A/N: Only things to say are, thank-you for the reviews and JosefMuse is pleased everybody is liking the story so far. I love my beta, Aragorns Arwen. She is wonderful and lovely and everybody should read her story, Redemption.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. It all belongs to WB and Joel Silver. If I owned it, we'd have a second season and a DVD by now! lol.

On with the story and enjoy!

Sleeping Beauty

Chapter 2 - Second Chances

Josef's Mansion - 14 Feb 2008

"Please Josef! We want to take you to that new club that just opened! It will be fun!" One of Josef's freshies begged.

"I'm not in the mood today," Josef said simply. He raised a glass of scotch to his lips, then threw his head back, drinking the entire glass. He wanted nothing more than to drink until he felt drunk and for a vampire to feel drunk, would take a lot of strong liquor. Before the freshies could start pleading with him again, Mick and Beth walked into Josef's living room.

"Okay girls, that's enough. Leave the old man alone," Mick scolded.

"Hey! Watch it! I can still kick your ass Mick!" Josef smirked. "I'm surprised you're here. I thought you'd be with Blondilocks holed up at your apartment romancing her."

"I'm here with Mick. But we wanted to come see you." Beth said.

"Why? I'm fine… or at least I will be when I'm too drunk to see straight," Josef muttered. "Hey, do you still have any of that Absinthe or Moonshine left?" He asked Mick, "You know, that stuff we got back in the 80's?"

"No. We drank it all remember?"

"Oh yeah. I don't remember much to be honest… good decade though." Josef smirked.

"Josef… You're always in a funk on Valentine's Day," Mick pointed out. "And I have a feeling it has to do with Sarah and not a commercialized holiday."

"Okay. You figured me out," Josef said sarcastically. "Give the vamp a prize."

"Well, I put my investigative skills to work and I found out, with Mick's assistance, how to help Sarah."

"Oh, pray tell, what could you have possibly found out that I don't already know or that my team of highly trained researchers could not have found?" Josef asked bitterly.

"You have to turn her again." Beth said simply.

"How can it be that simple?"

"The simplest answer is usually the right one," Mick pointed out.

"Who told you this?" Josef demanded.

"A Council Member," Mick said.

"Julius Caesar?" Josef guessed.

"Yes." Mick admitted, "How did you know?"

"He's the only Council Member in LA… And I know I gave you his PA's number several years ago… So, you went to a Council Member? I'm surprised he spoke with you."

"I was surprised myself."

"And he said all I had to do was turn her again?"

"Simple as that."

"How am I going to help her adapt to a new era? 53 years is a lot of history… a lot has changed."

"We could help. You and Mick have lived it all, and since I am a woman and born in this era, I think I can help her with the stuff she'd be too embarrassed to ask a man." Beth pointed out. "Do you think you could do it? You turned Mick just fine." Beth pointed out in hopes to boost Josef's confidence.

"Re-turned. I re-turned him." Josef pointed out.

"Well… Wouldn't, basically, it be the same thing for Sarah?" Beth asked.

"She has a point, Josef." Mick agreed.

Josef sighed again, "I want to speak with Julius to find out some of the finer details and what exactly are the risks and possible outcomes. Then I'll make a decision about what course of action I will take," Josef said. "But… If… If I do this… Will the pair of you come with me to New York? I'll need all the moral support I can get."

"Of course!" Beth assured, without hesitation, "I would hope you know I think of you as a friend and I'll always be there for you. I don't bail on my friends when they need me." Beth smiled.

"Thank you." Josef grinned. He picked up his phone and called Julius Caesar. They talked at length about re-turning Sarah, Josef learning all he could about the process. "Thank-You. If I had known you had the answer, I think I would have swallowed my pride and asked you years ago."

"I'm sure you would have." Julius agreed warmly, "I understand the enormity and emotions you must be facing. This is the miracle you've been waiting for." Julius reassured.

15 Feb 2008 - Noon - NYC

Mick, Beth, and Josef arrived in NYC a little after noon and reached the brownstone about an hour later. Josef knocked on the door and waited for Polly, Sarah's nurse, to answer the door.

"Mr. Kostan! Come in." Polly smiled, holding the door open wide.

"How's Sarah?" Josef asked as he led the group to the living room. "Same as always, Mr. Kostan."

"Hopefully that will change soon." Josef smiled. "We found a way to wake her up. It's risky, but I think it's worth the risk if it works. I'm ready for a miracle and I think so is Sarah."

"I've been praying for one since I took this job all those years ago, Mr. Kostan." Polly smiled.

