Be Careful what you Wish For
Well, I may be ushering in an apocalypse by doing this, but yes, the Emmy is back with another chapter after months of inactivity! Wonders will never cease. Though I doubt anyone is left that actually cares about this fic, but oh well. The muse demands I write for this, or it will withhold inspiration for my original stuff. And we can't have that. Anyhow, hope you enjoy this chapter, and remember to review!
Disclaimer: The only thing Labyrinth that I own is a t-shirt from Hot Topic with the Blue worm on it. Otherwise, it's all belonging to other peoples. Sparrow and Andros are mine, however, and are available to be borrowed if you ask really nicely.
(chapter breaker, because ff.net is a bloody bastard and I have to reload this thing one more time, someone's going to get hurt)
Chapter 7: A whole new dimension of weirdness
Sparrow and Toby recovered quickly, after their dunking in the river. And Sarah nearly crushed Sparrow by hugging her so hard. However, it wasn't all good. It had made things go back even further between Jareth and Sarah.
It was all just a viscous cycle. Sarah blamed Jareth. Jareth blamed Sparrow. And Sparrow just wanted to hit them both with something large and blunt. But that wouldn't help anything either.
But it'd certainly make –her- feel better.
Because really, if she had to listen to those two end up in an argument over every meal she was going to start eating in her room. Besides, every time they did fight, Jareth would come to her and start kvetching about how it was all her fault. And the cycle began again.
She had to do something. Much more, and she was going to do what people had expected of her for years, and finally go crazy.
Okay, so she had one idea. It was an insane idea. Really off the wall. But at the same time, very intriguing. Now, if only she could pull it off.
Which was why she headed for the library, where she learned Andros was.
It was time to turn on the charm. Such as it was.
Yes, there he was, seated in an armchair with a book. Being somewhat near-sighted, she couldn't see the title from the doorway. But no matter, what Andros was reading was not the issue here.
She walked over to his chair, and perched on the arm of it. When he looked up at her, she gave him her most winning smile.
"Hi, Andy," she said. She paused, when she noticed the title of the book on the top margin of the page. "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus? Gee Andykins, I didn't think you needed help in the relationship department."
With a guilty look and...was he blushing? Andy put the book down on a small table next to the chair. "Yeah, well...anyway, it doesn't matter. What do you want?"
Sparrow gave a shocked look. "Now why do I have to want something? Why can't I just be seeking the pleasure of your company?"
"Because you hate me," Andy replied, his voice bitter. That knocked Sparrow for a loop. She blinked.
"I don't hate you."
"Well you don't like me much."
Oh, that was it. "Andy, I'm sorry your ego is so bruised by my not responding to your shameless flirting, but I'm just not the kind of girl to fall for something like that."
"This isn't about my ego!" Andy said, sounding exasperated.
"Then what is it about?" Sparrow asked.
Andy just shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Now really, what is it you want?"
Sparrow would have liked to ask again, but it was obvious Andy didn't want to talk about it. "Well the thing is, I have this idea. And I need your help to pull it off."
"Oh?" said Andy, beginning to sound intrigued. "Just what does this plan entail?"
"I knew I could count on you, Andy!"
"Always, my dear."
(chapter breaker)
It had taken some doing, but Andy and Sparrow had figured out a way to hook up a tv and dvd player in Sparrow's room. That was part one of the plan. Part two was inviting Sarah for a night of "movies and junk food and all that girly sleepover stuff". Not that Sparrow had been to a lot of sleepovers. She never saw the use of sleeping on the floor in a strange house staying up all night because putting a bunch of girls together automatically made them very giggly. That, and her first and only sleepover had happened during what was called the "Northridge Earthquake". Adding that to all of the above, made for souring slumber parties to Sparrow.
But that was beside the point. Though at this point, Sparrow wasn't even sure what the point was anymore.
"How'd you get a tv in here?" Sarah asked, as they settled down on the floor with pillows and junk food.
"Oh, getting it in here was the easy part. Getting it to work...I'm still not sure how Andy did it, but it works, so we would do best not to question it."
Now came the interesting part. Taking the DVD she had gotten out of its case, making sure Sarah didn't see the cover, she put it in and went through the far too complicated motions the DVD people think up to start the movie.
From the first moment Jareth a.k.a. David Bowie started singing, and the owl flew across the screen, Sparrow knew she had Sarah hooked. It was definitely an out there idea, letting her watch "Labyrinth", but she had a feeling it would pay off.
