The Almighty Disclaimer
Oh Moffat, Gatiss, and Thompson
Oh Henson and Doyle,
And Pika-la Cynique the generous,
To you belongs all the characters
And none so for me!
A/N: This story was inspired by "The Thin White Sleuth..." by Pika-la-Cynique of Girls Next Door fame. The title comes from a lyric in the song "Nightmares" by Chameleon Circuit.
&%&%&%
Sarah watched Jareth as he tried to boss around Scotland Yard's finest. "I need to have the gallery owner arrested for murder and fraud. The Vermeer is a fake."
"And how do you know that?" Lestrade asked.
"Well, I would say the assassin in the morgue would be a clue," Sherlock said.
"Who is there because fairy boy has a temper problem," Sally said.
"I am not a fairy but I do bite Sally. He attacked. I reciprocated in kind. Self-defense," Jareth said.
"I'll go down to the gallery with you," Lestrade said with a sigh, "Sally bring some uniformed officers with you. You know they're right."
"I am not letting a bunch of psychopaths have free reign over the place!" Sally shouted.
Sherlock said, "Well I can inform you that..."
Suddenly, searing pain traveled all throughout Sarah's body. She had not felt that level of pain since Jareth had removed the Labyrinth's magic from her body. Sarah screamed and screamed for what felt like eons but was really only ten seconds. When she felt the pain leave her, she could hear a whimper come from Sally and a moan come from Sherlock.
"What... what..." Sarah gasped.
As her vision cleared, Sarah saw John kneeling next to a motionless Jareth. "Jar... Jareth," Sarah said.
Jareth coughed and sat up abruptly. Blood was dripping from his mouth. "Bloody hell, what happened?" John asked.
"The... Labyrinth..." Jareth said. A crystal formed in his hand and he shook it. "Goblin King... Rossetti... Christiana. Please. Answer."
Sarah could faintly see the Goblin King in the crystal. "Gremlins, kinsman," Rossetti said, "I have to go. Another wave is coming through."
The crystal popped in Jareth's hand, but not before Sarah saw the Goblin King rip the head off a gremlin in the throne room. Sarah crawled over to Jareth's side and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Is that why Slider was killed?"
"Yes," Jareth said quietly, "The gremlins were deciding if we... if the Goblin Kingdom was vulnerable. There have been rumors of war, but little else. I honestly thought it was just talk but... but this is different."
"Has the Goblin Kingdom ever been at war before?" Sarah asked. She thought of the "army" she had faced during her run and she wanted to vomit if that was their fighting force.
"We have. It was not during my reign though," Jareth said.
"What happened to us?" Sally asked.
"The gremlins must have hit a vulnerable point in the Labyrinth. We are all connected so we felt it," Jareth said, "And yes, if the Labyrinth is destroyed, we are killed too."
"Wonderful," Sherlock said.
"Oh no," Sarah said, "Toby. I need to call my parents and see if he's okay."
Jareth frowned at this. "Damn you Sherlock. We need to get to the gallery."
"I need to call..."
"No, you don't," Jareth said, "We need to get there as quickly as possible."
&%&%&%
Jareth did not speak as they made their way into the gallery. Jareth nodded to Sherlock when Jareth was in front of the painting. Sherlock stood behind Sarah while John stood next to Lestrade.
Jareth called the bomber. "The painting is a fake."
Silence.
"Are you wondering how it is a fake? It is merely a detail. Let the hostage go. This part of the game is over," Jareth said.
Silence.
Jareth covered his mouth for a moment before speaking again. "Give me time. I have some time left."
"Thirteen."
Sarah felt Sherlock grab her and cover her mouth before she could full process who was speaking.
"Twelve."
"It's Toby," Lestrade said.
"Eleven."
"Shut up! All of you!" Jareth said.
"Ten."
"Nine."
Sarah choked back bile.
"Eight."
John was pacing.
"Seven."
Lestrade covered his mouth, his eyes tightly shut.
"Six."
Jareth was muttering.
"Five."
I believe in you Jareth. I believe in you. Save Toby. Please.
"Four."
"THE VAN BUREN SUPERNOVA!"
Silence.
"Cutting it close, aren't you Jareth?" Toby said.