"I'll need you to remove all the IVs and machines from her room. Then I'll need you and Beth to wait here in the living room. Mick will be with me and Sarah," Josef instructed. "Sarah will need fresh blood when she wakes up. If you could call this number and hire Janette Thompson and Liz Carlson after you're done in Sarah's room?"

"Of course, Mr. Kostan."

Beth stayed in the living room as Polly, Josef, and Mick went to Sarah's room. Polly quickly removed all the IVs from Sarah and wheeled the medical equipment out of the room. Polly returned to the living room then called to hire the two freshies Josef requested.

Mick stayed standing by the doors of Sarah's room while Josef lay down on the bed next to Sarah. Josef gazed at his beautiful Sarah, thinking of all their time together and all that has happened since that fateful Valentine's Day.

"It's time Josef," Mick prompted.

Josef barely nodded his head in response. He leaned down and kissed her lips before plunging his fangs into her neck. Josef kept track of the amount of blood he drank from her, then when he took enough, he pulled away from her and bit into his own arm, holding it over Sarah's mouth, allowing his blood to drip into her mouth.

Josef prayed to whatever God would listen that she would respond. Just when he thought too much time had passed, he felt strong, yet delicate, soft hands grip his arm and a soft warm mouth move against his arm, drinking deep his life blood.

"That's it, Doll-face. Drink deep," Josef coaxed. Sarah let go, dropping back down to the pillows. "Time to wake up Doll-face. Come on Sarah, you can do it, Sweetheart," Josef begged.

Slowly, Sarah sat up and opened her eyes, revealing vampiric silver eyes and snarled playfully at Josef, flashing fangs. Josef gasped, tears falling from his eyes. "Sarah! Oh Sarah… I love you!" Josef exclaimed, putting a hand on either side of her face, kissing her soundly on the lips. "I'm so sorry, Sarah!" Josef said, begging for her to forgive him, as tears still streamed down his face.

"Why are you sorry, Charles?" Sarah asked, wiping his tears away. "I told you, I wanted this! You are a silly man, Charles." She laughed.

"Oh Sarah… So much has happened. I just hope you'll forgive me and still have me as yours."

"What are you talking about Charles?" Sarah asked, "You're starting to worry me," She admitted and then suddenly realized they were not alone. "Charles, who is he?"

"A Friend," Josef said. "Sarah… Something… happened when I tried to turn you. I drained you, fed you my blood but… Sarah… please forgive me… you… You've been in a coma."

"A… a coma? For how long?"

"A long time."

"Charles, how long?" Sarah demanded to know. Josef took a deep breath, letting it out in a long sigh, before speaking.

"Fifty-three years. I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! I'm sorry!" Josef begged, looking away from her in guilt.

"Fifty… Fifty-three years?" Sarah asked, not sure she heard correctly. "Charles, look at me," Sarah said, raising Josef's face to look at her. "I do not blame you. You didn't know, you didn't do it on purpose. You had no control over what happened. But I can see you have carried a guilt inside yourself. So Charles, I forgive you. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Charles… I'm… I'm hungry," Sarah said, changing the topic.

"I thought you might be." Josef smiled. "I hope you don't mind feeding from a couple of women for now."

"That's fine."

"Mick, can you bring in Janette and Liz… and I could use a glass or two of AB-."

"Of course." Mick smiled, and then went to retrieve the two freshies and a bag of AB- along with a glass. He returned and handed the blood and glass to Josef.

Josef downed a couple of glasses then called Janette over to him. Janette sat down between Josef and Sarah, lifting her arm up for Sarah. Josef coached Sarah through her first fresh meal, passing Janette off to Mick when Sarah was finished.

"Never take more than that from one human. Any more and you'll kill them," Josef warned.

"Okay… I'm still hungry."

Mick took Janette to the spare bedroom, where Polly was waiting to give her a blood transfusion. Mick stayed with Janette until Polly had the IV in her arm, then returned to Sarah's bedroom.

Josef called Liz over and let Sarah monitor herself, although he still monitored Liz's vitals as a safety precaution. With just a hand on Sarah's shoulder to let her know to stop, Sarah removed her fangs from Liz, licking the punctures clean to help stop the blood flow. Josef passed Liz off to Mick and let him take Liz to the same bedroom as Janette so Liz could get a transfusion as well.

"You did very well. Are you full?" Josef asked. Sarah stopped to think and then answered.

"Yes." Sarah smiled. "Are there more humans in the house?" Sarah asked suddenly, hearing more heartbeats than that of just the freshies.

"Yes. Very smart. How many?" Josef asked.

"Um… 4 total?" Sarah asked, "Janette, Liz, and two others," Sarah answered.

