"Dancing in Moonlight"

By Ellie

A/N) I haven't updated my Laby fics in a long, long time, so I decided that I'd put what little inspiration my muse has granted me with lately to use. Well, maybe not JUST my muse…. But it's not MY fault if Edwin McCain's song is catchy! =)

I hope you enjoy this… If you do don't hesitate to leave those reviews! =) And the song used in this fanfic is "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain.

Disclaimer: I do not own the movie "Labyrinth". This is a work of absolute fiction, created solely for the purpose of entertainment. =)

The regulars didn't recognize her, but there was no doubt that they noticed her. She was standing in the middle of the crowd of dancers pulsing to the music. Dark hair shimmered in the erratic splay of the strobe light as she swayed her body to the beat. She was cloaked in the shadows that are common to nightclubs… and yet there was something about her, some inner light that seemed to shine through even in the darkest of rooms. She was like a moonbeam- both elusive and tempting. Men were staring at the girl with longing and eagerness but she just danced, oblivious to it all- unaware of the consequences of being a light among darkness… After all, light can tame darkness, but only darkness can kill light.

Sarah kept her eyes closed as she gave herself over to the music. Midterms were finally over and dancing was a great way to relieve the tension that had been building up over the long study sessions and grueling tests. Normally, Sarah was more interested in doing well in college than going out to party like a normal college student, but it hadn't taken much to convince her to come to the club with Bonnie and Jess tonight. Even Sarah could tell when she needed some time to go out and have fun.

* * * *

She had been a little apprehensive when Bonnie had cornered her while she was getting ready earlier and demanded that she wear an outfit that was far too revealing for Sarah's comfort. They had spent a little time negotiating but in the end Bonnie got her way and Sarah was suddenly outside the club in what looked to be a silk corset and tight Chinese-print skirt. She was covered in glitter lotion and her eyes were rimmed in smoky black that set them off like gleaming green-gold jewels. The bouncer had taken one glance at Sarah and her excited friends before ushering them past the long line and into the club.

* * * *

A hand grabbed Sarah by the arm and immediately she was snapped back to the present. The fingers on her forearm were large and sweaty as they tried to reel her in to their owner.

"Hey Sweetheart, why don't you come and dance with ME."

Sarah could smell her captor's sour breath and heard the slight slur to his words¾ he was definitely drunk. Repulsed at his touch, Sarah felt her eyes harden as she commanded him to release her.

"Now why would I want to do that, Baby? We haven't even started having fun yet…"

"Because if you don't let go of me, right NOW, I'm going to MAKE you let go."

Her words were clipped and angry, but she looked into his eager brown eyes with utter calm.

"Ooh, I *like* a woman with fire." He said with a feral grin.

Sarah smiled at the implication. The man was too stupid for his own good.

He took the smile as an invitation; Sarah waited patiently for her moment to strike. He likes a woman with fire? I don't see why I shouldn't give it to him…

She let herself be pulled up next to his chest before concentrating on every place that their bodies touched. Her fury and outrage were unleashed to their full potency and it radiated from her body to fry him with scorching heat.

"What the?! Owww! Damn it- where's it coming from!!!"

She knew what he was feeling- every piece of him that touched her body felt like it was on fire. Of course, she was fine. She was the one that was making him burn.

Upon her return from the Labyrinth Sarah had noticed that she had changed in many ways. She had become less selfish, more mature, and whenever she became emotional she could cause books to fly off shelves and hit people.

Her discovery had been quite a shock… especially to the librarian that had tried to grope her. Not long after that, Sarah had learned the extent of her new skills- strong emotions triggered her powers and once triggered she could direct it towards her goals. Books to pummel a librarian; burning pain to someone who liked fire. No one could fault Sarah's unique sense of justice.

Leather-encased hands pried the howling man from Sarah.

The techno-beat song that had been thrumming through the club stopped and a slower song began. Sarah caught a quick glimpse of teasing eyes before the lights in the club dimmed until the only thing giving off light were the reflections off of the illuminated disco balls that hung high above the dance floor.

Curiosity was eating away at her. Who was he? Sarah's heart was beating rapidly with barely contained excitement. It was almost as if her body knew what was coming even though her consciousness didn't.

When she felt supple leather grip her arms firmly before sliding down to her waist, Sarah didn't struggle. A strange spicy smell permeated her nostrils- an exotic cologne. A smell of wildness and power.

Shaking her head slightly, in a vain attempt to clear her mind, Sarah realized how ridiculous she was being. She hadn't let a man get close to her since she was a teenager craving for attention. Why the hell should this guy be any different?

But all of those thoughts flew out of her mind in a flurry as the disco's beam of diamond-shaped fragments of light descended upon the face of the man she was dancing with…The first thing she saw was his eyes. They were the teasing eyes from earlier- only now she saw them clearly…one blue, one brown.

Sarah was staring at the man that had once been a nightmare and years afterwards, a sensual dream. Her eyes drank him in hungrily. He wasn't wearing his Goblin King Ensemble… the only thing familiar were the wild tendrils of his white blonde hair and the leather gloves that were cradling her to him.

His name breathed passed her lips. A sigh lost in the darkness. But he was the darkness, and he heard every beat of her heart as she stood before him- beautiful as a dream and proud as a queen. She was a queen of darkness, a queen that had the power and determination to rule over the creatures of a forgotten world. She was HIS queen.

