Disclaimer: Songs belong to Eddy Grant, Falco, Bone Javi (I mean Bon Jovi!), Eurythmics, and Baxter Robertson.
Sarah breathed in the sweet summer night air and took in her surroundings as the glitter-cloud dispersed.
Jareth stood beside her under a dark cluster of trees on the north side of Ferry Road. People in groups of various sizes were heading east along the street; the surrounding foliage obscured their destination.
A warm breeze carried a song through the darkness and nostalgia flooded her chest.
Oh, we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Ho, we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
The royal couple had maintained their adult bodies so Sarah wasn't worried about being recognized by old friends or neighbors and their fay eye markings just made them look like punks. She grinned in anticipation and took a step towards bushes lining the curb.
"Sarah."
The Goblin Queen stopped short and turned to face her husband. She was surprised to see a rather puzzled expression on his face.
"Precious, I don't understand. I realized the likelihood of your wanting to visit a past day in your lifetime, hence the clothing I chose for us, but why did you want to re-live this day?"
Oh, yeah. She'd forgotten how odd this must have looked; returning to her birthday seven years ago.
"Well, it's kind of a long story." She shrugged. "Besides, you said I could pick whatever day I wanted."
"That I did, love. I simply wish to know why you chose this day when I could've taken you anywhere in history, if you wished; and as for the long story," Jareth tapped his pendant, "we appear to have forever."
"Not long at all." She quipped.
The Goblin King smirked and Sarah unconsciously fiddled with the hem of her blouse.
"See, the thing is: I'm not actually re-living a memory, I'm re-creating one. I wasn't even in Piermont on my sixteenth birthday. My parents and Toby and I were visiting my grandma in Stamford. "
Jareth's brows furrowed in deeper confusion.
"You wished that you had celebrated your sixteenth birthday at home? I understand that particular age is significant among young human females."
Sarah laughed slightly and shook her head.
"Not exactly, I was really happy spending my birthday with my family, it was a lot of fun seeing my grandma. Originally though, I did have plans to celebrate my birthday here, or actually, there.
Sarah pulled Jareth by the elbow to the edge of the shadows and pointed a few yards up the road.
A bright and colorful street carnival was in full swing in a large field across the street. Flashing light bulbs spelled the words ELECTRIC MIDWAY on a twenty-foot arch that marked the entrance. A small Ferris wheel shimmered with every color of the rainbow.
From their secluded vantage point, the fay couple could see bumper-cars, a tilt-a-whirl, and various stands purveying food, games, and custom made T-shirts and jewelry.
Random music blasted from the hidden speakers.
Amadeus, Amadeus, Amadeus
Amadeus, Amadeus, Amadeus
Amadeus, Amadeus, oh, oh, oh Amadeus
Come and rock me Amadeus
"Fascinating." Jareth commented before turning back to his wife. "I'm curious as to why your plans changed. It seems most intriguing."
Sarah's eyes flashed away nervously.
"Sarah? What is it, darling?"
"Nothing." She bit her lip.
"Nothing? Nothing tra-la-la?"
She didn't answer, her eyes stayed glued to the grass at her feet.
Jareth reached out and gently tilted her chin up to meet his tender gaze.
"Why did you cancel your plans to come here, Sarah?"
After a moment, she sighed in defeat.
"I had plans to come here with my boyfriend, at the time."
Jareth dropped his hand from her chin and stepped back.
She cringed as she saw his eyes harden minutely.
Shot through the heart and you're to blame
You give love a bad name (bad name)
I play my part and you play your game
You give love a bad name (bad name)
You give love, a bad name
"So you wished to re-create a memory of a date that never was? A date with a former human lover?" Jareth's distaste was evident.
"No, Jareth! Good grief, no! I don't even remember that kid's name. I had broken up with him the day before." Sarah explained anxiously.
"Then why in heaven's name would you wish to re-create a memory that you deliberately denied yourself seven years ago? A memory that you were going to have with another? Did you regret your decision to end the relationship?"
"Jareth, listen to me." Sarah pleaded sternly. "I had always wanted to go to this carnival ever since it first opened the summer before this. It came here for one week every summer until it closed in 1990."
