A/N: Please note, some of this chapter is heavily influenced by the radio drama version of "As Time Goes By", episode 106, (Written by Bob Larbey, starring Judi Dench as "Jean" and Geoffrey Palmer as "Lionel",) that can be found on Internet Archive [archive dot org]. When we consider Jean and Lionel, separated by 38 years apart, it becomes much easier to understand the longer time acclaimed by Barnabas and Josette. And so… on with their story.

Chapter Six: "Hello, Again" (Josette's Room)

From the drawing room Josette held Barnabas' hand and led him up the stairs. As they walked, they talked.

"Remember that room you designed for me before I arrived from France?" she wondered.

"I do." He answered, clutching her hand strongly while they ascended the premises.

"Looks as if it's been a while since you thought about it."

"I am ashamed to admit this is true."

"Don't be," Josette told him, as they reached the landing." You've had a lot on your mind since you awoke. I'm sure you thought about it endlessly prior to that."

"I did… very much."

They wandered down the hall and discovered the door of her old room, with a knob rather low, as knobs were on doors in the olden days.

Opening the door, they found that Josette's bedroom was both untouched by use as well as aged in a century and a half of time. Taper candles remained placed in both wall sconces and candlesticks on tables and nightstands. Her old vanity still held a candlestick with a taper candle, yet unlit.

Two French windows with pointed tops graced the room on diagonal points of the rooms' display. Between these two long windows was the fireplace. Above the mantle of this fireplace was the original portrait of Josette, a copy of which had once showed itself in the Great House of Collinwood before it was destroyed. What could be viewed of the walls was aquamarine in colour, as close as Barnabas had demanded the walls be painted in the 1790's by the best craftsmen money could hire.

"Barnabas? Do you see this room as well as I do with our new vision?" Josette wondered, "Isn't it as blue as ever?"

"Yes," he answered, "I can see it now… I believe I made some rather complimentary choices."

Josette turned around and smiled, "Allow me to show it to you a little brighter"

She then snapped her fingers and suddenly the long ago gutted candles, within several points in the room, sparked into flames; from the mantle to the chandelier above them, and the vanity displaying one silver candle stick.

"Even the candles are blue," Barnabas observed and recalled.

"Yes," his dear one smiled, "Now? You can do the rest, can't you?"

He smiled back at her, snapping his fingers and suddenly, an old set of logs once settled into the fireplace, from the last stay before being forgotten about, burst into flames to illuminate the room and warm its occupants.

"And now," Barnabas gave a more dour smile, "I shall leave you to your room," he bowed, "… Josette."

She grabbed his arm, "What do you mean?"

"We are not married, Victoria."

She tut-tutted, "But we were, Barnabas. We were. Or did you forget?"

He breathed in, "Yes, but… I wish to maintain sanctity with you. We must be wed again if we are to… engage… as once upon a time…"

A grin crept on Josette's vampiric façade, "Of course… just as you were wed… or well… consummated, to… Angie… right?"

His expression dropped in shame and he turned away from her toward the fireplace, "That was poorly done of me, I admit… and I am aggrieved that you know of my transgressions with her."

Josette's pupils widened and shrunk, "You're never going to figure it out, are you, Barnabas?"

She reached for him from behind, her fingers curving up through his coat, "I love you all the more for your vulnerabilities. It shows you to be so human and caring than you'll give yourself credit about. "

"Is that all there is to it?" Barnabas asked, earnestly, looking up at the ceiling.

Her smiles were felt by him, if unseen, in her answer, "Of course… it makes a difference if you know the person you love so dearly."

In all his old world luxury of clothing, manners, and mystique, he turned around and held her face in his vampire claws, as lovingly as any a devout husband might, "Victoria Winters… how do I do right by you… now, especially?"

The kindness of her face glowed into his, "Keep calling me by my rightful name on this estate: Josette. And keep loving me as you have always loved me: Without question. Promise me, as you promised long ago, that we will be together forever."

Barnabas repeated his vow from centuries a gone, "God as my witness, Josette. I swear it."

With their kiss that came upon this renewed vow, it gave her the courage to nod, "Now? Time for bed."

"What?" Barnabas inquired, looking at the only bed in the room, "That one?"

