Sarah stamped her feet in an effort to keep warm. Danu, in total disregard for personal space, stepped closer, her black eyes glittering with excitement.
"Don't worry Sarah, we're almost inside." She held up the small duffle bag she was holding, "then you can take off those wellies and put on some real shoes." Sarah just rolled her eyes and wondered how she'd let her host family (host couple, more like it) talk her into clubbing on her final night in Dublin.
The couple in front of them was let in and suddenly they were facing the monstrosity of a bouncer. Danu smiled as she handed him her bag. Finding nothing terrorist worthy he handed it back and let them in.
"Shouldn't we be paying someone?" Sarah asked, slightly worried, as they walked down the dimly lit hallway.
"Dan and I are regulars." Man's deep voice rumbled from behind Sarah, causing her to jump (she'd forgotten he was with them). "Regulars don't have to pay." "What about me?" Sarah was secretly hoping she'd get kicked out before they'd ever entered. Danu laughed, "you're our guest," she said, as if that explained everything, before opening a side door.
They entered what was clearly a changing room, taking a key out of her coat pocket Danu unlocked one of the bigger lockers before taking off said coat revealing the knee-length plum colored dress she had on underneath.
Self-consciously Sarah clutched her jacket closer. Danu looked up from tying her combat boots, "you look terribly drab in that coat ducks, why don't you take it off?" Sarah felt the start of a blush marring her cheeks. It wasn't that the dress she was wearing was indecent (in fact the dress Danu was making her wear was more decent than what she'd been planning to wear), it was just it felt like a odd thing to go clubbing in. Her bare arms prickled with goose-bumps as she took off her jacket and boots and exchanged them for the sandals in Danu's out-stretched hand.
Dan and Man (a nick-name that at least Danu found infinitely amusing) were waiting for her by the door. Danu (looking like a demented punk fairy (wild blond hair, wings and all)) skipped towards the end of the hall. Man trailed after her looking like a woad from King Arthur, his long blue hair shifting under the dim lights. As Sarah followed she could start to feel the pulsing bass, even before they'd entered the club. Another bouncer met them at yet another door and when it opened a wall of sound crashed over them.
Sarah had to stop and reorient herself before trying her best to follow Man (who towered over almost everyone). Reaching the bar on the far side she gratefully sat down (she wasn't going back into that crush of people anytime soon), Danu just laughed.
"Tired already Sarah?" she teased, Sarah just gave her a look which caused Danu to laugh harder. The techno song came to an abrupt halt and in its place a 40's swing tune started up. Danu pulled her husband into the crowed leaving Sarah to herself. Turning the stool towards the bar she examined herself in the large mirror on the back wall.
A young woman of twenty in a sleeveless medieval style dress stared back. It eerily reminded her of six years ago, her mind quickly skittered away from that afternoon and the night that followed. Danu wouldn't have any idea about that. Anyways, this dress was of a much finer quality than the Halloween costume she'd once worn. Sarah was torn from her reflection by a tap on the shoulder. She turned to find a handsome young man (only a few years older than her) dressed in an Edwardian style tux (she suddenly didn't feel so odd).
"Would m'lady honor me with a dance?" Maybe it was the way he'd asked or the way he was smiling. For whatever reason Sarah nodded and slid off her seat. He led her to the dance floor as a new song started up.
"So what's your name?" she asked awkwardly as they swayed to the beat of the song. "You can call me Memphis. And what may I ask is yours?" "My name's Sarah." His eyes widened slightly but they kept dancing until the song was over. Murmuring apologies Memphis left her to fight her way out of the crowd and back to the relative safety of the bar.
Finding an empty seat next to Man she collapsed gratefully into it. Man turned, nodded to her and motioned to the bartender. Said bartender brought over what looked to be an honest-to-god pint of ale for Man and placed a smaller, much more colorful drink in front of Sarah. Taking a sip (she could barely taste the alcohol) she looked at Man. "Where's Dan?" He tiled his head (which caused his hair to go through the entire blue spectrum) to the far end of the club to a stage.
"Pro'ly getting a good view for the show." As Sarah glanced over she could see stage-hands bustling to and fro setting up what looked to be a smaller stage. She was about to ask Man about it but he stopped her with a wink, "watch and find out Sarah." The curtains on the stage closed, a few moments later the song ended and everyone turned to face the stage.