Jareth's shoulders slumped in relief. Sherlock let Sarah go and she ran next to Jareth. She grabbed the wrist of the hand holding the pink phone.
"Toby! Toby, don't move. Are you all right? Where are you? Don't describe anyone. Just tell us where you are!" Sarah said.
"There is an address in my hand," Toby said, "I'm... in a bomb. Sarah, I'm in a bomb."
Jareth put the phone in Sarah's hand. He walked over to the gallery owner, grabbed her by the throat, dragged her to the wall, and held her up against the wall.
"Who put you up to this? I have no problem killing such an insignificant creature like you," Jareth said, his goblin grin showing.
"Jareth!" Sarah shouted. She ran up next to him. "Don't you dare! Let her down!"
"Why should I? She can care less about human life. It will make the world a little less... petty," Jareth said.
"You can be cruel, Jareth, but save that cruelty for the man behind all of this," Sarah said, "Please, Jareth. For me, please."
Jareth dropped the gallery owner. "Your expectations will never stop being exhausting, will they?"
"Sarah? Jareth?" Toby asked.
"It's okay, Toby. I'll be there soon. You will be safe," Sarah said.
"Okay," Toby said. He's so brave. He's so close to breaking but he won't. My brave little Toby.
"Donovan is outside and we'll send someone to the address," Lestrade said, placing himself between Jareth and the gallery owner.
Sarah handed the phone to Lestrade. She made Jareth face her. She gently placed her hands to cup his face.
"Look at me, Jareth, please," Sarah said.
He did and Sarah saw how broken and angry he was. "I believe in you, Jareth, just like you believed in me all those years ago. I believe that you can win this and defeat the bomber. I believe that you are the hero of this story and not the villain. To do that, though, you have to be good and do the right thing."
"I am not the hero Sarah," Jareth said softly, "I am going to make him suffer, whoever did this. Toby is my heir and I will not let this pass."
"Jareth, that is not going to happen. Do you know why? Because I am going to kill him. There will not be a scrap of him left to feed the dogs. No one harms my brother."
Jareth rested his head against Sarah's. "If you remain the pure heroine, I will be the dark, tormented hero. Deal?"
"Deal." Sarah stood on her toes and kissed Jareth's forehead. "I have to go to Toby."
"I know. Go."
&%&%&%
"Will Toby be okay?" Mr. Williams asked as he and his eldest daughter stood outside Toby's hospital room.
"I... I don't know," Sarah said.
"Is it because of that Jareth fellow?" Mr. Williams asked.
Sarah shook his head. "It's not his fault. Someone is obsessed with Jareth and wants to see if Jareth is as brilliant as everyone thinks he is."
"Is he as smart as everyone thinks he is?"
Sarah nodded her head.
"Can he stop this man?"
"Yes, Dad. Jareth won't stop hunting this man down until he's dead."
"And you being with Jareth, that helps him do better, doesn't it?"
"Yes."
"Then Sarah, don't leave him until the bomber is dead."
Sarah hugged her Father. "I love you Daddy. Thank you."
"I love you too, princess."
&%&%&%
Sarah almost vomited when she made it out of the hospital and into the cab. Toby was safe and unharmed physically. Psychologically, he was a mess and there was nothing Sarah could do about it. She was shaking as the cab made its way across London. A few minutes into her drive, she realized something was wrong.
"Hey, where are you taking me? This isn't going to take you to Baker Street," Sarah said.
"Change of plans, my dear," the cab driver said, with the hint of an Irish accent. He looked straight ahead and Sarah could not see his face.
Sarah went to try to unlock the doors but there were strange locks that could not be opened by a passenger. She went to try to attack the cab driver but found that the window divider was closed and thicker than average glass.
"If you don't let me go, my friends will..."
"Your friends are currently trapped in the Labyrinth trying to make sure the gremlins do not destroy it. No one from there is going to be coming for you."
"You're him, aren't you? You're the bomber?"
The cab driver smiled and started chewing on a piece of gum. "You can call me Jim."
&%&%&%
A/N: Seriously, why do these people still take cabs after "A Study in Pink"?
For some reason, I feel nervous writing Moriarty. I do not feel like I do him justice. Also, for some reason, he is a very draining character to write. I have written serial killers and criminal masterminds before, but Moriarty is a special type of evil it seems to write.