Sarah gasped when she saw her younger self reciting from that little red book. She looked over at Sparrow.
"How..."
"Short answer, alternate universe. Longer answer, I really have no idea how to explain. Just watch the movie."
And Sarah did. And Sparrow watched Sarah. Watched for her reactions during the film. From cringing at her whining to her stepmother and how she had treated her brother. To full out shuddering when she said the words. Smiling when she saw her old friend Hoggle. Indignant with the blue worm. Cringing again when she said 'piece of cake'.
It was fascinating, from Sparrow's perspective, to see how the 'heroine' of the story saw herself, seeing her own adventure from a more detached point of view as the camera and subsequently an audience.
One of the most interesting aspects, was seeing her reaction to parts she hadn't known before, what with Jareth singing to Toby to keep him from crying, and Jareth's threatening Hoggle to make him "prince of the land of stench." Sarah let out a startled "So that's why he didn't want me to kiss him!" the first actually words she had said since the opening credits.
The scenes Sparrow really wanted Sarah to see, however, where the ones coming up. She watched especially close, during the ballroom scene. And was encouraged to see Sarah sigh, and look upon the scene almost wistfully.
Eeeexcelent.
It took a lot of Sparrow's will power, not to get antsy while waiting for the last two scenes of the movie with Jareth in them. The "Within You" song in the Escher room, and the famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view) final scene.
Yes, Sarah's eyes widened a bit, during the short song. Obviously, she had not heard the words the first time, being too busy chasing after Toby. And there was no missing the anguish on the Goblin King's face as he sang.
Seemed dear Sarah was finally starting to understand.
Now the climactic music was building...there was Jareth, looking frail and ghostly all in white and feathers. How would Sarah react, given a chance to really be able to hear those so talked-about and dissected words among Labyfans?
"Fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave, Sarah."
Sarah's eyes widened even further, and her mouth dropped open as she gasped loudly.
Bingo! We have a winner! Ladies and gentlemen, she has seen the light! Can I get an Amen and Hallelujah?
They finished watching the movie, but at this point it was rather redundant. Still, Sparrow waited until the reprise of "Underground" finished, before ejecting the DVD and turning off the tv. She sat back down next to Sarah, and waited.
"Well?" she prompted.
"Jareth is in love with me!"
Sparrow really couldn't help it. She fell back, with her head thankfully hitting a pillow and not the floor. She let out a giggle.
"What?" Sarah asked her, sounding peeved.
"It's taken you –this- long to realize that?" Sparrow replied. "Good god, woman! You –never- figured that out?"
"Well...no," Sarah admitted sheepishly. "I mean, I may have thought about it fleetingly, but I never really thought it could be true. Just daydreams of a hormonal teenager."
"Sooo, you're saying you have feelings for Jareth as well?"
"I didn't say that!"
"You didn't not say it either."
"...Does what you just said even make sense?"
"Not really," Sparrow admitted. "Not to mention it isn't grammatically correct. But that's beside the point."
"And what –is- the point?" Sarah asked.
"Jareth loves you. And now you know it. And much as you're trying to convince yourself, I know you love him too."
"And what makes you so certain?" said Sarah huffily.
"Because I'm psychic, natch," Sparrow replied. "But seriously, its because I have eyes. You two are in love, and for the sake of all our sanities, I wish you two would just admit it already and start with the smoochies!"
"You have issues, you know that?"
"So I'm told. On a regular basis."
(chapter breaker)
"So we continued arguing for a while about it, until she got tired of my prodding her about it and changed the subject. And wouldn't let me bring it up again."
Sparrow and Andy were walking in the gardens, Sparrow recounting the details of what happened with Sarah.
"It sounds like you made some progress, at any rate," Andy said encouragingly. Though he had only half-listened to the conversation, as while they had been walking he had very casually taken Sparrow's hand. He had watched for her reaction, but she just twined her fingers in his and went on recounting her story, as if the two of them walking and holds hands was no big deal.
He wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not.
"Ha, progress, yeah," Sparrow griped. "Now instead of arguing, there'll be awkwardness because Sarah won't know what to say, and J will sense the awkwardness and then he won't know what to say, and it all ends with me dangling upside down over the Bog."
"You're quite the pessimist today."