Graced with the silk of an overhanging canopy and a fair view of the rest of the French and English attributes that had been ascribed to her quarters, yes, cobwebs or no cobwebs, it was a most serviceable bedroom for two vampires who wished to remain shielded from the sunlight. The curtain fabric over the Gothic-meets-French windows were about as thick as one could get. Josette leapt to the curtains on either window to pull them together.

"We'll be protected, my love. No worries on that account." She nodded, wandering back to the bed where he stood close by.

"But," Barnabas worried, "The proprieties,"

Josette heaved a sigh, "Proprieties? After so much that has happened already?"

Barnabas simpered at his lady fair, "How can I not worry about that?"

Josette stepped toward him, looked down, then looked up into his face and grinned, "I suppose I'll have to teach you everything now…"

Barnabas tilted his head at Josette, "I wish you would,"

Josette took the hand of her beloved and led him closer to the bed, then lifted the blankets and folded them at a cross angle. She turned around and wondered, "No clothing to sleep in per se, oui?"

Barnabas looked at the bed sheets, glimpsed at his beloved and smirked, "No… pajamas… as it were, Josette."

"So?" Josette asked.

"Here we are," her lover responded.

"It is a bed for two people," Josette pointed out, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"Yes, it is," Barnabas agreed, with a mild, yet wicked, smile.

"It's just like an hotel," Josette urged him.

"I wish it were. I'd feel quite differently about this if it were."

Josette sighed, "Let's just get in."

They got in. As heavily clothed as might be and as veraciously in love as they once had been and currently were, the intensity of sharing a bed again was as invigorating as it was awkward.

They managed to hunker under the semi-dusty bed linens comfortably… and… then…

"Josette?" he inquired.

"Yes, Barnabas?"

"I'm on the wrong side. I'm lying on the right side of this bed and I never did that before."

Josette inhaled with chuckled reverie, "You want I should switch over?"

"Yes, please," Barnabas proposed.

And so… they had a fun flip-about, with the springs below the mattress giving their own squeaky remonstrance to the whole bed-side changing scenario.

Barnabas finally found a voice around all the ridiculousness, "Are you comfortable, my love?"

Josette couldn't help but snort minutely and attest, "I think I finally might be, my dear."

"Do you have enough cover of blankets?"

"Yes, I do. It's rather nice." She admitted, resting her head cozily on her pillows toward him.

"Yes, it is, rather." Barnabas agreed.

Josette duPres shifted in bed next to her ages old husband, "Are you sure you have got the right bed?"

He grasped her closely, "Yes… in an inverted sort of way…"

They snuggled more tightly under the bedclothes and stared at the fireplace together… until Josette turned to Barnabas and asked, "Tomorrow… should we… at the breakfast table… look 'smug' in the morning?"

Barnabas had his chance to remember and assure her, "Well, not particularly, my love. We have slept together before."

"Yes," Josette assented, "Except that Elizabeth doesn't know it was one-hundred and ninety-six years ago."

Josette felt a pat at her cheek, "We'll just look slightly smug at that point, my love," Barnabas advised.

The two, once married in their old world, expecting to be married again in this new world, settled themselves down in the bed they once shared over a century ago and were now sharing once more. Spooning with his Josette, he clutched her closely.

"This seems like yesterday," Barnabas suggested.

An unexpected sigh came.

"No. It doesn't." Josette frowned.

Barnabas held her closer as she gripped his hands, "No… It doesn't."

Josette looked to the fireplace and to the candles, snapped her fingers, by which, putting the candles out.

With the increasing darkness from only the firelight in the hearth left, as the candles were stopped, Josette and her Barnabas kept moving closer and closer together under the bedclothes… not just for warmth but for security, companionship, and shared memories.

As they moved as near to each other as humanly possible in their old bridal chamber, Josette turned away from the fireplace to face her old lover, and said to him,

"Hello, again."

And Barnabas, always desiring to kiss her, bespoke,

"Hello, again."

And so… they kissed… and more… which I, the author, shall leave to your own imagination. *wink*

You must remember this
A kiss is still a kiss
A sigh is still a sigh
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by

And when two lovers woo
They still say "I love you"
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings
As time goes by

Moonlight and love songs
Never out of date
Hearts full of passion
Jealousy and hate
Woman needs man, and man must have his mate
That no one can deny

It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by

Moonlight and love songs
Never out of date
Hearts full of passion
Jealousy and hate
Woman needs man, and man must have his mate
That no one can deny

It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers
As… time… goes… by…

A/N: Let me know what you liked! Thanks!