She paused for a moment before continuing in a small voice:
"All anyone ever talked about was how romantic it was and I used to dream about going with a date. I didn't know why at the time but, I wanted my trip there to be special and it just felt wrong to go with my boyfriend. Hell, everything felt wrong with him and all my boyfriends. I mean, they were nice and all but..."
"But what?"
"mph fmphmm hmm." She muttered quietly.
"What?"
"They weren't you, ok?!"
Jareth blinked at her.
Would I lie to you?
Would I lie to you honey? (Oh, no, no, no)
Now would I say something that wasn't true?
I'm asking you sugar, would I lie to you?
"They were all so boring." Sarah continued, pacing around in the grass. "It wasn't fair for them, my expectations had already been set to high, but something kept telling me that I'd be wasting my time if I went here with any of them. I never got to go to the carnival. I never got my special romantic dream-date. That's why I wanted to come back here to this night."
She stopped and turned to him.
"I wanted to create a new memory. A memory I always wanted to have with the right man. I want to go to the carnival with you, Jareth."
Her husband was silent for a long minute before he threw his head back and laughed. His abruptness made her jump a little.
"How cruel you are, Sarah. I, of all beings know how troublesome those expectations of yours can be. I can't imagine how agonizing it must have been for those poor tortured whelps, trying to live up to the standards set by the Goblin King!"
"It's not my fault you spoiled me." Sarah grumbled petulantly. "And I didn't torture them!"
With his wicked grin in place, Jareth suddenly pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her hair.
"Ah, but you did, my queen. Perhaps not on purpose, but any man would consider it torture, trying in vain to acquire your love; the single most precious thing in all the worlds."
Blood pooled in Sarah's cheeks at his flattering language and Jareth pulled back to claim her lips in a heated kiss. By the time it ended she'd almost completely forgotten about the carnival until he pulled her across the street by the hand.
We were strangers in the naked sunlight
Where everything is far too real
From your eyes that smile through the dark
New sensations I can feel
The lights were bright, the music was loud, and Sarah felt like a teenager on her first date all over again, only a thousand times better! Every sultry glance from Jareth sent a tornado of butterflies through her stomach.
I was kidnapped to another time zone
Where someone like you could really be
Another world that I've been missing
That only twilight can reveal
She laughed at how perplexed he was upon discovering cotton candy and how voracious he became after tasting his first hot dog. She would have to remember to give the goblins in the castle kitchen the recipe.
Can you feel the night
Coming out of nowhere
In the lights
I want you to be there
Breathe it in the air
It's everywhere
It calls from all around
I want to share it all with you [all with you]
Take it while it's so strong
And all along the shadow flight
We're reachin out to feel the night
She continuously out-maneuvered him at bumper cars and screamed with delight on the tilt-a-whirl. He had firmly decided not to eat anymore hot dogs after that.
Seems like everybody is working for a laugh
And they surround us on every side
But somehow we stay invisible
'Cause the magic is inside
The couple sat atop the Ferris wheel staring out over the Tappan Zee and talked about everything and nothing.
I need a picture to remember this by
'Cause memories can die so fast
Doesn't have to be a daydream
We started something that can last
He won her a stuffed panda at the base-ball throwing game. He'd had a lot of practice chucking those crystals around.
Can you feel the night
Coming out of nowhere
In the lights
I want you to be there
Breathe it in the air
It's everywhere
It calls from all around
I want to share it all with you [all with you]
Take it while it's so strong
And all along the shadow flight
We're reachin out to feel the night
Just as the darkness enveloped them in the Tunnel of Love, he had grabbed her and completely ravished her mouth, neck and the top of her breasts. She'd barely had enough time to button up her blouse before the ride was over.
Feel the Night
I wanna know can you feel the night
I want you to be there
Feel the night
I want to know can you feel the night
I want you to be there
"Happy Birthday, Sarah, my precious Goblin Queen."
Take it while it's so strong
And all along the shadow flight
We're reaching out to feel the night
A/N: So many favorites and follows this week! Thank you guys so much! Ok, so the significance of the date is this: June 27th 1987 is exactly one year after Labyrinth was released in the theaters. I'm using the date as Sarah's birthday since she doesn't have an established one. Piermont, NY is one of the locations where they filmed Sarah's hometown.