Christmas 1955 PG-13 Cham chall Naughty or Nice

[cassysj]

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

1955

Hope was getting fed up. As a former Cleaner she had seen a lot in her day but seeing Charles Fitzgerald in a state of despair for months was too much for her. She retrieved a stationery box and went into his bedroom unannounced and said.

“You’re awake. Are you going to shower today?”

“Unlikely.”

“Are you going to put pants on today? You’re an attractive enough man but unless we’re joining a nudist colony I would like you to take care of the bare minimum.

“We’re not doing anything. You’re an uninvited guest in my home.“

“You set a terrible example for the feeders.“

I put pants on before the girls feed me. They are ladies.”

“What am I?”

“A vampire. If you can’t handle a naked man in your line of work you have more problems than I can deal with.”

Hope sighed. ‘I haven’t worked as a Cleaner since……the night you called me Charles.”

“I told you to stop calling me Charles. The vampire growled. “My name is Josef Kosentis.”

“No, you haven’t gotten any new paperwork so your name is Charles Fitzgerald.”

He pointed to an envelope on his desk. “The license arrived yesterday”

She opened it and nodded. “Okay…..Josef we need to do something for the girls for Christmas.”

He sighed. “We don’t need to do anything. I released them last April and since they are still living here I presume you have assumed a contract with them. I don’t understand why you live here but do what you want with them.”

Hope transitioned in anger. “They are your freshies. They feed you every day.”

‘Because you force them.” Josef said calmly

“You don’t refuse.”

“I did for two weeks, I didn’t like the results.”

Hope smiled. “You’re not the first man I put on his ass.”

“It was the first time a vampire barely out of diapers beat me in a fight. Josef said sharply. "That will never happen again."

“I’m not a baby, I was turned in 1936 and I’m a Cleaner you have to add a century to that.”

Josef mussed his hair. “Hope, I don’t care what you do with breakfast, lunch and dinner. I’m not participating.”

“Then I hope you’re okay with disappointing Sarah.”

At the sound of her name he sat up in the chair. “I can’t disappoint Sarah anymore than I already have.”

Hope opened the box and handed him several sheets of paper. “Yes, you can.”

Josef was shocked to see Sarah’s stationery. “Where did you get this?”

“It was in her traveling bag. You never unpacked it.”

“You had no right to invade her privacy.”

“Read it! Hope snapped

Seeing Sarah’s girlish handwriting broke his heart

The Fitzgeralds First Christmas

I want to take the train into New York and take Anna, Mary and Susan to the Radio City Christmas show. That will be my first theater show.

Josef laughed. “I told her she couldn’t go to the theater for six months because of the crowds. “

“Why did she say take the train?’ Hope asked.

“We were supposed to move to Boston.” He continued reading.

“I’ve knitted stockings for the girls and put jingle bells on them. Charles will go see Mr. Riley and buy them something sparkly.”

“There are no knitted stockings so there is no reason to continue reading this….fantasy.

Hope opened his desk drawer. “I made them.”

“You?”

Hope frowned. “I did have a daughter before I changed. She was only six….I made a new stocking every year.

The last item was. “We’ll take a carriage ride in Central Park while Jack Frost is nipping at our nose.”

“She loved that stupid song.”

Hope sat next to him. “We can take the girls to Radio City. I made the stockings, you get the jewelry and…..while I’m a poor substitute I’ll take a carriage ride with you. If you agree to put pants on.” Hope said lightly.

Josef nodded. “All right. I’ll even shower.”

Hope grinned. “How exciting.”

As she turned to leave he said to her.

“How long did it take you?”

“I don’t understand.” Hope said innocently.

“Where did you get her paper and how long did it take you to forge her handwriting?”

Hope was going to lie but it was useless. “I broke into the Whitley house one night when they were at the opera. I grabbed the paper and I studied her handwriting.”

“How?”

“I read her school girl diary.”

“You only met Sarah a couple of times. You captured her perfectly.”

“I was her maid of honor.”

“Only because we needed a witness who wouldn’t wonder why she disappeared.

“Josef, I knew her well enough to….guess. Let’s give the freshies a nice Christmas and release them after New Year. We should leave New York.”

“We can’t leave New York.”

“You can’t stay here forever. “Let’s make arrangements for Sarah and move. It doesn’t have to be far…Philadelphia, Hartford.

Josef thought for a minute. “Las Vegas.”

Hope was stunned. “Okay, Vegas is great.”

“You don’t have to come with me. You can go back to the Cleaners.”

Hope bit her lip. “No I can’t. I’ve broken the code by not telling them about……the failed turning. I can’t ever go back and right now I want to figure out what to do with the rest of my life.

“All right. The girls go on the “Nice” list but you’re on the “Naughty” list. I’m getting you coal

Hope rolled her eyes. “Wait till you see what I got you.”

[BlueEyedMonster]

Great job on the challenge Carol. The story was so sweet it made me feel all Christmasy (is that even a word).

Always love how you write Josef you just get him so perfect.

[allegrita]

Oh, honey, now I'm all teary. I love Hope for what she did for Josef. That is one of the loveliest things she could have done, and best of all, it worked.

[Marigold]

That was so sweet of Hope. I think that she deserves to be on the "Nice List," too.

I'm glad that Josef responded well to Hope's gift.

[cassysj]

BEM. Thanks for stopping by what a nice compliment. I try to do Josef justice

[cassysj]

Alle - Hope and Josef have a complicated relationship in my series and she needs to help him move forward. It's hard because as a Cleaner there are few vampires she'll take a back seat to but Josef is one of them. It hurts her to see him like this and I think she has a lot of guilt for not taking the choice away from him and ending Sarah. This little Christmas card was her last hope. (Pardon the pun)

[francis]

Hope did a great job getting Josef out of his depression, even when he noticed the forgery. I love what they do for the freshies.

[nutmegger911]

Josef is lucky to have a friend who will help him pick himself up after Sarah - even if it means giving him a good kick in the pants.

[AussieJo]

Lovely story Carol. Hope is a strong lady. Charles/Josef is a lucky boy to have her.
And B.E.M. Of course Christmasy is a proper word!

[cassysj]

francis - You can't really pull the wool over Josef's eyes but he can recognize help when he needs it.

NM - As much as he adores Sarah I think he needed some help to bring him back to reality after the bad turning.

Aussie - Thanks. Hope is strong but Josef has been with her thru some tough times too.

[Lucy]

[cassysj]

Shameless bump. I do enjoy my OC Hope.