The Bonds of Love pt 5
Date: 3/21/98
From: barnster

A bat had been hovering outside the drawing room window, of the old house. Then, as if it knew exactly where it was going, it headed for the windows on the upper floor.

It hovered at a particular window. Seeming to sense that the occupant was alone, it entered the room. As it did, its shape changed once more, and Barnabas stood once again, in human form. At once, the wave of dizziness that had overcome him, when he had destroyed Angelique, returned.

Normally, such a transformation didn't bother him, but know he felt strange. Weaker somehow.

When the sensation had passed, he stared over at the bed, and the sleeping form within. A desire to see her, hold her, came over him. But the guilt had what he had subjected her to, stopped him. How could he face her?

But he HAD to see her! The bonds of love, had kept them going through this nightmare.

Slowly, quietly, he walked over to the bed. Staring down in to her sleeping face, he thought she had never looked so beautiful.

"Maggie," he whispered. She shifted, restlessly, but did not awaken. He stepped a little closer.

"Maggie," he said again, a little louder.

This time, she awoke, and stared at him, with confusion. "Barnabas?" she questioned, not knowing if this were dream or reality.

He stared at her, unable to speak. When he finally could, his voice broke. "Yes, my darling. It's me."

At the sound of his voice, she became fully awake. She couldn't believe her eyes! He had come back! He said they would be together again, and now they were!

"Oh, Barnabas!" she sobbed. He took her in his arms, and held her close to him, her hysterical sobs, shook his body.

"It's alright, my darling." he soothed. "It's all right."

Her hysterical sobbing lessened at his words, and he continued to hold her, reluctant to let her go. When at last she at last moved away from him, he tenderly dried her tears, with his thumb. Then cupping her face with his hands, kissed her passionately. She responded, just as strongly. At that moment, she knew that if he had been human, she would have taken him there and then.

When the kiss had ended, he held her close to him again.

She pulled away, and looked into his handsome face, with fear. But not of him. "What happened?"

"I destroyed Angelique, by the only way she COULD be destroyed. By fire."

"I didn't think that were possible."

"She had her weaknesses."

"Are we free? Are we really free?"

"Not yet. There's Nicholas to deal with."

"Can he be defeated?"

"Like Angelique, he has his weaknesses. He has to be stopped. Before he performs the Black Mass."

"Black Mass?"

"I'll explain later. Right now, I want you to stay here. No matter what happens, don't leave this room. I'll come to you, when it's over."

He held her for a moment, then kissing her once more, he turned to leave the room, closely followed by Maggie.

"Be careful, Barnabas. Nicholas hates you so much."

"Not as much as I hate him. Things have gone his way, too long. Now it's my turn."

"I know you'll do whatever you can. But his powers..."

"He's not the only one with powers at his command. Now I must go." He kissed her again, and then turned to leave.

"I love you, Barnabas." At her words, the dizziness struck again. The room swam, before his eyes, and he shook his head, in an effort to clear the fog, that had descended. He heard Maggie's voice coming from far away.

"Barnabas, what is it? What's wrong?" the concern in her voice, unmistakable.

The spell passed, as quickly as it had come. "I'm all right. I want you to stay here."

Then he was gone. She leaned against the door, wondering if he would be able to defeat Nicholas. Nicholas was out to get Barnabas, she knew that. Barnabas was fighting not only for her and the children, but for their very existence.

Barnabas checked on the children, before he made his way downstairs. They slept soundly, not knowing that their father was about to battle for their very souls.

As he made his way down, the dizziness struck again, and he leaned weakly against the wall. It passed more slowly this time, and he hoped that it wouldn't return, when he confronted Nicholas.

After a search of the rooms revealed nothing, he made his way to the drawing room, where he had seen Nicholas through the window. The room was empty, but he could feel a presence.

As he watched, Nicholas materialized out of nowhere.

Vampire and warlock faced each other......

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Fifty miles away, at the Wyndcliffe Sanatorium, Julia Hoffman was busy studying the blood sample, that she had taken from Barnabas. The problem of the mutating bloodcell, had been a difficult one. She had not been able to discover away to reverse the process. She had begun to lose hope that she may never find the right answer. If she didn't, then Barnabas would stay a vampire. That wasn't allowed to happen! SHe had to find away of saving him!

She lifted her head from the microscope, and rubbed at her eyes. Then she turned her attention, back to the slide.

Her head snapped up, a bewildered look in her green eyes. She returned again, to make sure she wasn't imagining what was happening. No, she wasn't.

She looked at her watch. 11:05 pm. If she left now, she could be at the old house by dawn. She had to see Barnabas. As she rose from her stool, she looked at the testtube, with Barnabas' blood in it. It began to bubble................

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At the old house, Nicholas and Barnabas faced each other with sheer hatred. Nicholas grinned, unpleasantly. "We meet again, MR. Collins." Barnabas glared. "I always said, you and I would make perfect enemies. It's gratifying to know that I was right."

"You will never win, Blair. The Black Mass will never take place."

"And how do you propose to stop me? You find that I am not as easy to destroy as Angelique." As he finished speaking, he raised his hands, and a light as bright as the sun surrounded Barnabas......

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As Julia watched the bubbling blood-filled testtube, the blood slowly dissolved into a powdery substance. She applied her eye back to the slide under the microscope. That was doing the same thing. Then as she watched, it suddenly stopped.

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Barnabas covered his face against the bright glare, and writhed in agony. The dizziness had returned, and he fought vainly, to keep his senses. He thought fleetingly of Maggie, and how he had let her down. Nicholas laughed, and in a triumphant voice he said, "Maggie will belong to me, before this night is over!"

TO BE CONTINUED.........