Subj: 1795 Challenge
Date: 7/31/99 2:36:28 AM Central Daylight Time
From: DSRules

{This spell will ensure that Josette and Jeremiah fall in love. Then, once he's seen his precious Josette being unfaithful to him with his own uncle, Barnabas will turn to *me*.} Oblivious to all going on around her, Angelique put the finishing touches on the effigy and began her incantation.

Vicki lingered a moment outside of Jeremiah's door. He looked so much like her lost love that it sometimes tore at her heart to see him. Other times, however, it was oddly comforting, like she had found Burke all over again. Desperate to see that beloved face one more time, Vicki pushed the door open a crack.

Jeremiah jerked the doorknob from her hand, throwing the door wide open. He wrapped Vicki securely in his arms, and kissed her passionately.

"Mr. Collins!" Vicki cried, startled.

Jeremiah blinked, his eyes finally focusing on the brunette governess. "Miss Winters! I don't know what came over me! I'm desperately sorry!" His eyes, however, bored through her as Burke's had never done.

The naked passion in Jeremiah's eyes made Vicki's knees go weak. Nevertheless, she pulled herself together and said, as calmly as she could, "That's all right, Mr. Collins." She turned to leave.

"It'll never happen . . . ." His voice faded as she turned toward him again. He could see the heat in her eyes, just as she could see it in his. They quickly crossed the space between them, his hands sliding into her hair as he brought his mouth down to hers for another kiss.

* * * * *

Moments later, Josette came down the hallway. She merely paused to look up and down the hallway before opening the door to Jeremiah's room. She slinked over to Jeremiah's bed, peeled back the covers, and slid into the cold, empty bed. {My Jeremiah will come to me soon,} Josette promised herself.

* * * * *

"I don't ever want to let go of you." Burke said as they shared another kiss in the carriage that was taking them away from the Collins family property.

"You won't have to." Vicki assured him.

Fortunately, the horses knew the way into town, so the two humans that they were bearing into Collinsport could focus their attention on more pleasurable activities.

* * * * *

After Jeremiah had slipped the wedding ring onto her finger, Vicki had her first doubts about this plan. "But what will your family say when they find out that we're married?"

"Don't worry about it. Joshua has Barnabas as his heir. I'm free to marry whomever I choose. Which I have done. Now be quiet and give me a kiss, Mrs. Collins."

* * * * *

Jeremiah had sent a messenger to Collinwood with the message that he had taken a wife, and that they would be home after their honeymoon. He had carefully omitted the identity of the wife, and the Collinses simply dismissed the odd woman who had so suddenly appeared, claiming to be their new governess.

Meanwhile, Josette fumed, planning to get her revenge on Jeremiah and his new bride as soon as they dared set foot on Collins property.

* * * * *

"You ready to go in and face the lion's den?" Jeremiah smiled as he helped his bride of two weeks down from the carriage.

"Will it really be that bad?" Vicki worried.

"Joshua's a pussycat. A big, 175-pound pussycat with five-inch fangs, that is." At her look of terror, Jeremiah wrapped his arm around her. "I've gotten away with worse things with Joshua than marrying his governess. Trust me." They shared a kiss for luck, and went into the house.

The Collinses took the news with varying degrees of pleasure. While taken aback at first, Joshua soon warmed up to his new sister-in-law. Abigail declared that their elopement was one of the signs of the coming Apocalypse. Naomi burst into tears of joy, wrapping her arms around Vicki so tightly that she nearly strangled the younger woman. Barnabas, simply smiled warmly and exchanged familial kisses with the newlyweds.

This scene of tranquil family life was interrupted by the arrival of Josette. "You thought you could spurn me for her! Well, I won't have it, I tell you! If I can't have you, no one can!" And with those words, she raised the pistol she carried in her hand and fired.

"Jeremiah!" Vicki cried, seeing her husband crumple and fall to the floor.

Joshua, who knew a thing or two about dealing with armed Tories, took the opportunity of the distraction to disarm his son's fiancee.

Andre and Natalie, who'd heard the shot, dashed into the room, to find Jeremiah bleeding on the floor, and Andre's best friend holding Josette in a most unladylike position.

"What's going on here?" Andre demanded.

"Your daughter just shot my brother!"

* * * * *

It was a difficult recovery, but Jeremiah did eventually recover fully, thanks to Vicki's insistence upon keeping the wound clean and her refusal to let the doctor use leeches on him. A year later, she gave birth to their first son, Isaiah.

Barnabas was shocked and disillusioned by the discovery that his fiancee harbored a secret passion for his uncle. Soon after the shooting, he found himself in Angelique's room.

"Angelique. I'm so sorry. I let Josette's status blind me to what was truly important - my love for you."

Angelique, dumbfounded, could merely nod her head.

"I want to marry you. Please say you will be my wife." Barnabas got down before her on one knee.

"But, your father . . ."

"I'll handle Father. Though there might be one thing that would make telling him about us easier."

"What?"

Barnabas gazed at her lustfully. "If his first grandchild were already on the way at the time of our marriage."

THE END

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.