Disclaimer - I do not own Jareth, The Labyrinth, or anything I havn't made up. However, I do own Deborah, Roxy, The Storyline, and anything I have made up.

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Jareth was bored. He was tired, and hungry, and very, very bored. He'd given up with paperwork in his office, the maids were all busy in the throne room, and he had no idea where Deborah was. He stared out of the corridor window at the late febuary sun that was just about to set behind the trees of the garden. He rubbed his eyes sleepily.

The last month and a half had been a hard one. Deborah had helped him get the study sorted out, and he'd found she wasn't as disorganized as he'd first thought. She was also a laugh to work with. He'd begun to find himself looking foward to each day where she'd come and help him for a couple of hours. He'd come out in the morning, skip breakfast and get straight into his study, to deal with the mound of post that had arrived for him.

Then at about 11, the Deborah would wonder in, usually sleepily or half hung over, and sit opposite him at the desk, and watch him, and pass comments, or just talk to him. More often than not, she would skip off after lunch because 'Ian was coming over'. Jareth still hadn't warmed to that man, but if Deborah trusted him, he guess he should too. He wouldn't see her for the rest of the day. He normally ended up still being there in the morning, and sneak out of the castle before anyone except Deborah awoke. Today was one of the days 'Ian was over' and Jareth assumed they were together in Deborah's room.

Jareth sighed half heartedly and turned in order to go into the library. He entered quietly and, upon seeing it was empty, closed the door behind him. He ran his finger along one of the shelves of books, trying to make himself take an interest. He was about to pick up one that looked vaugly like what he wanted to read, when he heard a distinct sniffing noises behind him, followed by soft sobs. He turned, excpecting to see one of the maids, but instead, he saw Deborah, leaning against the window.

He sighed sadly, and dropped to his knees majesticly. Deborah didn't move, just squeezing her eyes shut so as not to let him see how upset she was. "Debs? What's up?" Jareth murmered, putting a gloved hand on her shoulder. She flinched away.

"He doesn't want me." She whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Who doesn't want you?"

"Ian. He's found someone else. Someone older, who can give him all he wants..." Deborah trailed off and turned away, hiding her tear streaked face.

"Debs...didn't we know this would happen?" Jareth said, gently putting his arms around the hunched girl, his legs spread so she fitted neatly against him, so as he could hug her better. She cried harder and he kissed her soft hair, rocking her gently, back and forth, as she sobbed into his chest.

He would never let anyone hurt her again. He was a fool to let this go on. He knew Ian would do this to her, and here was the consequence of him not stopping it. He noticed that next to where she'd been sitting, the ballet necklace that Ian had given her had been ripped from her neck, and now lay in two peices on the floor.

If there had been a good time for this to happen, this wasn't one. Deborah turned 17 tomorrow, March 1st.

He shh'd her gently and trailed his fingers up and down her back. It'd happened to him, and now it was happening to the very person who'd helped him through the termoil. He eased round, taking the girl with him so his back was against the window. She leaned on him, the shuddering of her shoulders stopping slowly. She sniffed and closed her eyes.

She knew she was pretending it was Ian she was next to, and Jareth knew it too. She felt a hand cup her chin and turn her head up. Her big blue eyes looked up at him wearily. "It won't hurt forever." He wispered. Her eyes filled up and she turned out of his grasp.

"Bloody feels like it. What did I do wrong?"

"Hey hey hey! Don't blame this on yourself. He's the one that's made a mistake, giving up something as intelligent, and as funny, and as pretty as you."

"Shut up." She whispered, but he only hugged her closer, and she didn't resist. She didn't really want to resist, ever again. He stroked and kissed her hair again, and was quite content to just sit there quietly, contemplating what all of this meant.

XXXX

Deborah flipped over onto her stomach again and sighed. Her eyes and face felt sore from crying and it seemed her whole body hurt. Roxy and Saskia lay silently sleeping in their beds, and the darkness seemed to press down on her. In her mind, Ians face kept flitting back and forth, before it was replaced by Jareth, before it morphed back into Ian.

In the end, she tired of tormenting herself and swung her legs over the side of the bed sleepily. She couldn't even be bothered to put on slippers or a dressing gown as she left the room for a walk to goodness knows where. She shivered as the cool air of the corridor hit her bare arms and legs, and her feet hit the freezing floor.

She felt empty and lifeless. But when she thought about it, this was only a dream. Wasn't it? While she was thinking this confuddling thought, she passed Jareth's room. The door was ajar. Deborah paused, a sudden urge to push it open and go inside washing over her. She so wanted to. She decided she had nowhere else to go, so she may as well follow her instincts. She couldn't recall a time when they'd been wrong. She was tired and half delirious with emotional pain that she came to the conclusion that nothing could be worse than what she was feeling.

