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Fic: Family Reunion 3/8
Title: Family Reunion 3/8
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Cain, Jareth, Sarah, DG, Raw and the knockers
Rating: G
Summary: Cain finds his brother in a comprimising position while DG finds out that there are more than two 'sides' to every story...
Warning: Crack, crack and more crack. Oh, and did I mention the CRACK?! o.O *For the purposes of this story, assume that Sarah and Jareth's first meeting was roughly five to six years ago, our time (aka: not in the 80s). Sarah and DG are roughly the same age - mid-20s Lonot and his math, be damned! And I don't actually know where Sarah is from. Go with it.
Disclaimer: The original characters belong to L. Frank Baum and their respective actors. The current characters belong to Sci-Fi, the movie folks and their respective actors. The Labyrinth and Sarah belongs to Jareth, who's borrowing it from Jim Henson, George Lucas and Terry Gilliam. The OCs are mine. The idea came from buffybot76.
Family Reunion: Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | When Is a Door Not a Door? | Two Cains are Crankier Than One
Kans-Az: First Meeting | Azkadellia's First Barbeque | Laundry | Bar Queen
Cain made sure DG was preoccupied with Glitch and her sister before speaking with the Queen. She was rather understanding of the situation and offered Cain guard accompaniment, which he respectfully declined.
Knowing Glitch probably wouldn’t remember, Cain took Raw aside to tell him of the trip. While he didn’t want to assume he wouldn’t be missed, part of him wanted them to miss him. Not that Cain’s absence would mean the downfall of the O.Z., but he’d become accustomed to being the ‘rock.’
Raw didn’t say anything to the contrary, but Cain could tell the Viewer disapproved of his ‘sneaking out.’ Under the auspice of escorting Jeb out - the young man was insistent to get back to the base camp - Cain nodded again to the Queen and Raw and pulled on his hat.
He and Jeb walked to the edge of the grounds in silence. As they reached the hedge maze, Cain took Jeb’s arm. “Do you remember me telling you about my family? My parents?” Jeb nodded and looked back to the palace.
Squinting at the sunlight reflecting off the lake, Jeb turned back to his father and asked: “You aren’t going back there, are you?” Cain looked at the ground and sighed. Looking up to Jeb, Cain was met with a smirk. “Well,” Jeb stated, extending his hand. “It was good to know you.”
Cain cocked his head and Jeb nodded back toward the palace. “When the Princess finds out you left... without saying ‘Goodbye,’ no less...” He laughed and smiled at his father. “She’ll hunt you down and kill you. So,” he motioned to his extended hand again.
Cain laughed, only slightly nervous that his son’s prediction might be correct, and took his son’s hand. After a moment, Jeb pulled his father into a quick half-hug and stepped back. “Take care of yourself, son,” Cain said with a nod.
“You, too.” Jeb began moving into the hedge maze, leaving Cain to look back at the palace for a moment, before entering himself.
“I’ll be back, soon... if you need help. With anything,” Cain said, motioning to a turn ahead. Jeb nodded, but said nothing. A moment later, the Cain men found themselves standing next to the post in the hedge maze. Cain clenched his jaw and nodded left. “I’m this way.”
Jeb nodded and glanced behind him for a moment. “Maybe, once we’re all...” He shrugged and watched his father turn back and smile. “I mean, I could have cousins.” Cain laughed and nodded. They said ‘Goodbye’ again and separated within the maze.
Roughly five minutes later, Cain turned a corner and saw the door. A door he hadn’t seen in almost twenty years - not since sending the note back about Jeb’s birth. The news of his mother had arrived via a tawny owl. How the owl managed to open the door, still baffled Cain. Looking at the door, Cain tried to ignore the sneer on the face of the knocker. He really hated this one. At least the other couldn’t talk. Unfortunately, he could hear. And this one had an attitude.
He reached for the knocker and stopped, leaning his hand on the door instead and taking a deep breath. Why was he suddenly nervous? It’s not like home was any worse than what he’d been through the last eight years. Breathing deeply, Cain glanced at the knocker and glared back.
“It’s very ru-” the knocker started.
“Oh, shut up!” Cain said, rolling his eyes and grasping the large brass ring coming out of the face’s ears.
