Christmas 1954 PG-13

[cassysj]

I do not own any recognizable characters no copyright infringement is intended.


December 1954

“Charles why can’t you come to my house for Christmas?”

“Sarah, your family doesn’t want me around for Christmas.”

Sarah scrunched her face into the most pathetic pout. “I want you for Christmas.”

Charles Fitzgerald smiled mischievously. “Well you already have me and I don’t want to be unwrapped in front of your parents.”

Sarah’s face turned the color of her hair. “Charles, you are so bad! Come on, they have to get to know you.”

“Sarah, I’m not ready. Besides there is the problem of my “special” diet.”

“Charles you used that excuse for Thanksgiving.”

“It’s just as valid this month as last month. Sarah you know it’s a matter of can’t eat, not choice. How am I going to explain to your parents that I’m only drinking wine? They’ll think I’m an alcoholic and forbid you to see me again.”

Sarah giggled. “Forbid? I’d like to see them try.”

Charles put his arms on her shoulders and tilted her head. “Sarah, I’m serious. We can’t tell them what I am. Maybe you should take my suggestion and get a “fake” boyfriend.”

Sarah was furious. “I don’t want to spend my time with some appropriate stranger.”

“You wouldn’t have to spend time with him. He’d pick you up at your parents, make the necessary small talk and drive you to me.’

“What about holidays?”

Charles shrugged. “You’d have to bring him to your parents house. Sarah, I can hire someone you like. He’ll be loyal to me and your parents will approve. I’ll create the best background for him. It will be…

“A lie!” Sarah snapped. “I won’t lie to my mother for the next twenty years about the man I’m with. Do you want me to marry him?”

Charles growled at the thought. “No, of course not. It would just give us some breathing room. He laughed. “You may grow tired of me. There are a lot of things I can’t give you.”

Sarah kissed him. “Like what?”

Charles looked into her eyes, when she guessed he was a vampire last month he had confirmed it but there were some things he didn’t tell her. He knew if he uttered these words she might break up with him on the spot. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her, but she was entitled to the truth.

“Children. I can’t give you children. Vampires can’t reproduce.”

Sarah froze for an instant and a tear formed in her eye.

“All right, we can adopt.”

“Sarah, it’s not that…..”

Sarah waved her hand dismissively “Charles, we can work that out later. We’re not even engaged yet. If you won’t come for Christmas dinner, I want you to come for a drink Christmas Eve.”

“Sarah, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Charles, I won’t take no for an answer. My house, 6P Christmas Eve.”

Charles could not deny her anything. He was concerned since John Whitley didn’t seem to like him the first time they met. He thought it was normal paternal jealousy but there was something about the way that man looked at him that reminded him of vampire hunters. Some day Sarah would have to make a choice between him and her family. He prayed she'd choose him.

[francis]

Oh poor Josef. She will choose him, eventually, but it will still be a world of pain afterwards.
Sarah would have wanted children, of course, it was what women did in the fifties. It was a shock, but she didn't cop out.
Great story, cassy.

[allegrita]

This is a wonderful glimpse into Josef and Sarah's relationship, during that wonderful year they were together. Obviously, that year wasn't a bed of roses. But they worked out the issues together. I love that she wasn't a pushover... not that Josef would fall that much in love with a woman who was a pushover!

You know, this story is so full of hope. It gives me a happy little glow, and then I remember what happened... and the glow gets damped some... but still, it doesn't go out. This is a time when Josef was truly happy. And it makes me happy to see him happy... even for just a little while.

[cassysj]

francis - Sarah and Josef don't know what they are going to get themselves into. I imagine the lack of children would have been one of the hardest things for a fifties mindset. but she loved him enough to leave all that behind. It just didn't work.

Alle - I do believe they truly enjoyed every minute they had together, otherwise Josef wouldn't still feel the pain so sharply fifty years later. Sarah couldn't have been a pushover in my mind she convinced Josef to turn her. That couldn't have been easy.

[jen]

This is so plausible on many levels. First, as Sarah knew what Josef was and chose to be with him anyway, there could very well have been a moment like this. As Sarah ultimately made the decision to join Josef, and wouldn't let it go, she made her choice of him over her parents.

Unfortunately, the turning did not work out as planned.

I really hope that one day Sarah will see the world beyond Waverly Place and the back of her eyelids.

Thank you!

Jenna

[jen]

Cassy

There is a whole, wonderful story of Charles Fitzgerald and Sara Whitley waiting to be told.

It took a remarkable young woman to figure out the clues and have the courage to be with him anyway. There could have been many situations like this. What did they have to do to dance around the issue and keep up appearances. Before the turning that didn't turn out, there was a lot of love, bravery and strength exhibited by all concerned. Her mother, too, must have been an amazing woman.

Excellent story!

Thank you!

Jenna

[allegrita]

Wow, I haven't read this one in years. I'm glad I bumped the Holiday fic index. There are so many treasures there, and this is definitely one of them. I really enjoyed your take on the one Christmas that Josef had with Sarah. Such a bittersweet story.

[MickLifeCrisis]

Wow, I don't think I have ever read this before. Bittersweet is what I was thinking, too, Alle. Because we know what happens to their relationship. But I also agree with your early post, that it's wonderful to see Josef so happy.

Thanks for bumping this! Great story, Carol!

[cassysj]

Thank you for bumping it. I love writing Sarah.

[MickLifeCrisis]

Charles/Josef could have handled drinks on Christmas Eve, I think. But he's getting bad vibes from Mr. Whitley. Charles/Josef didn't get to be as old as he is by ignoring his vamp instincts!

Thanks for sharing Charles' happy moments, as brief as we know they are going to be.

[allegrita]

I'm glad this got bumped up! I can see how Whitley's scrutiny would give Josef a bad feeling. He was the kind of person who would have ordered the torch-bearing mob to go after a vamp. *shudder* But Josef had a hard time saying no to his headstrong love. (Hmm, reminds me of some other couple! )

I love this Christmas vignette.

[cassysj]

Thanks for bumping this up I love Josef/Sarah

[Shadow]

Such a sad Christmas story! Sarah still thinks she can have both Josef and her family.....together. Interesting how she manages to push past learning that Josef can't have kids.....but can't yet get past needing him to spend the holiday with her family. We know what she'll choose in the end, but she seems nowhere near that now. It was nice seeing them at this earlier stage of their relationship.

[cassysj]

Just giving a bump for the holidays

[allegrita]

This story really rings true for me. Like Beth, Sarah accepted Josef (Charles) as a person, but she didn't realize the full ramifications of loving a vampire. And then the turn failed. But for that precious year, they were happy. And that matters.