This is a fanfic. All Labyrinth characters belong to Henson, et al.
NIGHT HAWKS
Chapter Five
Comeuppance
It was nearly the third hour when a small barn owl touched down on the sidewalk. The owl shook itself and then became… something else. The little bell over the door rang when the slender fae with bizarre, unevenly chopped yellow hair and pale, sleek skin came in. He looked weary. He was wearing a navy pinstriped Zoot suit, but he seemed to have misplaced his hat. Silver chains hung from his pocket. The cuffs of his wrinkled pants fell in an asymmetrical fashion at his scuffed patent leather shoes. The magnificent blue tie at the throat of his white silk shirt was crumpled and wrinkled at the end. One of his suspenders seemed to be sagging. The top button on his trousers had popped. His eyebrows swept up and dark markings surrounded his beautiful eyes with the oddly asymmetrical blue irises and exquisitely long, dark lashes. His incredibly handsome face was marred by fear. He paused at the door and peered in distrustfully.
He ducked his head under the harsh fluorescent lighting, and sat down on a barstool in the middle of the long, chipped Formica counter, He ordered coffee and quickly took in his surroundings. The only other occupants were the counterman and a couple of goblins, who were obviously taxi drivers on a break.
The counterman sat the coffee in front of The King. The King of the Underground searched about in his pockets until he found some change and placed it on the counter. When he went to sip his coffee, he found that a surprising amount of glitter had fallen into his cup. He sighed heavily. Further observation showed that the countertop and the floor around him also had a fair bit of glitter. The counterman glared at him.
"Thanks for the mess, pal. I really enjoy sweeping, ya' know," groused the counterman.
The King hung his head and avoided the counterman's eye. He was too depressed to squash the uppity little bug like he ought to. Besides, it would wreck his shoes. The counterman stood at least five and a half feet tall, not counting his antennae and he looked to be very… juicy.
The King flinched when the bell over the door rang again, but relaxed when Ludo sat down on the stool beside him.
"What are you doing here, you useless mop?" he snapped.
Ludo removed his hat. He started to place it on the countertop, but when he noticed the glitter, he paused and then sat his hat on the stool next to him. Ludo was feeling very embarrassed about how the night had went, and had no reply for the disgruntled King.
"Just let her walk right out, eh?" snarled The King. "Well, well. How about the Old Man? I don't see the Hat so you must have the five grand, right?"
"No," Ludo said sadly.
"Useless!" snapped The King. "I don't suppose you have any idea who's been squealing to Sarah, do you? Besides that miserable Hogface, that is."
"Pimp," said Ludo.
"What?" said The King.
"Sawah say Pimp tell," rumbled Ludo.
"Sarah says... What do you mean, 'Sarah says'? Have you been talking to her, too?" The King was red-faced and sizzling with anger. He slammed his fist down on the counter and a small lightning bolt popped through the air.
The counterman's eyes widened and he began to reconsider his earlier rudeness. He turned back to the sink. His four hands feverishly washed and dried as he made himself as busy as a spider simultaneously playing eight games of Whack-A-Mole.
"Ludo sowwy," the large orange hulk said nervously.
"I am surrounded by treason," The King exclaimed, rising to his feet and waving his arms about. "I need something to kick," he growled.
"You there," he snapped at the taxi goblins, "Come here!"
The taxi goblins looked at him as if he were a recently escaped madman wielding a machete. They dropped their sandwiches and bolted for the door.
The King sighed, his momentary rage spent. He sat back down.
"So," he said. "What does the One-Eyed Pimp have to do with my business?"
"Dunno," said Ludo.
"I suppose he's upset with me for some reason?" said The King. "I've not been frequenting his establishment as of late, but that's hardly a reason for him to interfere is it?"
"Nope."
"I don't suppose he was the one who called the cops tonight?" mused The King.
"Dunno."