The face glowered at him and sniffed. “Can’t hear you,” it said, rolling its own eyes. Cain grumbled and raised the knocker, then dropped it back to the door. He let go and watched as the door swung open. Stopping just inside the doorway, Cain turned to the knocker.
“If you’d like, I can move you to a different door. Maybe a bathroom? Or some place with lots of kids?” The knocker flinched slightly and put on a haughty expression, staring off into the maze. “Didn’t think so,” Cain said with a smirk. He stepped through the archway and the door closed behind him.
~*~
As soon as Cain reached the castle, he removed his duster and draped it over his arm. Holding his hat in one hand, Cain moved toward the throne room, occasionally stopping to look at the castle. What had happened here? Home had most definitely seen better days.
Reaching the doorway of the throne room, Cain heard his brother’s voice - at least, he assumed it was his brother. “No... No... No.” Cain looked into the large space and saw Jareth lounging across the throne, staring off to his left. “No.” Cain noticed his brother look over his left shoulder, but couldn’t see who he was talking to. “Yes.”
“Okay,” Cain heard another voice say. “Just let me add...” Cain’s eyebrows raised in surprise as he saw a young brunette - probably DG’s age - come into view from around the throne. Cain leaned against the doorframe and watched as the girl held up an oddly-shaped book and pointed it at Jareth. “According to this,” she stated with a solemn expression. “You’re Samantha.” She shrugged as Jareth shot straight up in his seat.
“Give me that!” Jareth demanded, holding out his hand. Cain watched as she handed the book over and his brother glanced at the page facing him. Jareth jumped up, towering over the girl, but she didn’t even flinch. “You told me my answers were a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No,’” Jareth said incredulously. The girl nodded.
“While there are, clearly, four choices here.” Jareth pointed to the page and added: “And you didn’t even ask me that one!” Cain smiled as the girl pulled the book back from his brother with a huff.
“Fine!” she said with a huff as Jareth moved around her and crossed his arms. “Which accessory do you consider most important? Your shoes; your lingerie; your purse-” She looked up to the doorway and saw Cain, which made him push off the frame and stand straight. “Or the blonde in the doorway who stole Harrison Ford’s hat?”
Jareth turned to look at the girl and, seeing that her gaze was focused on the door, turned as well. Cain actually snorted at the sight of his brother, but tried to force a straight face. Jareth stood in silence for a moment before dropping his arms.
“I assumed you were dead,” he said finally.
Cain could only smile. “I was,” he said with a nod. And it was partly true. The girl looked between Jareth and himself as Cain placed his hat and coat on the table just inside the door. Stepping over to Jareth, he instead turned to her and extended a hand. “Wyatt Cain.”
She took his hand, still trying to make a judgment. “Sarah Williams.”
Cain raised an eyebrow. “Kansas?”
“Connecticut,” Sarah replied quickly - her own eyebrow raised - unsure of what this man was asking. She looked to Jareth again.
Jareth and Cain gave each other a look-over and Jareth smirked. “You look like Hell.”
Cain raised an eyebrow. It was far too easy. “Speak for yourself, little brother,” he said with a laugh. Sarah looked between the two men and slapped Jareth’s arm. Jareth’s eyes darted in her direction, then back to Cain. A moment later, a grin spread across his face and he reached for Cain.
“Great,” Cain said with a sigh. “More hugging.”
~*~
DG was halfway across the grounds by the time she’d managed to pull her coat on. It was almost comedic, watching her try to get her arm in the sleeve and she hurried out the door. Raw was hot on her heels, saying nothing as she cursed the former-Tin Man with words Raw had never heard.
At some point, Raw managed to get in front of DG and stop her. “DG must stay here. Safe here.”
“After everything we’ve been through, he should cowboy up enough to say ‘Goodbye’ to my face,” she mumbled to herself, looking out over the horizon.
“Cain come back,” Raw said, knowing it was true. He just didn’t know when. DG looked at Raw for a moment, and then turned toward the maze. “DG!” Raw chased after her. He knew that he should get her back to the palace. But he could also sense the frustrations in both DG and, earlier, Cain. Maybe it would be good for DG to know exactly what she was dealing with.
DG reached the post and Raw caught her sleeve, pointing left. DG spun around, fairly certain the exit was right. Shrugging, she followed Raw’s lead. He stopped just before the door was in view and took DG’s hand. “DG come home. Cain come home. Be patient.” DG kissed Raw’s check and smiled.
