Author: Amber
Distribution: Email me first ([email protected]), but other than that, all I ask is that my name and email addy be left attached!
Disclaimer: Labyrinth and all its characters belong to Jim Henson and Lucasfilm(s?).. I own nothing, and I'm not looking to get any profit from this story! The only characters that belong to me are Hetta and Rilum! Oh yeah, and those demon monsters. ;) The song lyrics at the bottom belong once again to Supertramp (Thank you, Shi Sensou, for suggesting the song 'Dreamer'! My knowledge of Supertramp songs only goes about as far as Logical Song, Goodbye Stranger, Long Way Home, Bloody Well Right...and I think that's it. *grins*)
Summary: This story is a sequel to 'Say the Words'...it happens about seven years after Sarah left the Underground, and we see that Sarah has become quite a different person!
A/N: Yay, the Epilogue has been finished...which means that 'When Words Aren't Enough' is finally finished! I'm not sure how GOOD an ending it is, but it's an ending nonetheless! Many many MANY apologies for how long it's taken me to get it all done! And also, since this is the end of my Labyrinth story, I would like to extend HUGE thank-you's to everyone who has reviewed both this story and it's prequel! I should have given individual thanks when I posted each new chapter (I'll be doing that from now on), but this was my first time posting a multi-chaptered story, so I'm still kind of getting used to things! ;) However, I appreciate every single review I received...you're all the reason I even made it to the end of this story! ;) So each of you, give yourselves a hug and a cookie from me! ;)
"Now that we don't have to worry about you killing everything, you're welcome to live in the Goblin City," Sarah told the assembled mass of Nightmares, casting a covert glance at the Goblin King to gauge his reaction. He merely nodded in agreement.
"No, we can't," spoke the leader. Sarah frowned in consternation, her frown clearly asking them why they couldn't live in the city. "Your magic, my Queen...it is a bane to us. We were born of your nightmares, and your magic is made of dreams. It would not be possible for us to live so close to you."
Before she could think of what she was saying, Sarah blurted, "What makes you think I'm staying here?" This earned her not only an astounded look from Jareth, but a harsh ripple of laughter from The Nightmares as well.
"Even if you could leave, we know that you wouldn't," she was informed quite matter-of-factly. "Without you here, we will go back to the way we were, killing anything and everything we come across. And you don't have the cruelty it takes to kill us..."
"You might be surprised," Jareth muttered almost inaudibly. Sarah elbowed him.
"After what you almost did today, I could have done it, and not cared at all," she told the monsters fiercely. "You are not to harm a single creature of the Underground unless they are a direct threat to the king or the land. Am I understood?"
"Of course, my Queen, but as I said before, you must stay within the Underground in order for us to follow your orders."
The creature's raspy voice was starting to bother her. Turning away, she faced Jareth and leaned closer so she could talk without the others listening. "If they don't want to live within the city - and I have to say that I'm glad they don't want to - then where should they go?"
"You're their queen," he replied with infuriating calm. "Put them where you want them."
"They may be my subjects, but this is your kingdom! I'd really appreciate it if you would help."
A mischievous light entered the Goblin King's mismatched eyes, and he studied her silently for a moment. At last, he murmured, "I'll help you only if you do me a favor in return."
Sarah squeaked in outrage. "What do you mean, 'do you a favor'? I've just saved your entire kingdom from being destroyed by those monsters! It's you who owes the favors now!"
Jareth waved a hand carelessly, as though swatting away her words. "That wasn't a real fight though, was it Sarah? If I'd known that all you had to do was be here in order for them to behave, I could have simply abducted you instead of politely asking your help. No, I really don't think you've done any favors yet." He ignored the baleful glare she was pinning him with and continued speaking. "Besides, you'd have to do much more than subdue a few monsters before I forgave you for the trouble you caused me during your first visit to the Labyrinth."
"Jareth, don't you dare try to make me feel guilty for that - "
"Have I finished yet?" Arms crossed, he was obviously trying to be intimidating. He should have realized by that point that Sarah Williams was no longer intimidated by him, no matter how many Cleaners or oubliettes he threw at her. "As I was saying, it would take much more to make up for the damage you've already done, but I've come up with a suitable idea that would make up for it - "
"Would you just kiss the girl and get it over with?" Hoggle demanded impatiently from behind them. Sarah quickly stifled a laugh as Jareth turned around slowly and glared at the dwarf.