The curtains opened to reveal a man sitting on top of the mini-'stage', slightly hidden by its molding. But that wasn't what was drawing everyone's attention. That would have to be a red-haired woman dressed in a gold and very impractical Elizabethan gown hanging limply from thin wires. Sarah watched as the man lowered the life-sized marionette to the ground. An unseen cue started the music.
Everyone watched entranced as the man moved the marionette skillfully to the vaguely disturbing music. Halfway through the song the Deejay mixed in what sounded to be old monster movie lines. The Wire man made his marionette act them out.
Her hands covered her mouth and her body shook as if amused. Then her arms were raised in front of her like a zombie, then her shoulders began shrugging. Then she stood, arms akimbo and tapping her foot, then something shocking happened.
I am real. No one. No one is safe! The voice in the music cried and Sarah (along with everyone else) stared as the marionette suddenly broke her strings and began to dance on her own, moving much more fluidly and complexly than her wire-man could have moved her.
When the song ended there was a moment of complete and utter silence, than the crowd erupted into applause. The marionette woman and the wire-man bowed a few times before leaving the stage. A new song started up and the crowd began to dance again.
Sarah slowly let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "That was amazing," she said, Man nodded. "Yes, it was rather fantastical wasn't it?" Danu suddenly appeared and winking a Sarah she dragged Man back onto the floor.
The next few hours passed in a rush of drinks (after her third alcohol one she'd switched to water) and dancing. Still slightly tipsy Sarah sat on a bar stool and sipped the water that appeared before her. A few songs later Danu and Man found her.
"Sarah, Man and I are going home. Do you want to come with us or stay here?" Checking her watch Sarah realized it was suddenly two-thirty in the morning. Having warmed up to the idea of clubbing she shook her head.
"If it's alright with guys I think I'll stay." Danu nodded and handed Sarah a small key. "That to the locker with all your stuff in it," she explained and then pointed to the blond bartender who'd been giving serving her drinks. "When you're ready to go let Ares know and he'll call a cab for you OK?" Sarah nodded back and after a round of hugs and kisses Dan and Man were gone.
More time passed (Sarah was glad from the sudden lull in people asking her to dance. There was another show (this one was a choreographed fight), after which Sarah felt she should indulge in a few more drinks before leaving. Two drinks later she felt a warm presence behind her. Then suddenly he spoke.
"Hello Sarah," she gave an undignified shriek as she turned to find him sitting next to her. In her haste she slipped out of her stool, his gloved hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her upright before she crashed into the ground. His thumb began to stroke her pulse as she gaped at him.
He, of course, hadn't changed a bit. Well. . .except for his clothes. . . not that she really cared (she'd just noticed that they were a far cry from his usual. . .flamboyance). He was dressed in tight black leather pants and a half-unbuttoned white shirt (oh and black leather gloves and boots too). "Looked your fill yet?"
Her cheeks burned hot with a mixture of embarrassment and anger as his voice flowed through her like honey. Yanking her wrist from his hand (he'd said less than ten words to her and she was already pissed) she looked him straight in the eye and gave him a good glare. Then turned around and went to sit at the other end of the bar, hoping that if she ignored him he might leave her alone. She ordered herself another drink.
"Ignoring me isn't going to make me go away." At least this time she didn't jump when he spoke. Sorely wishing she still had the cold she'd finally gotten rid of yesterday (see how his majesty took to being sneezed on) she turned to face him.
"What do you want Goblin King?" He gave a satisfied smile as she spoke. "Hark! She speaks." Rolling her eyes she turned her attention to the drink that had been placed in front of her (seemed she'd moved from mixed drinks to straight shots). Taking a big swallow she almost spit it back up again as a burning sensation filled her mouth. But then it moved down her throat and felt much more pleasant. She quickly downed the rest of her drink, enjoying the warmth that had started to seep through her body.
"You wound me Sarah, I do have a name you know." She could tell he was pouting, even without looking at him, she ordered another drink. While she was waiting she looked out the corner of her eye to see him watching her. He smirked and she quickly looked straight ahead, mentally cursing herself. Of course looking into the mirror wasn't any better (he was winking at her, damn it!). The clink of a glass being set on the bar provided a reason to look away. Picking up the glass she began to sip, determined to make this one last (and slightly regretting not leaving with Danu and Man earlier).
