, Sinoa moved forward and fortified herself. "Jareth, you ought to know by now that you won't have any success driving us away by using your nasty temper or caustic tongue. Like it or not we're here for the duration so you'd better get used to it."
Sinoa held her chin high and hoped she looked half as imposing as her Grandmother did when she 'handled' one of her grandchildren. She didn't look half as imposing, but she managed a quarter anyway.
Across the room, Toren was silently applauding his baby sister for show of bravado, even he had to admit that Star had guts. He was still debating on whether she had any brains, but she had guts that he was sure of.
"Oh?…really." was the only thing Jareth said. Or asked, seeing as how that small statement seemed to be a challenge directed at Sinoa. And maybe, just maybe, if she passed, he'd give in. It wasn't likely but it was a possibility.
Outwardly he had the appearance of indifference, even mild amusement. Amusement over what neither Sinoa nor Toren knew but, it wasn't that look that had them worried, he was like that often enough. It was his eyes that told a different story, they held loss, frustration, and depsair because the high and mighty Goblin King had played and lost a very fragile game tonight. And though his opponent didn't know what the stakes really were, Jareth did. Everything happened to early, and to quickly, and now Jareth had no idea what he was to do next.
The Goblin King was in love and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.
Sinoa held her ground and tried not to flinch. Three seconds passed, then five, then ten, and suddenly Jareth turned on his heel and strode toward the window in resigned agitation. "If the two of you are determined to stay, then do so, but stay away form me. I want no company at the moment."
The siblings watched Jareth's form fade into that of an owl before looking at one another. He was still sulking, and it would take a few days before he'd let them in, but he'd at least acknowledged that they were here for the long haul, and had decided to resign himself to the fact. He'd talk to them eventually, but for now it was enough that he allow them to be near.
It was a small, indirect victory, but it was a victory, and however small or indirect, it was progress. Jareth would talk when he was ready, and only when he was ready. But for now, the pair contented themselves with the knowledge that he let them stay, and soon, a few days at most, he'd let them in.
Author's Note: Ho hum. I'm not that fond of this chapter, but at the moment it's all I can seem to produce. Probably due to the fact that I have another story racing around in my head that is begging to be written. Don't worry, I have no intention of starting another story until this one is finished, which could take another two months. And before you get outraged and shout 'TWO MONTHS!' please keep in mind that I could stop this story all together and start a new one, so don't get huffy. I'm lucky I can see the screen at all, since my computer is cover in post-it notes with ideas all over them. * sigh * such is a writer's lot in life.
Anyway. Leave a review or don't, I'm tired/depressed/indifferent at the moment to care. A long story that would become a novel itself were I to write it down. Let's just say, my family and my personal problems make the Munsters and the Adams look relatively normal.
P.S.- I wrote this chapter over several days so the sudden change of moods between my notes are somewhat explainable.