The King pondered this state of affairs. Why on earth was the One-Eyed Pimp talking to Sarah? Had the Pimp suddenly turned informant? Why would a dangerous Underground figure like the One-Eyed Pimp stoop to such a thing?
He began to feel nervous. If the Pimp was talking to Sarah, he was surely talking to others. His whole operation might be in jeopardy. He began to wish that he'd squeezed Hoggle for a little information before he bogged him.
The bell over the door jingled.
*"So what's a nice place like this doing around a man like you?"*
He looked up. She was standing at his elbow; a vision in red, warm and alive and right next to him. He could almost feel her hands touching him again. He gave her a wide and open smile before he could even think of guarding his expression.
She blushed, and then looked angry because she was blushing. His smile became a smirk. Perhaps she had nice memories, too.
Ludo huffed and rolled his eyes.
"Have a seat, Sarah," Jareth said and gestured to the empty stool next to him.
She sat down. She leaned around Jareth and said "Hey Ludo."
"Hi Sawah," Ludo replied.
The King glared at Ludo with narrowed eyes. Ludo hung his head.
"So, Sarah," Jareth began without preamble. "You've been talking to the One-Eyed Pimp."
"Didymus? Yes, why?" She turned to the counterman and ordered coffee. The counterman scuttled over and deposited the cup, while keeping a nervous eye on The King, before returning to his dishes.
Jareth waited with impatience while the coffee transaction was made and glared at the counterman.
"Do you think it wise to converse with someone that… dangerous?" he asked.
Sarah looked blankly at him for a moment. She realized that he looked almost fearful at the mention of the One-Eyed Pimp. She then noticed the expression on Ludo's face as well. Did these two actually believe the stories about Didymus? He was about as dangerous as a sleepy kitten full of milk and whiskey. She was astounded. Didymus was a dear, but he was also an idiot. And from the looks on these two mugs, he might not be the only one.
"You let me worry about that, Jareth," she said.
He gave her another wide smile when she used his name, showing bright, crooked teeth in his adorable, jagged, little shark mouth. She wanted to touch his handsome face, but kept her hands to herself.
"Actually there's something else we need to talk about," she said.
"What's that, Precious?" he said, frowning at the glitter contaminating his coffee cup.
"You're under arrest."
"What?" he said, meeting her gaze; his eyes wide and stunned.
Ludo's head came up. He looked confused.
She put her badge on the countertop. It showed a dull gleam in the fluorescent light.
"What charges?" he sputtered, still staring in disbelief at the badge.
"Owl walking."
"Oh, you're got to be kidding me," he snapped. "Why don't I just pay you the five bucks right here?"
"Glittering."
The counterman snickered.
"So make it ten bucks," growled Jareth, glaring at the counterman.
"Facts evasion."
Everyone froze. Jareth was thunderstruck. He sat motionless and looked at her, with his mind whirling. She reached across and snapped a pair of cuffs on him, making sure that his shirt sleeves were between the metal and his skin.
"No time manipulating, Jareth," she said sadly.
"The cuffs are cold iron, aren't they," he said in an expressionless voice.
"Yes, and the cops are waiting outside."
"Looks like they're inside, too," he said, still in that flat voice.
She flushed.
"I guess that wasn't your truck, after all," he said.
"No."
"Well, you had me fooled," he said and looked away from her.
"I'm not going to apologize for doing my job, Jareth," she said quietly.
"Is there anything you DO want to apologize for?" he smirked, regaining his aplomb at last.
She looked intently into his eyes as a tiny smile made it halfway across her lips.
"I regret nothing," she said.
She watched as four trolls in police uniform laid paws on him and dragged him out the door. She went to the window and watched as they bundled him into the car and drove away. He looked back at her the whole time, until the car was out of sight.
She turned to the counterman. "Clean up this damn glitter," she said and stomped out the door.
The counterman looked at Ludo in bafflement.
"Mow coffee?" said Ludo.
* This line contributed by Ellen Weaver.