Hurts Like Hell
Author: Chaos Valkyrie
First Conceptualized: February 20, 2004
Posted Chapter 05: April 9, 2004
Updated: December 22, 2005
Disclaimer: If I owned Labyrinth, or really, the Jim Henson studios, don't you think I would've used my army of Muppets to take over the world by now?
Chapter Five: Conversations, Part One
Nicole stared at her friend thoughtfully as she forcefully marched her way through the hedge-lined paths.
"Y'know, Sarah," she said carefully, "This reminds me of how in elementary school, you knew a boy liked you if he hit you…"
Sarah paused, her eyes glaring over her shoulder dangerously. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Nicole grinned. "Well, maybe this is how Jareth shows that he likes you!"
Sarah smiled reluctantly. "He's a little too old for kindergarten, Nicole."
Nicole chuckled. "Hey, a grown man with the maturity level of a little boy? It happens all the time back home!"
The two women laughed.
Jareth stormed into his throne room. The goblins took one look at him and quickly retreated into other, safer parts of the castle.
"Tell me, Samuel, are all the female members of your species so incredibly ignorant?" he snarled at his young goblin-to-be.
Samuel looked up, his gaze puzzled. "Not really. Clueless, sometimes, but my sister usually knows more about what's going on than I do," he shrugged. A goblin entered the room.
"Your Highness," he squeaked nervously, "These just arrived from the front!" He handed a bundle of papers to the Goblin King, then beat a hasty retreat.
Jareth sighed, falling into a chair. He flipped through the correspondence, frowning as he read the reports. Tossing them to the side, he lifted a hand to aching head, sighing.
"My kingdom is in danger, my enemy is refusing to surrender, and on top of it all, I have two impossible women running the Labyrinth. Could this get any worse?"
A raven cawed from the balcony, quickly transforming into the Black Prince.
"It got worse," Jareth muttered dryly.
The two women continued to argue as they made their way through the hedges.
"I still think you're wrong, Nicole. Jareth hates me as much as I hate him," Sarah explained. "He kidnapped my little brother, albeit at my request," she admitted as an afterthought, "But he tormented me all through my trip through the Labyrinth. He has never shown anything but contempt for me!"
"And I think you're wrong, but let's put aside his feelings for the moment. You don't hate him; admit it, Sarah. I've watched you, every time he's mentioned, its like a little jolt of something goes through you, and its not hatred. You may be a good actress, Sarah, but you've not been bothering to hide anything while we've been here. You're in love with him, aren't you." Nicole stated, rather than asked.
Sarah flushed. "I don't know what –"
Nicole grabbed her arm and forced Sarah to look her in the eyes. "Just admit it, Sarah, to me and to yourself!"
Sarah looked her in the eyes. "Maybe. Maybe I did, maybe I still do. But he doesn't return that – I don't see how he could possibly ever return that. He sees me as a game, a challenge – perhaps the only one he's ever truly had. Yes, that invokes interest from him, but nothing more. I'm nothing more than a game to him, and that's the truth… The only truth…" Sarah whispered, her eyes wide, holding back tears.
"And put like that," she finished, "The truth hurts like hell."
Jareth looked at his grinning brother wearily. "What is it now, Gareth?"
Gareth eyed his brother thoughtfully. "You look like you've been through a rough patch. Did someone almost toss you into the Bog again?" he asked carefully.
Jareth smirked. "Of course not – you're the only one who's ever tried to do that," he commented. "No, just two frustrating women are running the Labyrinth."
Gareth acted surprised. "Two women!"
Jareth looked at him, eyes narrowed. "Nicole and her little friend… Sarah."
Gareth fought to keep his smile in check, and failed miserably. "Not your little Sarah? The one you're madly in love with?" He chuckled at the look of surprise on Samuel's face and at Jareth's dark growl.
"Gareth, I'm warning you," Jareth snarled.
"Let me guess, you went down there to profess your undying affection for her, didn't you?" Gareth chuckled, flopping down in a chair nearby. Jareth closed his eyes, his hand pinching the bridge of his nose.
"I don't need this right now," he muttered to himself. Opening his eyes, he glared at his brother. "That was done a long time ago."
Gareth's smile stayed in place, but had Jareth cared to look closely, his eyes betrayed some amount of concern for his elder half-brother. "Well, what happened? Did she turn you down?"
Jareth rose to his feet, walking stiffly towards the window. Before he transformed, he turned to Gareth.
"She might as well have," he muttered, then, as an owl, flew away.
End Notes: Meh, confused emotions all around! But don't hate me, everything will be cleared up eventually… I just feel that both Sarah and Jareth, even after all this time, would be uncertain of how the other person feels. No matter how much they might hope, doubt will always hit harder. Sigh… it makes it all that much sweeter!