"I am –not- being a pessimist," Sparrow told him. "I'm being a realist."
"What's the difference?" He asked.
"A pessimist thinks everything will go wrong. A realist knows it will."
"That's cheerful."
"Innit though?" Sparrow sighed. "Andy, I don't know what to do. This is all way too much pressure on me and I don't work well under pressure!"
Andros made her stop, taking his hand from hers and placing his hands on her shoulders. "Sparrow, calm down, before you have a stroke. You'll figure something out." He chuckled. "I mean, if nothing else we can just lock them in a room together until they finally break down and admit they're in love with each other. With no escape routes, it'd only be a matter of time."
Looking at her, Andros saw the exact moment when it all clicked. Sparrow's face lit up, and she gave him the most dazzling smile he had ever seen. "That's it...oh my gosh, that's it!"
And Sparrow jumped into his arms, and kissing him soundly on the mouth. "Andy, you're a genius! I love you!"
Before he could even begin to form a response to something like that, Sparrow was already sprinting towards the castle, leaving a very confused...and happy...Fae in her wake.
Not for long, though. Noticing his absence, she ran back and grabbed his hand, dragging him back to her original destination.
"Sparrow...Sparrow! What are we doing?"
"We're going to put your amazingly genius plan into motion, of course!" Sparrow said. "It's brilliant, you know. Simple and to the point. Just like Marcus Aurelius said, Simplicity!"
Ignoring her babbling, Andros asked "What if it doesn't work?"
"It'll work!"
"Yes, but what if it –doesn't- work?" Andros re-iterated.
"Oh, simple," Sparrow replied. "I'll just blame it all on you..."
"Well, as long as you have a plan," said Andros dryly.
"Always, sweetheart."
(chapter breaker. I hate ff.net and your bloody quickedit too!)
Will the plan work? Will Sarah and Jareth admit their love for one another? What did Sparrow mean by "I love you", and kissing Andros? Does anybody care? Probably not. But you never know. And I swear, I won't take another however many months it was to write another chapter. Or at least I'll do my very best. Anyhow, hope you enjoyed this chapter, and remember...
"Please leave a contribution in the little review box"
Emerald, The Lady Destiny a.k.a. Emmy-chan
Well, I may be ushering in an apocalypse by doing this, but yes, the Emmy is back with another chapter after months of inactivity! Wonders will never cease. Though I doubt anyone is left that actually cares about this fic, but oh well. The muse demands I write for this, or it will withhold inspiration for my original stuff. And we can't have that. Anyhow, hope you enjoy this chapter, and remember to review!
Disclaimer: The only thing Labyrinth that I own is a t-shirt from Hot Topic with the Blue worm on it. Otherwise, it's all belonging to other peoples. Sparrow and Andros are mine, however, and are available to be borrowed if you ask really nicely.
(chapter breaker, because ff.net is a bloody bastard and I have to reload this thing one more time, someone's going to get hurt)
Chapter 7: A whole new dimension of weirdness
Sparrow and Toby recovered quickly, after their dunking in the river. And Sarah nearly crushed Sparrow by hugging her so hard. However, it wasn't all good. It had made things go back even further between Jareth and Sarah.
It was all just a viscous cycle. Sarah blamed Jareth. Jareth blamed Sparrow. And Sparrow just wanted to hit them both with something large and blunt. But that wouldn't help anything either.
But it'd certainly make –her- feel better.
Because really, if she had to listen to those two end up in an argument over every meal she was going to start eating in her room. Besides, every time they did fight, Jareth would come to her and start kvetching about how it was all her fault. And the cycle began again.
She had to do something. Much more, and she was going to do what people had expected of her for years, and finally go crazy.
Okay, so she had one idea. It was an insane idea. Really off the wall. But at the same time, very intriguing. Now, if only she could pull it off.
Which was why she headed for the library, where she learned Andros was.
It was time to turn on the charm. Such as it was.
Yes, there he was, seated in an armchair with a book. Being somewhat near-sighted, she couldn't see the title from the doorway. But no matter, what Andros was reading was not the issue here.
She walked over to his chair, and perched on the arm of it. When he looked up at her, she gave him her most winning smile.
"Hi, Andy," she said. She paused, when she noticed the title of the book on the top margin of the page. "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus? Gee Andykins, I didn't think you needed help in the relationship department."
