Who's Saving Who?
Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth or the characters portrayed in the story. If you don't believe me watch the movie.
Summary: Sarah is a temp agent at the CIA (yes I did say CIA) and gets pulled into a reconnaissance mission involving the labyrinth. And, if I tell you anymore it will ruin the story, so read and find out what happens.
And the book thudded to the floor without hands to support it any longer. Sarah stepped back and gasped. Bob, from way across the room, did a double take, blinked, then rubbed his eyes, and walked away, obviously dismissing his friend's disappearance to his lack of sleep.
Quickly gathering her composure, Sarah walked hurriedly to the book, and stooped swiftly to gather it up. She tried to stay calm and act as if nothing had happened, and she placed the book back into the drawer, all the while wondering how in the world she was going to get her boss back. It had occurred to her that maybe he deserved what he got. But she shook herself of that notion and strengthened her resolve to getting him back. It was, after all, the "right" thing to do.
The rest of the workday flew by for Sarah, who had done nothing except stare at her computer screen all day. Not that anyone noticed of course, and as the hour hand hit five on the clock, she retrieved the small, red leather bound book from her desk and placed it in her purse, which she hung over her shoulder in a hurry to get home.
The next day, Sarah returned to work, only this time she was blurry eyed and tired, yawning constantly from her lack of sleep the night before. She had stayed up until the wee hours of the morning consulting every book on magic and that of folklore she possessed trying to come up with a way to get Mr. Leach back from the underground without actually wishing herself there.
Many cups of coffee and half-eaten bagels later, she realized that she was getting nowhere, and that's when her alarm went off, even though her bed had been unoccupied beside it. Stepping into the elevator on the ground floor she noticed two women were in the elevator already, and they looked at her a bit curiously. She recognized one of them as another worker on the same floor as her, but not the other.
And as the elevator drudged just as slowly as it possibly could up the 13th floor, the metal doors slid open and a ding resounded. The woman that worked on the same floor as her got off with her, and said goodbye to the other woman, and Sarah walked half in a daze behind her to her desk. Sarah sat down in her desk, and she wondered vaguely if anyone would notice that Mr. Leach was missing.
Oh, they would, she told herself. The man practically lived for the CIA. He'd probably never missed a day of work in his life while being employed there. She shook her head and tried to get into the stack of work that had been building up on her desk. And as she was working on something that was equally unimportant to her, the door, quite unexpectedly to Sarah, to Mr. Leach's office opened, and out he stepped as if nothing had happened yesterday.
Sarah, by this time, thought she was losing her mind. That's it, she thought, after work I'm signing myself in to the institution. "Miss Williams, would you kindly step into my office," Mr. Leach asked her. Sarah blinked, then her mind refocused and she did as she was told and stepped wearily into Mr. Leach's spacious round place of work.
"Please sit," he told her. And stiffly, she sat in the leather chair in front of his desk that he had indicated. "As you may know, I was suddenly detained from my work yesterday quite suddenly. What I encountered was quite strange. I ran into this man that said he knew you, which is quite ironic since everyone around here thinks you have no life."
Sarah gulped, a little afraid of what he was getting at. She hadn't seen any of the creatures from the Labyrinth since the night after she had returned home after saying those dreaded six words to the only man that had ever given her anything. "However, I think that this world that I stumbled upon has some use to the CIA, and I want you to investigate it further." At his pause, Sarah took this time to interject sharply.
"First of all, Mr. Leach," she said, getting to her feet, "you did not "stumble" upon the Labyrinth, I did. Second, I have been there, as this man my have told you, so there's no need for me to "investigate" it further as you say. And thirdly, I do have a life, thank you very much."
Mr. Leach smiled one of those condescending smiles that make people feel lower than him and replied, "Nice to see you've developed a backbone there, Williams. However, I will not tolerate being argued with in my own office. Now, this man that I talked to, he seemed quite eager to have you back there, so, tomorrow you will report to my office in 2000 hours, which is 8:00, just in case you can't figure it out."