"Say my name Sarah, I might leave you alone." The rational part of her brain thought it would be a great idea for him to leave (then again the rational part had suddenly become fourteen again and was shouting 'it's not fair!'). "Fine! Jareth. Happy?" He laughed and wearing a Cheshire cat grin he 'tsked' her. "Oh Sarah," he crooned, his voice far to close to her ear for comfort. "Didn't you notice I said maybe?" Groaning she resisted the urge to hit her head against the bar, instead she put her glass down and turned to watch the crowd as the song rose to its crescendo.
"I have a present for you Sarah." "Oh really?" She tried to her best to sound uninterested but she couldn't help the small thread of curiosity that was in her voice. "Watch" he whispered as he turned her chair slightly so it was facing the stage.
This time the curtains opened after the song started revealing a young woman carrying a baby. Sarah watched, both entranced and horrified, as her thirteen hours in the labyrinth were reenacted (or at least the gist of them). The song was reaching its end by the time the actor and actress began dancing in the ballroom and Sarah wondered how they going to fit the rest of it in. To her surprise they didn't.
As the song began to fade the actors stopped dancing and began kissing. A few moments after they began their hungry kiss they began to sink into the floor, two pairs of hands greedily running over each other, beginning to undress(Sarah blushed as they disappeared realizing they were headed to something a lot more nefarious than kissing)
"Well Sarah?" Jareth's voice was right next to her ear, thick and heavy. She tried to speak but no words came out (she couldn't really describe how she felt (a part of her was outraged but a small part (ok, a big part) of her was aroused, as well as equal parts scared, cautious, and weirded out)). The faint strains of a new song began, "dance with me." He said, grabbing her hand and pulling her onto the dance floor.
"I don't want to dance." She finally managed to get out (but it was half-hearted at best), he threw his head back and laughed. "Too late now!" He sing-songed as they waltzed through the crowd. She rested her forehead on his shoulder and let him pull her along, causing him to frown. "Why so glum Sarah? It can't be that bad?" Shrugging she replied "it's not. It's just. . ." she sighed and Jareth's frown deepened. A new, vaguely tropical song started up. Recognizing it she laughed. They easily slid into a dance much more energetic than their waltz.
"Much better," her murmured as he spun her. Sarah could feel herself beginning to tire, but it didn't look like Jareth was going to stop anytime soon as they slid into the next song. They slowed down a bit (but not enough for Sarah to catch her breath) as they weaved deftly through the crowd. She briefly wondered if it was possible to dance to death as her breathing became more labored.
He spun her again as the next song began and she managed to finally break his hold on her wrist. Sarah suddenly felt fourteen again as the pushed her way through the crowd. Reaching the bar she collapsed into an empty seat. Jareth found her soon after she started to breathe normally.
"Please. No more dancing." She gasped, feeling a bit lightheaded; he looked at her strangely but didn't pull her back onto the dance floor. The next song began but the lightheaded feeling didn't go away. Sarah stood up and swayed slightly. "Aww, crap." The floor rushed up to meet her.
Jareth caught her as she fainted. Easily scooping her up he headed to the entrance. He stopped by the dressing room to grab her coat and boots and then they left. A few blocks away from the club the streets were empty. Taking a few more steps Jareth sent them from the street to an apartment hallway.
The door they were standing in front of opened and Jareth nodded to Man as he passed him. They were halfway down the hallway when Danu rushed from the study.
"Jareth!" Her gaze went to Sarah, "is she alright?" He nodded and followed Danu to Sarah's room. Laying her on the bed, he told Danu what had happened. Danu hummed to herself for a moment before speaking. "It's probably just exhaustion. She'll be fine in the morning. Now. . ."she made a 'shooing' motion with her hands. He quirked and eyebrow, "whatever do you mean?" Danu rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh. "I'm going to change her clothes, so you can either leave or just turn around." He turned around.
"I'm done." He turned and found her a few steps away and not by Sarah's bed. She gave him a serious look. "What is it?" he whispered, with a sigh she replied "I'm just worried your going about it the wrong way and. . ."she let her sentence drift off. "And what?" He growled, " and end up like you and grandfa—" SLAP! Jareth's hand went up to his smarting cheek, Danu stood there fuming. "I am your grandmother! You will treat me with the respect I deserve." She stormed out of the room.
With a sigh he sat on the bed and pulled off his boots. Slipping under the sheet he pulled Sarah close and let himself slip into her dreams (they did after all become his the moment she refused them).