Secrets Past Chp 21
Date: 8/5/98
From: barnster
Barnabas, Jr. screwed up his eyes, and bit his lower lip, as the pain intensified.
When Julia looked at his father, he wore a similar expression of agony, as if he himself were
experiencing the lad's pain.
Julia knew that in a very real sense, he was. Having gone through this himself, he knew how the
lad felt.
"Papa!" hissed Barnabas, Jr. through gritted teeth, has the pain reached its peak.
Papa, he hadn't called him that since he was 10. And he suddenly realised, as all parents do at
some point, that he son could no longer be termed a child. His son was growing up.
But that didn't stop his concern. "I'm here, son. The pain will pass soon," he soothed.
The lad grimaced, and unable to bear the sight of his son's discomfort, Barnabas left the cellar.
Julia watched after his departing back, and slumped shoulders, and wondered how much more he
could take, of this nightmare.
Five minutes after Barnabas, Sr. left, the pain eased its hold on his son.
When he felt better, Barnabas, Jr, eyed Julia distrustfully, as she took yet another blood sample
from him.
"Are you going to marry my father?" he asked after a few minutes.
"How are you so certain that I'm going to marry him? He still loves your mother, very much."
"You have her onyx ring. My father wouldn't have given it to you, if he didn't plan to marry you."
"Would you be against the marriage, if I were?"
The lad shrugged. "You'd still marry him, if I were or not, so it wouldn't make much difference.
Even if you were to marry him, you'd never be mistress of this house."
Julia turned to face him, from where she stood near one of the many microscopes.
"You're thinking that I'd try and take your mother's place, but your wrong. Maggie was your
mother, and no one can take that away from you. No matter how hard they tried."
"So long as you remember that," was his comment. "I want to see my father."
***
Ten minutes later, when Julia entered the drawing room, Barnabas was staring dejectedly into the
fire.
He turned as she approached him, and asked wearily, "How is he?" "He's fine. He's a brave boy.
He takes after his father."
Barnabas gave her a look that showed he wasn't in the mood to be humoured.
He stared at her bleakly. "How often will he have to go through that?"
"Once a night for now. Anymore than that, could be dangerous. He wants to see you. I said you'd
go down and see him. He's full of a thousand questions."
"I'll see him in a few minutes. Will you wait, or do want to go back to Collinwood?"
She smiled, and indicated her notebook. "I plan to do some reading, to try and find a solution to
all of this. I'm sure the answer's here somewhere."
He gave her a concerned look. "Won't some rest be more helpful? You look exhausted."
"Your son is getting impatient," was all she said, as she settled down into his favourite chair.
With a glance heavenward, which seemed to say 'Doctors!' he left the room and headed towards
the cellar.
***
She was still there, when he returned half an hour later. She looked up from her reading, and at
once noticed his weary expression.
At once concerned she rose to her feet and asked, "Barnabas what's wrong? Has something
happened to him?"
He shook his head, and said, "No, he's gone to see Sabre. But he's made it quite clear, that he'll
accept our help, but he'll never forgive me."
"He will one day, Barnabas," soothed Julia. "Though he won't admit it to himself, he does still
love you. And one day, he'll forget that this ever happened."
He sighed, and asked wearily, "Will he Julia? I'm not so sure. I have the feeling, that it isn't going
to be easy. Diabolos won't give up without a fight; we both know that. And I'm not sure if he's
strong enough to resist him."
He looked dejectedly out the window, into the night. Somewhere out there, his son would
wander, until daylight forced him to retreat to his coffin.
He turned back to Julia, and with great weariness he asked, "When will all of this end, Julia?
How much more, can this family endure? Must the forces of darkness menace every generation? I
so hoped that at least the children would be free. The name of Collins, is a curse within itself.
Are you so sure, you want to become a part of it?"
She looked up into his weary face, and smiled. Since he had said that he loved her, she found
what she was about to say, that much easier.