Sensing that the conversation, or lack thereof, was over, Sarah walked from Mr. Leach's office on shaky legs. Barely was she able to make it back to her desk in time before she collapsed or fainted from shock. With quaking hands she pulled a pen from her pencil cup and got back to work. But, try as she might, her mind kept wandering back to the inevitable event that was to take place the next day.
What would Jareth do to her? Would he want revenge? Was she going to see Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus again? Would she have to run the labyrinth (hopefully not) again? Those questions were swirling around in her brain with no sign of stopping. Deciding that she wasn't going to get any work done today, and that it would probably be her last full day on earth for a while, she skipped out of work early and visited her family.
The visitation to her parent's house was to say goodbye, only they didn't know that's why she was there. What was she supposed to tell them? Sorry Karen and dad, but I have to go back to the labyrinth tomorrow so I won't be able to take Toby anywhere. Right, and then the men in white coats would come running and slap a straight jacket on her.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud honking behind her, and she realized the light was green, and she turned to the right into the street that lead to her parent's house. The house was the same as it had always been, ever since she could remember her parents, not Karen, but her real mom, had lived in that house. She couldn't really imagine them living any place else.
It wasn't the house that was important; really, it was the memories that the house kept within its walls. Toby must have heard her car pull up into the driveway covered with the golden leaves that had started to fall from the trees. He ran down the steps two at a time, and as soon as she stepped out of the vehicle, he threw both of his arms around her waist in a hug.
"Hey, pal, nice to see you too," she said in jest. She patted the top of his golden blonde hair fondly and he said, "Why aren't you at work?" He asked this innocently while looking up at her with those wide blue eyes of his. "Let's just say I'm going on vacation and wanted to say goodbye before I leave for a while." "Cool," Toby responded, pulling back from her and heading back inside with her. "Where are you going?" he asked.
Sarah scratched her chin in thought; she didn't want to lie to him. But yet, she couldn't tell him the truth, obviously. "I, uh, I'm just taking some time off. I might just drive around the country, look at the sights, and then come back. I can't say for sure how long I might be gone though," she fibbed. Once they were inside, Karen greeted her cordially enough.
Unfortunately, her father was at work. He was a big name lawyer up north and was away on a business trip. "So, do you know what states you might go to?" Karen asked, trying to take an interest in Sarah's life. "Oh, I don't know. Just wherever I feel like, I guess," she replied weakly.
Toby and Karen seemed like they wanted to know more about the trip she was planning on taking, but she changed the subject to avoid having to lie even more. It's not like she was holier-than-thou or anything, it's just she wasn't very good at lying and was afraid they would see through it the more they asked.
"Toby, how's the second grade going?" she asked quickly. She sat on the couch beside her brother, who was totally engrossed in the TV in front of him. Karen must have been insulted about her question, because she said suddenly, "Sarah, Toby is in third grade now." "Oh right, I knew that," she replied lamely. "Well, anyway, I guess I should get going. I have some things to pack before I leave," she said, gritting her teeth. Faking a smile, she stood and left the house, hurrying down the stairs as quickly as she could.
What is wrong with you? she scolded herself. She jumped into her car, and pulled the belt around her shoulder, and drove off as fast as she could back to her apartment. Her mind was in a whirl. Why I am so apprehensive about going back to the underground? Of course she knew the answer, she just didn't want to admit it to herself. Carefully she made sure her mind was at the task at hand, which was driving.
The drive was approximately a half an hour from her apartment to her parent's, and she made it back there in twenty. Sure she had probably broken the speed limit a bit too much, but at this point she didn't care. She was almost frantic with the thought that this was her last day here. What if he doesn't let you come back? was the most reoccurring thought she had.
The only way she would find out any of the answers to her questions was to actually go back there. She slammed the door to her apartment and walked into the tiny room that was her kitchen. Sitting down on a wire chair that was supposed to be fashionable, but lacked comfort, she lit a cigarette and smoked it almost instantly. Resolved, she told herself there was nothing to be afraid of. She had faced him when she was fifteen, and now that she was twenty-four she could do it again, right?
Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, you guys are totally great. Thank you all so much for the plot ideas, but I already had this chapter written beforehand, but they were all good suggestions. The next chapter is more labyrinth and Jareth involved, so never fear it's getting there. Please review if you think I should continue. Bye (*waves*).
Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth or the characters portrayed in the story. If you don't believe me watch the movie.
Summary: Sarah is a temp agent at the CIA (yes I did say CIA) and gets pulled into a reconnaissance mission involving the labyrinth. And, if I tell you anymore it will ruin the story, so read and find out what happens.
And the book thudded to the floor without hands to support it any longer. Sarah stepped back and gasped. Bob, from way across the room, did a double take, blinked, then rubbed his eyes, and walked away, obviously dismissing his friend's disappearance to his lack of sleep.
Quickly gathering her composure, Sarah walked hurriedly to the book, and stooped swiftly to gather it up. She tried to stay calm and act as if nothing had happened, and she placed the book back into the drawer, all the while wondering how in the world she was going to get her boss back. It had occurred to her that maybe he deserved what he got. But she shook herself of that notion and strengthened her resolve to getting him back. It was, after all, the "right" thing to do.
The rest of the workday flew by for Sarah, who had done nothing except stare at her computer screen all day. Not that anyone noticed of course, and as the hour hand hit five on the clock, she retrieved the small, red leather bound book from her desk and placed it in her purse, which she hung over her shoulder in a hurry to get home.
The next day, Sarah returned to work, only this time she was blurry eyed and tired, yawning constantly from her lack of sleep the night before. She had stayed up until the wee hours of the morning consulting every book on magic and that of folklore she possessed trying to come up with a way to get Mr. Leach back from the underground without actually wishing herself there.
Many cups of coffee and half-eaten bagels later, she realized that she was getting nowhere, and that's when her alarm went off, even though her bed had been unoccupied beside it. Stepping into the elevator on the ground floor she noticed two women were in the elevator already, and they looked at her a bit curiously. She recognized one of them as another worker on the same floor as her, but not the other.
And as the elevator drudged just as slowly as it possibly could up the 13th floor, the metal doors slid open and a ding resounded. The woman that worked on the same floor as her got off with her, and said goodbye to the other woman, and Sarah walked half in a daze behind her to her desk. Sarah sat down in her desk, and she wondered vaguely if anyone would notice that Mr. Leach was missing.
Oh, they would, she told herself. The man practically lived for the CIA. He'd probably never missed a day of work in his life while being employed there. She shook her head and tried to get into the stack of work that had been building up on her desk. And as she was working on something that was equally unimportant to her, the door, quite unexpectedly to Sarah, to Mr. Leach's office opened, and out he stepped as if nothing had happened yesterday.
Sarah, by this time, thought she was losing her mind. That's it, she thought, after work I'm signing myself in to the institution. "Miss Williams, would you kindly step into my office," Mr. Leach asked her. Sarah blinked, then her mind refocused and she did as she was told and stepped wearily into Mr. Leach's spacious round place of work.
"Please sit," he told her. And stiffly, she sat in the leather chair in front of his desk that he had indicated. "As you may know, I was suddenly detained from my work yesterday quite suddenly. What I encountered was quite strange. I ran into this man that said he knew you, which is quite ironic since everyone around here thinks you have no life."
Sarah gulped, a little afraid of what he was getting at. She hadn't seen any of the creatures from the Labyrinth since the night after she had returned home after saying those dreaded six words to the only man that had ever given her anything. "However, I think that this world that I stumbled upon has some use to the CIA, and I want you to investigate it further." At his pause, Sarah took this time to interject sharply.
"First of all, Mr. Leach," she said, getting to her feet, "you did not "stumble" upon the Labyrinth, I did. Second, I have been there, as this man my have told you, so there's no need for me to "investigate" it further as you say. And thirdly, I do have a life, thank you very much."
Mr. Leach smiled one of those condescending smiles that make people feel lower than him and replied, "Nice to see you've developed a backbone there, Williams. However, I will not tolerate being argued with in my own office. Now, this man that I talked to, he seemed quite eager to have you back there, so, tomorrow you will report to my office in 2000 hours, which is 8:00, just in case you can't figure it out."
Sensing that the conversation, or lack thereof, was over, Sarah walked from Mr. Leach's office on shaky legs. Barely was she able to make it back to her desk in time before she collapsed or fainted from shock. With quaking hands she pulled a pen from her pencil cup and got back to work. But, try as she might, her mind kept wandering back to the inevitable event that was to take place the next day.