"And when did you get to be so bold?"
"Fightin' monsters does that to ya," Hoggle retorted. "Now, are you gonna stop fightin' with her and kiss her?"
"Please don't kiss," Toby begged, looking disgusted. "At least, not while I'm around."
Jareth looked back at Sarah with a harried expression. "You're a bad influence on them."
"I'm a bad influence?! You're pushing it, Jareth."
"I didn't mean it as an insult to you."
"Oh? Then what did you mean by it? Because it sounded like an insult to me..."
"Hoggle's right," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else. Before Sarah could react, he had grabbed her by her upper arms, pulled her aggressively toward him, and kissed her. It was a brief kiss, but when he released her she was looking a little dazed. Toby was gagging in the background.
"Is...is that all you wanted in return?" she asked breathlessly. Jareth chuckled.
"Not quite. Actually, I was hoping maybe you would reconsider staying here. You see, I'm in need of a Queen, and as annoying as you can be sometimes, you really are on the top of my list of candidates. If you say no, then I'll have to turn to my second choice, which was Hogwart."
Sarah burst out laughing at the same time that Hoggle choked in surprise. When she'd finally regained control of herself, she deadpanned, "Well, it's a wonderful idea, don't get me wrong, but...I really don't want to disappoint Hoggle. I heard him confessing to Ludo the other night that he would give anything to rule the Underground by your side." Hoggle choked again.
"I think he can withstand the disappointment," Jareth murmured, leaning forward slightly. "Will you stay?"
Sighing, Sarah threw her hands up and looked away. "How can I?" she asked. "It's not as if my sudden disappearance Aboveground would go unnoticed. I have a job, and friends, and a family..."
"I can fix that easily," he told her. "A simple spell, and they can either believe you moved to some distant location, or they can forget about you entirely."
Sarah mulled this thought over for several minutes. Did she really want everyone to forget she'd ever existed? No, that wouldn't work even if she did like the idea. Toby would certainly not want to forget about his adventure in the Labyrinth, and she would feel guilty if she tried to force a spell on him. So making everyone think she'd moved to, say, Russia or something would be more plausible (it would allow her to come back every so often for visits), but that left one last question: did she really want to stay in the Underground?
You've conveniently forgotten about Ryan during all this time, she reminded herself, grimacing. He's probably been worried sick about you. You owe him more than this.
"Jareth, there's someone...Aboveground...someone that deserves more than a memory spell."
"You've been seeing someone?" The king's voice was dangerously calm.
"Yes and no. Our first date was the night this started, so it isn't as if we've been dating for a long time, but even so...I owe him an explanation, or...or something."
"How about: 'Welcome to Dumpville. Population: You'," Toby suggested, snickering. Sarah pinned him with a menacing glare, which didn't affect him in the slightest. "Oh, c'mon, Sarah! That guy's probably a dork! And this place is so cool!"
Jareth smiled slowly. "I knew from the beginning that I liked you," he stated. "A pity your sister rescued you."
"We're getting away from the point of all this," Sarah reminded.
"Which is...?"
"Jareth, if you're going to be difficult, then I'll just take Toby and go - "
"Alright, alright, calm down. If I let you say good-bye to this...boy of yours, will you stay?"
"Depends."
"On what?"
Sarah gestured to the assemblage of Nightmares, who were still waiting for orders on where they were to stay. "I asked you to help me put them somewhere, remember? Will you?"
The Goblin King sighed heavily. "I suppose so..."
"Then it's a deal."
He studied Sarah for a moment. "That was terribly unromantic, don't you think? 'It's a deal?' We're not discussing business propositions, you know. I'm asking you to stay with me forever...marriage, as you call it."
Marriage. What a terribly serious, committed sort of word. It sounded wonderful. "Would you like to know how we do things Aboveground, then?" she asked, smiling.
"It involves more than just saying 'It's a deal'?"