"After all we've been through together, you can still ask me that? Barnabas, we've been a part of
each other's lives for so long, I can't even begin to think of life without you. When I first came
here, I never counted on falling in love. And the fact that you were a vampire made very little
difference. There were times, when I hated what you did, but that never stopped me from loving
you. What you did, was self-preservation; either kill or be killed. Cassandra helped me to
realise that, when she almost succeeded with her dream curse. We've been through hell and
back, I think I can manage to face the 'Collins Curse.'"
He stared at her, tenderly. A shy smile on his face.
He stepped nearer, and gently caressed her cheek, with his thumb. "I love you more than you
realise," he almost whispered. "I've just been afraid to admit it, even to myself. All the pain, and
suffering I caused you, when we first met, stopped me_."
"That doesn't matter now_"
He silenced her, with a finger on her lips. "It does to me. I was so cruel to you then; I found it so
inconceivable that you could love me, I fought against it. Maybe Maggie's right, and I should
forget the past. It's gone, and I can never recapture it again. I should start thinking of the future.
A future with you_ as my wife."
She gazed up into his hazel eyes, in wonderment. His eyes burned with a passion; and the
remembrance of their fist night together, made her tremble.
And when he took her in his arms, and their lips met her arms wrapped around his neck. Her
finger lovingly twiddling his hair, above his right ear.
**
On the stairs, two ghostly forms cheered with a triumphant high-5. "Is he always that stubborn,
Aunt Sarah?" asked one of the ghostly forms.
Sarah smiled at her big brother. "Just when he can't decide what he wants."
The ghostly form turned back to the two lovers, still locked in an embrace. "They look so nice
together. Will they be happy? I hope they are."
Sarah grinned. "Yes, they will be happy. Very happy!"
***
Reluctantly, Barnabas ended the kiss, and looked over towards the stairs. Though he didn't know
it, he and his sister's eyes locked briefly.
"Barnabas, what is it?" asked Julia, from the security of his arms. He continued to look puzzled.
"Nothing," he said vaguely. "I had the feeling of eyes, watching us. They've gone now," he said
after a few minutes, and relaxed visibly.
"They?" questioned Julia.
"Yes. It felt like there were two pairs of eyes, watching."
***
"Come on," said Sarah turning to the other ghostly form. "It'd time to go." Then she turned to
back to her brother and Julia.
Her eyes twinkled with happiness. "Remember the rhyme, Barnabas. Help nephew Barnabas, find
the right path."
***
Five nights later, when Barnabas went down to the lab, Julia, her eye applied to one of the other
microscopes lifted her head at the sound of his approach, and smiled.
He eyed with disgust the untouched plate of sandwiches and a half-full mug of cold coffee, next
to the apparatus.
He was beginning to feel worried about her. Since the onset of Sarah's illness, she had almost
immersed herself into the problem. Now, that the curse had claimed his son, she had literally
worked around the clock, searching for away to help his children, her soon to be stepchildren.
But now, as he looked into her tired face, it shone with an eagerness that he hadn't ever hoped to
see.
"I think I've found a way to help Barnabas, and the twins!"
He stared at her, unable to believe what she had said. "How?" he stammered.
The eagerness vanished, and a sober look took its place.
"Well, it was Barnabas' suggestion, not mine, but I think it'll work. But your not going to like it."
"So, his interest in becoming a doctor, has been renewed?" asked Barnabas with a smile. "What
has he discovered?"
Julia looked unsure of how to begin. Then she decided to take the plunge. "It involves isolating
the cell in your bloodstream and Sarah's. It's antibody reaction to the 'vampire' cell, is only a part
of the answer. But for it to work the way we want it to work, Sarah and Daniel have to be as
Barnabas."
"What!" gasped Barnabas totally unprepared for her revelation. "You mean they have to be
vampires for it to have any effect?"
Julia nodded. "I told you, you wouldn't like it. Well, Barnabas? Do I go ahead? As their father,
it's your decision."
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