What would Jareth do to her? Would he want revenge? Was she going to see Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus again? Would she have to run the labyrinth (hopefully not) again? Those questions were swirling around in her brain with no sign of stopping. Deciding that she wasn't going to get any work done today, and that it would probably be her last full day on earth for a while, she skipped out of work early and visited her family.
The visitation to her parent's house was to say goodbye, only they didn't know that's why she was there. What was she supposed to tell them? Sorry Karen and dad, but I have to go back to the labyrinth tomorrow so I won't be able to take Toby anywhere. Right, and then the men in white coats would come running and slap a straight jacket on her.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud honking behind her, and she realized the light was green, and she turned to the right into the street that lead to her parent's house. The house was the same as it had always been, ever since she could remember her parents, not Karen, but her real mom, had lived in that house. She couldn't really imagine them living any place else.
It wasn't the house that was important; really, it was the memories that the house kept within its walls. Toby must have heard her car pull up into the driveway covered with the golden leaves that had started to fall from the trees. He ran down the steps two at a time, and as soon as she stepped out of the vehicle, he threw both of his arms around her waist in a hug.
"Hey, pal, nice to see you too," she said in jest. She patted the top of his golden blonde hair fondly and he said, "Why aren't you at work?" He asked this innocently while looking up at her with those wide blue eyes of his. "Let's just say I'm going on vacation and wanted to say goodbye before I leave for a while." "Cool," Toby responded, pulling back from her and heading back inside with her. "Where are you going?" he asked.
Sarah scratched her chin in thought; she didn't want to lie to him. But yet, she couldn't tell him the truth, obviously. "I, uh, I'm just taking some time off. I might just drive around the country, look at the sights, and then come back. I can't say for sure how long I might be gone though," she fibbed. Once they were inside, Karen greeted her cordially enough.
Unfortunately, her father was at work. He was a big name lawyer up north and was away on a business trip. "So, do you know what states you might go to?" Karen asked, trying to take an interest in Sarah's life. "Oh, I don't know. Just wherever I feel like, I guess," she replied weakly.
Toby and Karen seemed like they wanted to know more about the trip she was planning on taking, but she changed the subject to avoid having to lie even more. It's not like she was holier-than-thou or anything, it's just she wasn't very good at lying and was afraid they would see through it the more they asked.
"Toby, how's the second grade going?" she asked quickly. She sat on the couch beside her brother, who was totally engrossed in the TV in front of him. Karen must have been insulted about her question, because she said suddenly, "Sarah, Toby is in third grade now." "Oh right, I knew that," she replied lamely. "Well, anyway, I guess I should get going. I have some things to pack before I leave," she said, gritting her teeth. Faking a smile, she stood and left the house, hurrying down the stairs as quickly as she could.
What is wrong with you? she scolded herself. She jumped into her car, and pulled the belt around her shoulder, and drove off as fast as she could back to her apartment. Her mind was in a whirl. Why I am so apprehensive about going back to the underground? Of course she knew the answer, she just didn't want to admit it to herself. Carefully she made sure her mind was at the task at hand, which was driving.
The drive was approximately a half an hour from her apartment to her parent's, and she made it back there in twenty. Sure she had probably broken the speed limit a bit too much, but at this point she didn't care. She was almost frantic with the thought that this was her last day here. What if he doesn't let you come back? was the most reoccurring thought she had.
The only way she would find out any of the answers to her questions was to actually go back there. She slammed the door to her apartment and walked into the tiny room that was her kitchen. Sitting down on a wire chair that was supposed to be fashionable, but lacked comfort, she lit a cigarette and smoked it almost instantly. Resolved, she told herself there was nothing to be afraid of. She had faced him when she was fifteen, and now that she was twenty-four she could do it again, right?
Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, you guys are totally great. Thank you all so much for the plot ideas, but I already had this chapter written beforehand, but they were all good suggestions. The next chapter is more labyrinth and Jareth involved, so never fear it's getting there. Please review if you think I should continue. Bye (*waves*).