“How much trouble can I possibly get in? It’s not like I can get lost in here,” she said with a wave toward the hedge. Raw glanced in the direction of the door and groaned. Cain would be angry, but by the time they returned, Raw could be back with his people. And Cain would never find him.
Raw looked at DG for a moment then dropped his shoulders in defeat. Nodding, he motioned to the corner and, as they came in view of the door, Raw reared back at the sight of the knocker. He reached out quickly, knocked once and they both watched as the door swung open. DG looked through and turned to Raw.
“You okay?” she asked, her brow furrowing at the look on her friend’s face. He looked extremely uncomfortable and that worried DG. He twitched slightly and focused on DG, then blinked and took a step back.
DG took a step toward him, but Raw held up a hand. “Raw no go to that side. Too many voices.”
DG turned and looked through the open doorway again. “Side?” Her eyes danced for a moment. “You mean the Other Side?” she asked hopefully, which pinched at Raw’s insides. ‘Why would Cain go to the Other Side?’ DG wondered. Turning back to Raw, she asked: “How many sides are there, Raw?”
“Raw know of three.” DG blinked. “Cain side. DG side... and Raw side.” DG could feel the deer-in-the-headlight look spread across her face.
“Cain’s side? What?” She spun back to the door, then to Raw, who took her hand, pointed to the archway and stepped back again. DG did a slight double-take and shuffled through the doorway, thoroughly confused.
As the door swung shut, DG frowned. ‘Cain’s side?’ she thought, wondering what kind of joke Raw was trying to play on her. Looking around, DG noticed another door, next to the one she’d just gone through. “What the-” she asked no one. The other side of the hedge was solid plant. How was there a door there? She turned around again and - while it looked the same - DG knew something was different. Throwing her hands up, DG turned and walked away from the doors.
“She’ll be back,” the knocker with the ring through his ears said with a sniff.
“Mmah?” the other knocker - with a ring in his mouth - asked.
“What?” the first knocker shouted back.
....
And a BIG thanks to everyone for enjoying this bit of insanity! :D
@tmfictionawards
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Cain, Jareth, Sarah, DG, Raw and the knockers
Rating: G
Summary: Cain finds his brother in a comprimising position while DG finds out that there are more than two 'sides' to every story...
Warning: Crack, crack and more crack. Oh, and did I mention the CRACK?! o.O *For the purposes of this story, assume that Sarah and Jareth's first meeting was roughly five to six years ago, our time (aka: not in the 80s). Sarah and DG are roughly the same age - mid-20s Lonot and his math, be damned! And I don't actually know where Sarah is from. Go with it.
Disclaimer: The original characters belong to L. Frank Baum and their respective actors. The current characters belong to Sci-Fi, the movie folks and their respective actors. The Labyrinth and Sarah belongs to Jareth, who's borrowing it from Jim Henson, George Lucas and Terry Gilliam. The OCs are mine. The idea came from buffybot76.
Family Reunion: Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | When Is a Door Not a Door? | Two Cains are Crankier Than One
Kans-Az: First Meeting | Azkadellia's First Barbeque | Laundry | Bar Queen
Cain made sure DG was preoccupied with Glitch and her sister before speaking with the Queen. She was rather understanding of the situation and offered Cain guard accompaniment, which he respectfully declined.
Knowing Glitch probably wouldn’t remember, Cain took Raw aside to tell him of the trip. While he didn’t want to assume he wouldn’t be missed, part of him wanted them to miss him. Not that Cain’s absence would mean the downfall of the O.Z., but he’d become accustomed to being the ‘rock.’
Raw didn’t say anything to the contrary, but Cain could tell the Viewer disapproved of his ‘sneaking out.’ Under the auspice of escorting Jeb out - the young man was insistent to get back to the base camp - Cain nodded again to the Queen and Raw and pulled on his hat.
He and Jeb walked to the edge of the grounds in silence. As they reached the hedge maze, Cain took Jeb’s arm. “Do you remember me telling you about my family? My parents?” Jeb nodded and looked back to the palace.