She pushed open the heavy oak door and slipped inside. The room was a considerable amount warmer than it had been out in the corridor. She saw the single human shaped lump that was Jareth lay in the bed. Moonlight shone into the room through the huge window that had no curtains. She tiptoed over the bed slightly hesitantly, drawing breath at how lovley Jareth looked. So peaceful and perfect, with porcelain skin and thinish lips. She sighed and stood for a second, looking at him before speaking.

"Jareth?" Deborah whispered. He 'mmm'd' in responce, not moving. "I couldn't sleep..I..." She trailed off. Jareth opened an eye, seeing the tall, thin girl standing there, her eyes red from crying, her face streaked, so vaulnrable, all on her own.

He flipped back the dark purple silk sheets, revealing his shirtless form, and flopped an arm out beside him. Deborah breathed in releif, and she obliged, crawling onto the bed and onto Jareth's arm that had her name on it. She pulled the covers back over them and sank into her warm environment. Jareth's hand curled up around her back, and rested on the part between her rib cage and her hip.

She lay her head in the crook of his arm, before sliding her long cool fingers over his pale, smooth, toned chest. Jareth sighed happily, causing Deborah to trail her hand up to where his neck met his shoulder, and rest her hand, earning a contented 'mm' from him. She tangled her fingers in his long golden hair and pushed herself upwards to let her full lips make contact his cheek. She lingered there for a second or two and she watched Jareth's own lips twitch before shifting back down and nuzzling into his neck

After that, Jareth began circling his thumb through the thin fabric of her t-shirt, above her hip. She moaned sofly and sleepily, shuffling closer to him. They lay like that for a while, Deborah forgetting more and more about Ian as she realized how right it felt to be here, with Jareth. After a long time, Jareth turned on his side so that when Deborah opened her eyes, she was looking directly at his chest. He hooked his leg up over both of hers and put his chin on the top of her head and stroked down her unruly hair as her breath tickled his chest and she trailed lazy circles across his taunt back. He could lay like this forever, given the choice. Protecting her, as she had protected him once upon a time. She belonged here. His mind flitted back to Sarah. He'd layed like this with her. But to him, this felt different. Better? He didn't know. Finally, her fingers stopped moving and she began to breath deeply and peacefully. Jareth looked at the clock. Half past 13. "Happy Birthday Debs."

XXXX

"Rise and shine Debs!" Sang the distinctive voice. Deborah mumbled something and pulled the covers up round her chin. Something hit the bed with gusto, causing her to jump into conciousness. She saw Jareth and her head retracted somewhat, before her face became panicked as she saw unfamiliar surroundings. Jareth watched her expression turn to realization as she remembered the previous night. Her face fell.

"Ah bugger...I'm so sorry, I shouldn't be here...goodness, I got into your bed and everything...I'm so sorry." Deborah said sheepishly, rubbing her eyes.

"Don't be. It wasn't a problem." Deborah had to smirk at his comment. He indicated to her right. She looked and saw a steaming mug sitting on the bedside cabinet. She laughed and shot him a knowing glance. He was wearing one of his jet black shirts, exposing the creamy skin beneath, and jet black breeches. Gods, he was skinny. He flicked a wrist and a mug appeared in his hands. He looked at her mischeviously whilst he took a sip.

"What?" Deborah said demandinly, propping herself up on the pillows, suddenly feeling selfconcious.

"Happy Birthday Deborah." He smirked.

"What?!" Deborah squeeked, then realized why she hadn't known she turned 17 today. Stupid underground having no stupid calenders. Deborah sighed. "Another birthday."

"You don't like birthdays?" Jareth said, shuffling up the bed to sit beside her.

"They're just another day. Another ordinary day. They don't mean anything. What time is it anyway?"

"6:30."

"You woke me up this early?! What the hell for?!" She exclaimed, flopping back onto her pillow. Jareth ignored the question.

"What are your plans for today?" He said, easing himself back, although being careful not to muzz up his hair.

"How am I supposed to know, ya'eejit! Same old, I guess."

"Well, whatever they are, forget them. Put your best frock on love, we're going out."

Deborah flipped onto her side. "Oh yeah. Where are you taking me?" She smirked.

"It's a suprise. "

"Oo, I love suprises." Deborah said sarcastically. "

Well if you don't want too..." Jareth sighed.

"No no no, I'm sure I can manage it just fine." She winked.

"So your not too upset about Ian now?" Jareth looked concerned.

"I'll find someone more true." She said blankly, before swinging off the bed, grabbing her coffee, and leaving the room.

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The lyric quote from this chapter is NOT from 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart' by the Tyler woman, it's from 'Lets spend the night together' By Keith Richards & David Bowie.

Q. x