With a guilty look and...was he blushing? Andy put the book down on a small table next to the chair. "Yeah, well...anyway, it doesn't matter. What do you want?"
Sparrow gave a shocked look. "Now why do I have to want something? Why can't I just be seeking the pleasure of your company?"
"Because you hate me," Andy replied, his voice bitter. That knocked Sparrow for a loop. She blinked.
"I don't hate you."
"Well you don't like me much."
Oh, that was it. "Andy, I'm sorry your ego is so bruised by my not responding to your shameless flirting, but I'm just not the kind of girl to fall for something like that."
"This isn't about my ego!" Andy said, sounding exasperated.
"Then what is it about?" Sparrow asked.
Andy just shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Now really, what is it you want?"
Sparrow would have liked to ask again, but it was obvious Andy didn't want to talk about it. "Well the thing is, I have this idea. And I need your help to pull it off."
"Oh?" said Andy, beginning to sound intrigued. "Just what does this plan entail?"
"I knew I could count on you, Andy!"
"Always, my dear."
(chapter breaker)
It had taken some doing, but Andy and Sparrow had figured out a way to hook up a tv and dvd player in Sparrow's room. That was part one of the plan. Part two was inviting Sarah for a night of "movies and junk food and all that girly sleepover stuff". Not that Sparrow had been to a lot of sleepovers. She never saw the use of sleeping on the floor in a strange house staying up all night because putting a bunch of girls together automatically made them very giggly. That, and her first and only sleepover had happened during what was called the "Northridge Earthquake". Adding that to all of the above, made for souring slumber parties to Sparrow.
But that was beside the point. Though at this point, Sparrow wasn't even sure what the point was anymore.
"How'd you get a tv in here?" Sarah asked, as they settled down on the floor with pillows and junk food.
"Oh, getting it in here was the easy part. Getting it to work...I'm still not sure how Andy did it, but it works, so we would do best not to question it."
Now came the interesting part. Taking the DVD she had gotten out of its case, making sure Sarah didn't see the cover, she put it in and went through the far too complicated motions the DVD people think up to start the movie.
From the first moment Jareth a.k.a. David Bowie started singing, and the owl flew across the screen, Sparrow knew she had Sarah hooked. It was definitely an out there idea, letting her watch "Labyrinth", but she had a feeling it would pay off.
Sarah gasped when she saw her younger self reciting from that little red book. She looked over at Sparrow.
"How..."
"Short answer, alternate universe. Longer answer, I really have no idea how to explain. Just watch the movie."
And Sarah did. And Sparrow watched Sarah. Watched for her reactions during the film. From cringing at her whining to her stepmother and how she had treated her brother. To full out shuddering when she said the words. Smiling when she saw her old friend Hoggle. Indignant with the blue worm. Cringing again when she said 'piece of cake'.
It was fascinating, from Sparrow's perspective, to see how the 'heroine' of the story saw herself, seeing her own adventure from a more detached point of view as the camera and subsequently an audience.
One of the most interesting aspects, was seeing her reaction to parts she hadn't known before, what with Jareth singing to Toby to keep him from crying, and Jareth's threatening Hoggle to make him "prince of the land of stench." Sarah let out a startled "So that's why he didn't want me to kiss him!" the first actually words she had said since the opening credits.
The scenes Sparrow really wanted Sarah to see, however, where the ones coming up. She watched especially close, during the ballroom scene. And was encouraged to see Sarah sigh, and look upon the scene almost wistfully.
Eeeexcelent.
It took a lot of Sparrow's will power, not to get antsy while waiting for the last two scenes of the movie with Jareth in them. The "Within You" song in the Escher room, and the famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view) final scene.
Yes, Sarah's eyes widened a bit, during the short song. Obviously, she had not heard the words the first time, being too busy chasing after Toby. And there was no missing the anguish on the Goblin King's face as he sang.
Seemed dear Sarah was finally starting to understand.
Now the climactic music was building...there was Jareth, looking frail and ghostly all in white and feathers. How would Sarah react, given a chance to really be able to hear those so talked-about and dissected words among Labyfans?
"Fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave, Sarah."
Sarah's eyes widened even further, and her mouth dropped open as she gasped loudly.
Bingo! We have a winner! Ladies and gentlemen, she has seen the light! Can I get an Amen and Hallelujah?
