Okay, I've been playing with this idea for a while, and I'm shocked as to how well it came out considering what I started with. When I was younger, I was really into Anastasia, so my connection to Aurora is limited, but my little cousin loves her, so I'm dedicating this to my cousin Ellie, though she'll probably never read it. Anyway, enjoy the upcoming fluffiness. And if you feel like it, listen to either version of the song "Once Upon A Dream" because I did. Alot. Oh, and please review.

Sleeping Beauty

"Freddie, nothing's happened in the last nine hours, and nothing will happen if you go home and get a few hours of sleep. I'll call you if anything happens," Carly coaxed.

Freddie shook his head, never losing focus on the heart monitor as it pulsed, afraid that if he looked away, it would stop. There was no way he could sleep, even if he drove all the way home. If something happened, and he wasn't right here waiting, he couldn't live with himself.

"Are you sure? You've been up all night. I know you care about Sam, but even her mother went to the sleeping ward for a few hours."

"Carly, I just…can't. Why don't you go home for a few hours? Maybe I'll leave when you come back," he forced himself to look at her for a few seconds, before going right back to the heart monitor.

"Freddie, this isn't your fault," she said quietly.

He reached up and touched the bandage on his forehead, a reminder of just how much blame he held, "You don't know that."

"Freddie, the police told us the other driver was intoxicated. You didn't do anything wrong."

"But maybe if I'd been paying better attention…" he started.

"Freddie, I'm not going to let you sit here and blame yourself. She's going to be okay, I promise."

"You can't know that," he grumbled. She smacked him gently on the back of the head.

"I'm sorry," she quickly apologized. "But she can't…and stop telling me what I can't know! Ugh, I'm going to go home for a few hours. Don't do anything stupid."

For the first time since the accident, he and Sam were alone. He moved his chair closer to her bed, where he could hear the movement of all the machines. The machines that were keeping her alive.

He reached out and took one of her pale hands, still sort of shocked when she didn't swat it away. He let his thumb run over her knuckles, willing them to move. But they didn't, and he just held it.

"Damn it Sam, if you hadn't wanted that stupid pint of Jen & Barry's…If I hadn't been distracted by that cute laugh of yours…If that stupid moron had just called a cab!" he realized he was holding her hands really hard and loosened his hold.

"I'm sorry, it's just…you don't know this but I…I think I love you Sam, and I never told you. And God, I need the chance to tell you. Please Sam, wake up…"

But she didn't move. The heart monitor continued to beep, and her eyes remained closed. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. He was tired, but he knew he couldn't sleep. Instead he stared at her, something he couldn't do often out of fear of being seen. He took advantage of the fact he couldn't get slapped by someone who was…unconscious and memorized every light and shadow of her face.

He did his best to picture her without the bandage wrapped around her forehead, the split lip, or the cast on her arm. He tried to picture her as he knew her. Strong. Invincible.

But the way she looked now wasn't without merit. She looked…peaceful. She looked like Sleeping Beauty.

He smiled when he remembered a conversation they'd had weeks earlier at Sam's house.

"I always wanted to be the Red Ranger," he commented as Sam paused on her conquest to find something good on the few channels her mother paid for.

"What'd you say Freddork?" she said nonchalantly, popping another piece of popcorn in her mouth.

"The Red Ranger, he was so cool. Like, now I can tell it's totally fake, but back then it was awesome. I had to watch it at other people's houses though, because my mom thought it would give me 'dangerous ideas'," he said, reaching across the couch to steal a handful of popcorn.

"Only you would think the Power Rangers were cool…" she snickered, but he could tell that at some point she'd would have killed to be either the Pink or Yellow Ranger.

But he left it alone. Instead he asked, "Who did you want to be?"

"The person who beat up little dweebs like you," she said harshly, but he waited for a real answer. "Okay fine. I wanted to be Aurora."

"Who?"

She had an astonished looked on her face that said 'How could you?!'

"Aurora? Sleeping Beauty?" she gave him.

He couldn't help but chuckle a little, "You wanted to be a Disney Princess? YOU wanted to be a Disney Princess?"

She punched him in the shoulder, "Even the biggest tomboy in the world wants to be a princess Fredward. Mel always fought for Cinderella, but I wanted to be Aurora. I mean come on, Cindy got chores and shitty stepdemons, Aurora sleeps for a couple hundred years then wakes up in a liplock with a hot prince."

"And you always wanted to wake up with some stranger's lips on yours, with two-hundred year old morning breath?" he said obnoxiously.

"Even you can't kill my fantasies Dishrag. When I was seven or eight, I used to lie down on my bed and pretend to sleep, then bring my hand up to my face and pretend it was my prince, there to take me away."

When she looked up and saw his smirk, she realized she'd said too much and tried to save her reputation, "At least I wasn't running around in tights talking to my watch and screaming 'Hyuh!'"

He shook his head, lacking a good comeback and took the remote, changing it to something a little less insult worthy. But while he watched the TV, he couldn't help but imagine leaning down and waking her up with a…

He shot up in his chair. It couldn't work could it? It was out of a Disney movie, a fairytale nonetheless. That couldn't be the key to bringing her to, could it?