"Of course it does! First, the guy usually buys a beautiful, expensive diamond ring; some champagne...they have a nice, candlelit dinner - "
"Who, the guy, the ring, and the champagne?"
"Jareth? Shut up. As I was saying, the guy and the girl usually have a candlelit dinner, and then the guy usually gets down on one knee, produces the ring, makes a lovely and romantic speech before finally asking the girl to marry him."
That mischievous sparkle once again lit up in Jareth's eyes. He lowered himself to one knee, produced a crystal from midair (which almost immediately thereafter transformed into a delicate gold ring with a single diamond set atop it), and looked up at Sarah. "We've been through quite a bit together, you and I," he began, all impishness replaced by solemnity. "At the beginning, I thought I hated you. You were a terribly annoying, whiny thing, after all. That opinion only grew as you continued to whine and nag at me like an old hag - "
"Hey!" Sarah exclaimed, doubling over with laughter. "If that's your idea of romantic, you need a little practice!"
Jareth stood up, also laughing, and walked over to stand right in front of her. He held the ring out to her, an affectionate smile on his face. "I was going to finish with 'But you've turned into quite a beautiful, charming, and intelligent woman,' but you cut me off before I had a chance to say it. So in the words of your world, will you marry me?"
A deep blush reddened Sarah's cheeks. "This is so silly," she whispered, giggling and looking away. Eventually though, she held out her hand and allowed him to slip the ring on her finger, then looked up at him and smiled.
"Right, then." Jareth turned to face The Nightmares, an arm sliding around Sarah's waist. "I'm in need of soldiers to guard the entrances to the Labyrinth," he announced loudly. "Since my previous guard has been promoted to leader of the Goblin Army - " Hoggle exclaimed in pleased surprise at the same time that Sir Didymus yipped indignantly. " - I would be very pleased if you would take his place along the wall surrounding the Labyrinth."
Hundreds of eyes focused on Sarah, silently asking if these orders were acceptable to her. "Do as he says!" she stated. Then, with an impish smirk, she continued, "I suppose he does have some authority, after all."
"My queen, I hope that was a challenge..."
Ryan thought he had never seen Sarah look so beautiful. She was garbed in a long dress of deep crimson, with thick ropes of rubies around her waist and frail strands of the gems woven through her dark hair. Around her neck was that necklace she'd worn on their date, the crescent moon with the tiny crystal hanging from its upper tip. The smile on her face was so warm that he'd forgotten that she wasn't really there.
"I've been worried about you, Sarah," he told her, crossing the distance toward her. His eyes swept up and down her graceful figure. "Where did you get that dress? It looks beautiful on you."
"Thank you." She blushed. "Someone gave it to me." After a deep breath, she continued. "Ryan, there's something I need to tell you."
As if he was acting in a movie, ominous music seemed to be buzzing in his ears. This conversation wasn't going exactly the way he'd wanted it to. He reached out and tried to bring Sarah to him, but she slipped away as though made from water. "What's wrong? I haven't done anything, have I?"
She laughed suddenly. "No, of course not! But...I found someone else. Actually, I found him a long time ago, but I finally realized how much he meant to me."
Ryan shook his head, trying to get his thoughts in order. This couldn't be happening! After all that time trying to get her attention, and then finally having a date with her...he'd only gotten the chance to date her one time! It couldn't be ending yet! He reached out to her again, but just as before she seemed to slip away from his grasp.
"Please don't make this more difficult," she pleaded quietly. "I could have just left without saying anything, but you deserve an explanation." She smiled enigmatically. "Besides, I have a feeling there's going to be a new young woman at work tomorrow to take my place..."
"I don't want another woman!" he yelled in frustration. "If I did, I wouldn't have asked you to go out with me!"
Sarah's smile turned sad. "I know. And I'm sorry this happened. But I'm not going to feel guilty about it, and I know you'll be okay." She turned to look behind her, as if there was something - or someone - back there. By the time she looked back again, she was starting to look misty and insubstantial. "Good-bye, Ryan. I wish you a happy life."
And like that, she was gone. When Ryan woke up the next day, he had no idea that the previous night's events had been a dream; as far as he knew, Sarah really had been there. By the time he got to work, he found her prediction to be correct...there was a new woman there, and as if by some magical spell, he became instantly entranced with her. He would never forget Sarah, true enough, but this woman was every bit as beautiful...