They finished watching the movie, but at this point it was rather redundant. Still, Sparrow waited until the reprise of "Underground" finished, before ejecting the DVD and turning off the tv. She sat back down next to Sarah, and waited.
"Well?" she prompted.
"Jareth is in love with me!"
Sparrow really couldn't help it. She fell back, with her head thankfully hitting a pillow and not the floor. She let out a giggle.
"What?" Sarah asked her, sounding peeved.
"It's taken you –this- long to realize that?" Sparrow replied. "Good god, woman! You –never- figured that out?"
"Well...no," Sarah admitted sheepishly. "I mean, I may have thought about it fleetingly, but I never really thought it could be true. Just daydreams of a hormonal teenager."
"Sooo, you're saying you have feelings for Jareth as well?"
"I didn't say that!"
"You didn't not say it either."
"...Does what you just said even make sense?"
"Not really," Sparrow admitted. "Not to mention it isn't grammatically correct. But that's beside the point."
"And what –is- the point?" Sarah asked.
"Jareth loves you. And now you know it. And much as you're trying to convince yourself, I know you love him too."
"And what makes you so certain?" said Sarah huffily.
"Because I'm psychic, natch," Sparrow replied. "But seriously, its because I have eyes. You two are in love, and for the sake of all our sanities, I wish you two would just admit it already and start with the smoochies!"
"You have issues, you know that?"
"So I'm told. On a regular basis."
(chapter breaker)
"So we continued arguing for a while about it, until she got tired of my prodding her about it and changed the subject. And wouldn't let me bring it up again."
Sparrow and Andy were walking in the gardens, Sparrow recounting the details of what happened with Sarah.
"It sounds like you made some progress, at any rate," Andy said encouragingly. Though he had only half-listened to the conversation, as while they had been walking he had very casually taken Sparrow's hand. He had watched for her reaction, but she just twined her fingers in his and went on recounting her story, as if the two of them walking and holds hands was no big deal.
He wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not.
"Ha, progress, yeah," Sparrow griped. "Now instead of arguing, there'll be awkwardness because Sarah won't know what to say, and J will sense the awkwardness and then he won't know what to say, and it all ends with me dangling upside down over the Bog."
"You're quite the pessimist today."
"I am –not- being a pessimist," Sparrow told him. "I'm being a realist."
"What's the difference?" He asked.
"A pessimist thinks everything will go wrong. A realist knows it will."
"That's cheerful."
"Innit though?" Sparrow sighed. "Andy, I don't know what to do. This is all way too much pressure on me and I don't work well under pressure!"
Andros made her stop, taking his hand from hers and placing his hands on her shoulders. "Sparrow, calm down, before you have a stroke. You'll figure something out." He chuckled. "I mean, if nothing else we can just lock them in a room together until they finally break down and admit they're in love with each other. With no escape routes, it'd only be a matter of time."
Looking at her, Andros saw the exact moment when it all clicked. Sparrow's face lit up, and she gave him the most dazzling smile he had ever seen. "That's it...oh my gosh, that's it!"
And Sparrow jumped into his arms, and kissing him soundly on the mouth. "Andy, you're a genius! I love you!"
Before he could even begin to form a response to something like that, Sparrow was already sprinting towards the castle, leaving a very confused...and happy...Fae in her wake.
Not for long, though. Noticing his absence, she ran back and grabbed his hand, dragging him back to her original destination.
"Sparrow...Sparrow! What are we doing?"
"We're going to put your amazingly genius plan into motion, of course!" Sparrow said. "It's brilliant, you know. Simple and to the point. Just like Marcus Aurelius said, Simplicity!"
Ignoring her babbling, Andros asked "What if it doesn't work?"
"It'll work!"
"Yes, but what if it –doesn't- work?" Andros re-iterated.
"Oh, simple," Sparrow replied. "I'll just blame it all on you..."
"Well, as long as you have a plan," said Andros dryly.
"Always, sweetheart."
(chapter breaker. I hate ff.net and your bloody quickedit too!)
Will the plan work? Will Sarah and Jareth admit their love for one another? What did Sparrow mean by "I love you", and kissing Andros? Does anybody care? Probably not. But you never know. And I swear, I won't take another however many months it was to write another chapter. Or at least I'll do my very best. Anyhow, hope you enjoyed this chapter, and remember...
"Please leave a contribution in the little review box"
Emerald, The Lady Destiny a.k.a. Emmy-chan