Squinting at the sunlight reflecting off the lake, Jeb turned back to his father and asked: “You aren’t going back there, are you?” Cain looked at the ground and sighed. Looking up to Jeb, Cain was met with a smirk. “Well,” Jeb stated, extending his hand. “It was good to know you.”
Cain cocked his head and Jeb nodded back toward the palace. “When the Princess finds out you left... without saying ‘Goodbye,’ no less...” He laughed and smiled at his father. “She’ll hunt you down and kill you. So,” he motioned to his extended hand again.
Cain laughed, only slightly nervous that his son’s prediction might be correct, and took his son’s hand. After a moment, Jeb pulled his father into a quick half-hug and stepped back. “Take care of yourself, son,” Cain said with a nod.
“You, too.” Jeb began moving into the hedge maze, leaving Cain to look back at the palace for a moment, before entering himself.
“I’ll be back, soon... if you need help. With anything,” Cain said, motioning to a turn ahead. Jeb nodded, but said nothing. A moment later, the Cain men found themselves standing next to the post in the hedge maze. Cain clenched his jaw and nodded left. “I’m this way.”
Jeb nodded and glanced behind him for a moment. “Maybe, once we’re all...” He shrugged and watched his father turn back and smile. “I mean, I could have cousins.” Cain laughed and nodded. They said ‘Goodbye’ again and separated within the maze.
Roughly five minutes later, Cain turned a corner and saw the door. A door he hadn’t seen in almost twenty years - not since sending the note back about Jeb’s birth. The news of his mother had arrived via a tawny owl. How the owl managed to open the door, still baffled Cain. Looking at the door, Cain tried to ignore the sneer on the face of the knocker. He really hated this one. At least the other couldn’t talk. Unfortunately, he could hear. And this one had an attitude.
He reached for the knocker and stopped, leaning his hand on the door instead and taking a deep breath. Why was he suddenly nervous? It’s not like home was any worse than what he’d been through the last eight years. Breathing deeply, Cain glanced at the knocker and glared back.
“It’s very ru-” the knocker started.
“Oh, shut up!” Cain said, rolling his eyes and grasping the large brass ring coming out of the face’s ears.
The face glowered at him and sniffed. “Can’t hear you,” it said, rolling its own eyes. Cain grumbled and raised the knocker, then dropped it back to the door. He let go and watched as the door swung open. Stopping just inside the doorway, Cain turned to the knocker.
“If you’d like, I can move you to a different door. Maybe a bathroom? Or some place with lots of kids?” The knocker flinched slightly and put on a haughty expression, staring off into the maze. “Didn’t think so,” Cain said with a smirk. He stepped through the archway and the door closed behind him.
~*~
As soon as Cain reached the castle, he removed his duster and draped it over his arm. Holding his hat in one hand, Cain moved toward the throne room, occasionally stopping to look at the castle. What had happened here? Home had most definitely seen better days.
Reaching the doorway of the throne room, Cain heard his brother’s voice - at least, he assumed it was his brother. “No... No... No.” Cain looked into the large space and saw Jareth lounging across the throne, staring off to his left. “No.” Cain noticed his brother look over his left shoulder, but couldn’t see who he was talking to. “Yes.”
“Okay,” Cain heard another voice say. “Just let me add...” Cain’s eyebrows raised in surprise as he saw a young brunette - probably DG’s age - come into view from around the throne. Cain leaned against the doorframe and watched as the girl held up an oddly-shaped book and pointed it at Jareth. “According to this,” she stated with a solemn expression. “You’re Samantha.” She shrugged as Jareth shot straight up in his seat.
“Give me that!” Jareth demanded, holding out his hand. Cain watched as she handed the book over and his brother glanced at the page facing him. Jareth jumped up, towering over the girl, but she didn’t even flinch. “You told me my answers were a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No,’” Jareth said incredulously. The girl nodded.
“While there are, clearly, four choices here.” Jareth pointed to the page and added: “And you didn’t even ask me that one!” Cain smiled as the girl pulled the book back from his brother with a huff.
“Fine!” she said with a huff as Jareth moved around her and crossed his arms. “Which accessory do you consider most important? Your shoes; your lingerie; your purse-” She looked up to the doorway and saw Cain, which made him push off the frame and stand straight. “Or the blonde in the doorway who stole Harrison Ford’s hat?”