"Can you sense anything else about the two other humans? Where do you think they are in the house? Male? Female? Young? Old? Healthy? Sick? Blood type?" Josef asked, knowing she wouldn't know the answers to all the questions he asked.

"Um… I don't know," Sarah admitted.

"Inhale deep, through your nose. Rely on your senses and listen to your instincts," Josef instructed.

Sarah did as instructed. "Um… I think 2 females. I think one is in her 20's… and another in her 40's or 50's. Both smell healthy but I'm not sure about blood type… I know one has a rare blood type… I think… she doesn't smell like the other human," Sarah answered. "And I think one is in the living room and one is in the spare bedroom with Janette and Liz."

"Good. What about the other vampire? What do you sense about each of us?"

"Your friend is young, at least, if I had to guess, under 100," Sarah guessed. "And I know you must be around 400 now because I remember asking you how old you were and you told me in November you would be 356 years old."

"Yes. I'm 408... I'll be 409 later this year in November." Josef smiled.

"What day is it today?"

"February 15th, 2008."

"So… Do we have flying cars and condos in the sky?" Sarah laughed. Josef laughed with her.

"Not quite. The U.S. did make it to the moon first, but no condos in the sky. No flying cars."

"That's too bad. Well, at least I won't need to relearn how to drive."

"True… although drivers tend to be much more aggressive on the roadways," Josef told her.

"Has much changed?"

"Yes. Technology, history, fashion, gas prices, wars have been won and lost. Blacks and whites are no longer segregated and they have all the same rights as any other American. Women's rights have changed… so much has changed."

"Really?"

"Even vocabulary has changed, new slang, new idioms." Josef smirked.

"Oh. Things are not the same, are they?"

"No. The 21st century is much more… sexually expressive. Pregnant is no longer a taboo word, there are R rated movies with sexually explicit scenes that 18 year old kids can go see by themselves. Young women, and even young teenage girls, are wearing clothes that leave very little to the imagination," Josef told her.

"Oh my… I won't be expected to wear revealing clothes to fit in, will I?"

"No. Not all women dress that way."

"Oh good… What about women's rights? You said that women have more rights now? What has changed?"

Josef sat with her and answered her questions about women's rights and civil rights and all the changes that came with it, "This year, in the primary presidential election, the two main democratic candidates are a black man and a white woman."

"Wow… That's… That just… boggles my mind… Has everything changed that much?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah… pretty much… but I'll help you learn everything you need to know about the last 53 years… and so will Mick and his girlfriend, Beth."

"Is that the woman in the living room?"

"Yes."

"Can I meet her, Charles?"

"Yes… but you remember I told you vampires change their names often?" Josef reminded her. "Well, I'm Josef Kostan now… my real name, the name I was born with as a human, was Josef Konstantine. I was feeling nostalgic when I picked my new name."

"Oh. Okay… Josef." Sarah smiled, "Can I still call you Charles, in private?"

"Yes, but with humans, except for Beth, you must call me Josef."

"Okay. Can I meet Beth now?"

"Sure," Josef smiled. "Beth! Come here, please!" Josef called out. A few minutes later, Beth came into the room.

"Hey, I take it from those freshies, that it worked?" Beth asked as she walked in.

"See for yourself." Josef smirked. Beth saw Sarah sitting up in bed, staring at Beth.

"Hi. I'm Beth Turner."

"Sarah Whitley… Charles wasn't kidding when he said fashion has changed!" Sarah said, taking in Beth's appearance. Beth was wearing a red cashmere short sleeve shirt and a pair of loose fitting dark wash jeans with a pair of black peep toe heels on her feet.

"Yes. I bet women would never be allowed to wear jeans in 1955... Or any pants for that matter."

"No. Dresses or skirts only… unless you worked on a farm. Then you could wear jeans on the farm, but in public, dresses or skirts." Sarah confirmed, "Do you think you could help me shop for new clothes so I fit in with this year?"

"Of course! One thing that I'm sure hasn't changed is, a woman's love to shop and I love shopping!" Beth grinned. "And if Josef… uh… I mean Charles…"

"Um… it's okay. He told me his name is Josef Kostan now."

"Oh. Okay, well, if Josef gives you his credit cards we can certainly get you in high couture fashion!" Beth grinned again.

A/N: TBC… Beth loves high fashion (as we saw from Beth admiring Morgan/Coraline's Manolo Blahnik shoes when she snuck into "Morgan's" apartment, hehe) Read and Review and let JosefMuse know how much you liked this chapter! lol. R&R!

As Always... Take What Ye Can... Give Nothin' Back!
VAMPIRE SOLIDARITY, RAH RAH RAH! (and all that!)
Mrs. Capt. Jack Sparrows