He weighed his options. If it worked, she would wake up and smack him. If it didn't, only he would ever know. Other than sheer embarrassment, there was really nothing to hold him back.

He moved to the edge of her bed, trying to shove back the idea that she would kill him if she knew what he was about to do. He reached up and moved a strand of hair away from her face. He ran one finger along her jaw before tilting her chin up.

"Here goes," he said to himself as he leaned down and pressed his lips onto hers. For a few moments, they didn't move, but he couldn't give up hope. He tugged at her bottom lip, willing her to respond. And then he felt it. She tugged back. He could feel her free hand reach up to his face, tugging on the IV. He couldn't believe it. She couldn't realize it was him…it was too good to be true.

He pulled away and watched her eyes flutter for a second before her eyes met his and she whispered with an achy breath, "Good morning."

He smiled for a second before he ran out into the hallway, still beaming from ear to ear.

"She's awake!"

-

After a few hours of tests and concerned family and friends, Freddie finally found himself in a private audience with Sam. By now it was lunch time and he'd snuck contraband in under his hoodie. Her eyes lit up when he walked in, and he wasn't sure if she was happier to see him, or the cheeseburger.

"Fredward…" she said with a hint of shyness. "You didn't have to bring me food."

"Sure, like you wouldn't have sent me out for some later. I know you too well Sam," he said, smirking as he laid the food out for her.

"Yes you do," she said quietly, alluding to what had happened earlier.

"Are you feeling any better?" he asked, pretending he hadn't heard her.

"You mean like I've been hit by a minivan instead of a semi? Sure," she laughed, holding her side with a tinge of pain.

She looked up at him and noticed for the first time the bandage above his eye, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it barely hurts anymore," he choked, catching his breath as she let her fingertips graze along his forehead. "And what is this? Sam showing concern for my pain? You may have hit your head harder than they thought!"

Her face lit up in a half-smile, "I don't like OTHER things causing you pain. That's my job."

It got quiet for a few minutes, neither one of them wanting to address the giant polka-dotted elephant singing 'Copacabana' in the corner. Sam was the first to speak.

"How did you remember?" she said quietly, refusing to look at him as she said it.

"You'd be amazed what kind of ideas come to mind after nine hours of waiting at your bedside. What I did…was actually one of my less crazy ideas."

"And…what you did…did you think it would work?"

"It was worth a try. Are you mad your big romantic fantasy was wasted on me?"

"Not really, actually, I'm kind of…glad," she said, finally able to catch his eyes. "We've already had our first kiss together. It kind of…fits…"

They both smiled and she added bashfully, "But you're the one who had to kiss an unconscious Sleeping Ugly."

"You were beautiful," he said without thinking, and didn't realize what he'd said until she blushed. "Sam, I don't think I've ever seen you blush before."

"Well, you've never called me beautiful before," she said quietly and he laughed. "What's so funny?"

"It's just, I've thought it probably a million times and that's the first time you've ever heard it. I thought it was funny."

"You sure you're not the one who hit yourself on the head?" she said as she tried not to turn a brighter shade of pink.

"I love you," was his only response as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers softly before pulling back again.

She let out a flustered giggle before admitting, "Me too."

"Say the words Sam," he said needily, adding hastily, "Please?"

"I love you," she said quietly. Once she said it though, she couldn't stop. She said it a dozen more times before he cut her off with his lips.

"Mmmm," she said as he pulled away. "Hey, do you want to know what I dreaming while you were all hot and bothered about my well being?"

"Do I get hurt?"

"Not in this one," she smirked before continuing. "Well there was this knight in shining armor right? And he went through all the prince motions. He climbed through the overgrown rose bushes, then battled this huge dragon, and crept through the untouched castle and stuff. But then he got up to the princesses bedchamber and held back. He stood near the doorway and just stared. Then I saw the princess, and it was…me. And I started willing the knight forward. Then he moved to take off his helmet and for a second I thought it was going to be a member of JONAS, or Tom Higgenson or something, but when he pulled of his helmet…it was you. And I knew I should be disappointed, but I wasn't. I was excited. Then you leaned over me and as you kissed me I could feel it. And then you were kissing me for real, and it was amazing."

"It was wasn't it?" he said, trying to keep from yawning, but failing.

"Freddie, when was the last time you slept?" she asked, concerned.

"I'm fine Sam. It's only been…twenty three hours…"

"Geez, just go home! I get it, you love me, but I don't need you suffering from exhaustion!" she ranted, a smirk playing on her face.

"I can't just leave you. What if something happens?"

"Freddie, haven't you ever seen the movie? They live happily after. The end. I'll be fine!"

He stood to leave, a smirk crossing his lips, "Well! I can see when I'm not wanted…I'll be back later though. I promise."

"Okay! Now go get some sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up," she pushed, knowing he had to go, but not wanting him to.

He leaned over and let the rest of his energy escape in a quick kiss. She smiled against his lips and gently pushed him away.

"Go on," she whispered, and he nodded as he left the room.

He looked back once when he hit the doorway and smiled. As he turned back, he repeated quietly to himself, "And they lived happily ever after."

Loved it? Hated it? Tell me in a review!