Slowly, deliberately, he pulled her to rest against the aboveground clothing he had fashioned to suit his needs and began to sway to the husky words of the song.

~The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful
~Stop me and steal my breath.
~And emeralds from mountains
~Thrust towards the sky
~Never revealing their depth.

Sarah breathed in the scent of him. The heady cologne bearing traces of the Labyrinth. Everything faded into the background as she relished the strength of his arms around her. A breathing, tangible, man, and he was with her. Sweet longing lanced through her. What would it be like to have him hold her always? Was he here to offer her a taste of her dreams or was this something even greater than that?

Knowing that questions would be futile, Sarah rested her head on Jareth's firm shoulder and let him guide her through the intimate darkness.

~And tell me that we belong together.
~Dress it up with the trappings of love.
~I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips
~Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above.
~And I'll be your crying shoulder,
~I'll be love suicide.
~And I'll be better when I'm older,
~I'll be the greatest fan of your life.

Sarah's friends watched with barely disguised jealousy as a handsome, elegant man led Sarah away from the dance floor and onto a connecting balcony. It was so romantic. Sarah didn't even seem to be aware that he was taking her to the balcony to dance with her under the moon and stars.

* * * *

They had never seen Sarah surrender herself to a man before. She was always in control, always remote, always somehow separate from everyone. But as the man with the wild blonde hair disappeared with her onto the balcony both Jess and Bonnie saw Sarah's face. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to radiate contentment. She obviously trusted the dark stranger, so Jess and Bonnie didn't become truly worried until the morning when Sarah never came home.

Years later, they both sat on the phone and talked about what they could have done. In the end, they agreed that wherever Sarah was, she was happy, and letting her go was the best thing either of them could have done.

* * * *

~And rain falls angry on the tin roof
~As we lie awake in my bed.
~And you're my survival, you're my living proof
~My love is alive and not dead.

~And tell me that we belong together.
~Dress it up with the trappings of love.
~I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips
~Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above.
~And I'll be your crying shoulder,
~I'll be love suicide.
~And I'll be better when I'm older,
~I'll be the greatest fan of your life.

Sarah opened her eyes when she felt wind on her face. They were on one of the clubs many balconies. The chill from the night air swept across her exposed skin; Jareth wrapped both arms around her to shelter her from the cold and Sarah delved into them gratefully.

He looked out into the still night for a moment before gently tipping her face upwards to look at him.

"Sarah…" His voice was still the same delicious blend of seductiveness and sharpness. "Is this what you want?" He gestured towards the inside of the club and it's noisy inhabitants.

Sarah's brow furrowed as she tried to decipher the depth of meaning his one sentence seemed to hold. "What I want?" She asked softly.

Jareth stepped away from her and swept both arms towards the balcony's doorway. "Them, Sarah. Do you want to stay here with them? Are you happy here?"

The second that Jareth's warmth no longer surrounded her Sarah began to panic. Was he going to come here only to leave her alone again? Dazedly, Sarah picked out notes coming from inside.

~And I've dropped out, I've burned up.
~I fought my way back from the dead.
~I've tuned in, turned on, remembered the thing that you said.

The song was still playing. Everything she had been feeling had happened within the space of one song. This irony struck at her until she was laughing hysterically. "Happy? You're asking me if I'm happy here? I've been completely alone since the moment I left the Labyrinth and woke up in my bedroom. I'm not happy here Goblin King. I'm barely alive!"

With her emotions on the fritz and with no willpower to direct her powers, they just streamed from her- kicking up dirt and dust and leaves as the wind whipped in miniature cyclones and dark clouds covered the moon from view.

In her grief, Sarah missed the look of relief and happiness that slid across Jareth's features. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes but she refused to look at him. Quietly, she announced, "If you're leaving me again then go. Just stop tormenting me."

With quick strides, Jareth reclaimed his grip on her and forced her to look at him. "I couldn't possibly leave you Sarah, to do so would be at the risk of my own torment. What I was trying to ask you, was whether you wanted to live here in this world, or in my own. Rest assured that I will be with you no matter where you choose."

Sarah laughed with abandon. "The mighty Jareth, prepared to live in the world of mortals? What a terrifying thought! And besides, a king is a king whether you take the crown off of his head or not. You'd probably end up going crazy with no one to follow every order…"

Jareth smiled, and brushed a strand of dark hair off of Sarah's cheek. "But aside from all of that…"

Sarah smiled, "All of that aside? I think the only place I could be truly happy is in the Underground. The 'real world' has never held enough mystery or magic for me. Not even when I was a child."

Suddenly, they were in the middle of a moonlit garden. The moon was huge- casting everything into shadows and silvery pools of light. Jareth squeezed Sarah's hand and began to pull her towards a towering castle nestled between the light of the moon and the darkness of night.

"You don't know how relieved I am to hear you say that."

* * * *

And Sarah WAS very happy. And it was the best thing she could have done.

~And I'll be your crying shoulder,
~I'll be love suicide.
~And I'll be better when I'm older,
~I'll be the greatest fan of your life…

~And I'll be your crying shoulder,
~I'll be love suicide.
~And I'll be better when I'm older,
~I'll be the greatest fan of your life,
~The greatest fan of your life.

A/N) There it is. My first songic. Hopefully I didn't kill it…. Only one way to know for sure though!

REVIEW, REVIEW, REVEW! PLEEEEASE?!?

=) Thanks everyone!

~Ellie