"I'm not going back! Sarah, tell him that I'm not going back!"
Sarah walked into the dining room just in time to see her brother arguing heatedly with Jareth. "What are you talking about?" she inquired carefully. Toby crossed his arms and pouted, slouching back in his seat.
"Your brother wants to stay here indefinitely," Jareth explained calmly. "I told you the first time he visited that he was perfectly happy here, didn't I?"
"As a goblin?" Sarah arched a brow and sat down at the table. After giving Jareth a meaningful look, she turned to Toby. "Toby, you know you're welcome to visit. Dad and Karen think I've moved to England, and I'm sure they'd love for you to experience a new culture. There won't be any problem with that, but you can't stay permanently."
"Why not?"
"Because your parents would miss you! And besides, you're not old enough to make decisions for yourself yet. Wait until you're older before you decide where you want to live."
Toby rolled his blue eyes. "Why does everyone tell me that? 'Wait 'til you're older!' How old do I have to be?!"
"You'll know," Jareth replied, sounding amused. He looked at his wife and smiled. "So, how has the past week been? Is the life of a queen suiting you well?"
"Oh, perfectly." She grinned. "About as well as Hoggle's new life is suiting him, I suppose. Sir Didymus is still upset that you didn't choose him, though. Even being an officer hasn't made him feel better." She chuckled suddenly before continuing. "Hetta is very appreciative of her new home, and sends her regards."
"Does she?" Jareth nodded in satisfaction. Hetta, as a gift for her loyalty toward Sarah and Jareth, had been given a new house within the Goblin City. In fact, it was the largest house in the entire city, with sturdy stone walls, spacious rooms, and a fenced-in backyard to keep her adventurous young son from escaping and joining some random goblin raid. Toby and Rilum had spent a lot of time together since The Nightmares had been sent away, and Sarah had a suspicion that their new friendship was a major reason why Toby didn't want to leave.
"And...there is one more matter we need to discuss, but it's best to do so privately." She stood up and smiled apologetically at Toby. "We'll be back in a few minutes, Toby, promise."
"Where are you taking me, my queen?" Jareth inquired curiously, following her out of the dining room and toward the rear of the castle. He didn't get a single response from her until after they'd entered the flowered courtyard. There, she turned around to face him and produced a crystal from the air.
"We've been concentrating a lot lately on evening up old scores," she began mysteriously, twirling the crystal in her hand. The light reflected like liquid off its smooth surface. "And I got to thinking last night that there's just one more thing you owe me."
Jareth's eyebrows shot up. "Is there really?" he drawled. "And what might that be?"
"Well..." With a sudden flick of her wrist, the crystal became a peach, which she tossed lightly to him. "Does that give you an idea?"
"A vague one," he replied, a slow smile spreading across his features. "Are you trying to say that you'd like me to eat a drugged peach in retaliation for both the times I did it to you?"
"Oh, nothing quite so tacky," she said, chuckling. "But both times you've sent me to that ball, I feel like I've been short-changed. One lousy dance, and we're back to the real world! That's hardly fair, don't you agree?"
Realization dawning on him, Jareth's smile turned into a full-fledged grin. He turned the peach back into a crystal and then let it float, bubble-light, from his fingertips. "In that case, I suppose it would only be right to give us both a little more time at the ball..."
"My thoughts exactly," Sarah replied, looking at the crystal floating before them. Both of their faces were reflected on its surface. This ball, she decided as a dreamlike haze surrounded her, was going to be the perfect ending of her old life...and the perfect beginning to her new life.
Take a life, take a holiday
Take a lie, take a dreamer
dream, dream, dream, dream, dream along...
- 'Dreamer' by Supertramp
* * * *
And thus, we reach the end! I was toying with the idea of making this into a trilogy, but I just don't think this is the sort of story that needs another part! So again, thank you thank you THANK YOU to everyone who has reviewed this story and 'Say The Words'...these two were not only my first Labyrinth fanfics, but they were my first major works of fan fiction on FF.N! So your reviews mean a lot to me! *grins and runs off*