Jareth turned to look at the girl and, seeing that her gaze was focused on the door, turned as well. Cain actually snorted at the sight of his brother, but tried to force a straight face. Jareth stood in silence for a moment before dropping his arms.
“I assumed you were dead,” he said finally.
Cain could only smile. “I was,” he said with a nod. And it was partly true. The girl looked between Jareth and himself as Cain placed his hat and coat on the table just inside the door. Stepping over to Jareth, he instead turned to her and extended a hand. “Wyatt Cain.”
She took his hand, still trying to make a judgment. “Sarah Williams.”
Cain raised an eyebrow. “Kansas?”
“Connecticut,” Sarah replied quickly - her own eyebrow raised - unsure of what this man was asking. She looked to Jareth again.
Jareth and Cain gave each other a look-over and Jareth smirked. “You look like Hell.”
Cain raised an eyebrow. It was far too easy. “Speak for yourself, little brother,” he said with a laugh. Sarah looked between the two men and slapped Jareth’s arm. Jareth’s eyes darted in her direction, then back to Cain. A moment later, a grin spread across his face and he reached for Cain.
“Great,” Cain said with a sigh. “More hugging.”
~*~
DG was halfway across the grounds by the time she’d managed to pull her coat on. It was almost comedic, watching her try to get her arm in the sleeve and she hurried out the door. Raw was hot on her heels, saying nothing as she cursed the former-Tin Man with words Raw had never heard.
At some point, Raw managed to get in front of DG and stop her. “DG must stay here. Safe here.”
“After everything we’ve been through, he should cowboy up enough to say ‘Goodbye’ to my face,” she mumbled to herself, looking out over the horizon.
“Cain come back,” Raw said, knowing it was true. He just didn’t know when. DG looked at Raw for a moment, and then turned toward the maze. “DG!” Raw chased after her. He knew that he should get her back to the palace. But he could also sense the frustrations in both DG and, earlier, Cain. Maybe it would be good for DG to know exactly what she was dealing with.
DG reached the post and Raw caught her sleeve, pointing left. DG spun around, fairly certain the exit was right. Shrugging, she followed Raw’s lead. He stopped just before the door was in view and took DG’s hand. “DG come home. Cain come home. Be patient.” DG kissed Raw’s check and smiled.
“How much trouble can I possibly get in? It’s not like I can get lost in here,” she said with a wave toward the hedge. Raw glanced in the direction of the door and groaned. Cain would be angry, but by the time they returned, Raw could be back with his people. And Cain would never find him.
Raw looked at DG for a moment then dropped his shoulders in defeat. Nodding, he motioned to the corner and, as they came in view of the door, Raw reared back at the sight of the knocker. He reached out quickly, knocked once and they both watched as the door swung open. DG looked through and turned to Raw.
“You okay?” she asked, her brow furrowing at the look on her friend’s face. He looked extremely uncomfortable and that worried DG. He twitched slightly and focused on DG, then blinked and took a step back.
DG took a step toward him, but Raw held up a hand. “Raw no go to that side. Too many voices.”
DG turned and looked through the open doorway again. “Side?” Her eyes danced for a moment. “You mean the Other Side?” she asked hopefully, which pinched at Raw’s insides. ‘Why would Cain go to the Other Side?’ DG wondered. Turning back to Raw, she asked: “How many sides are there, Raw?”
“Raw know of three.” DG blinked. “Cain side. DG side... and Raw side.” DG could feel the deer-in-the-headlight look spread across her face.
“Cain’s side? What?” She spun back to the door, then to Raw, who took her hand, pointed to the archway and stepped back again. DG did a slight double-take and shuffled through the doorway, thoroughly confused.
As the door swung shut, DG frowned. ‘Cain’s side?’ she thought, wondering what kind of joke Raw was trying to play on her. Looking around, DG noticed another door, next to the one she’d just gone through. “What the-” she asked no one. The other side of the hedge was solid plant. How was there a door there? She turned around again and - while it looked the same - DG knew something was different. Throwing her hands up, DG turned and walked away from the doors.
“She’ll be back,” the knocker with the ring through his ears said with a sniff.
“Mmah?” the other knocker - with a ring in his mouth - asked.
“What?” the first knocker shouted back.
....
And a BIG thanks to everyone for enjoying this bit of insanity! :D
@tmfictionawards