The Journals (2)
Date: 10/8/98
From: barnster

Barnabas Jr and Sarah embraced, delightedly. It had been almost three months since he had last been home from the Portland Medical Collage.

Barnabas held his sister at arms' length, and studied her with admiring eyes. "You look more like mother, every time I see you," he commented.

She laughed, obviously pleased. "And you're so like Father! Enough that you could be twins, too!"

His good humour vanished a little. "Yeah well, my bad luck I suppose."

Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Don't be mean!" she reproved. Then smiled as she realised that he was joking. "I'm so glad you're home!" she said hugging him again. "I've missed you, so's Danny and Father and Julia, and Stephanie."

"You and Dan, maybe. But Father and Julia, I very much doubt."

Sarah looked up into he's serious brown eyes. "You can't mean that! Father DOES miss you. More so since his illness, last year. And Julia misses you too."

"If you say so. How is he anyway?"

"About the same, I suppose. He tires more easily, but Julia and Dr. Davidson say that's to be expected." Then as if it had only occurred to her, she added, "Why were you so late, anyway?"

She didn't have to wait for his answer however, as she looked over towards his red Porsche, she saw Cindy sitting on the bonnet, with a bored expression on her face.

"As if I needed to ask," said Sarah, disapproval evident in her voice.

Barnabas turned to look in Cindy's direction, with his half smile, so like their father's.

"So I was with Cindy," he said with a shrug. "What's the big deal? Cindy!" he called, and beckoned her to come over to them.

As she rose over to join them, Barnabas turned back to his sister.

"She's not right for you, Barnabas. Why can't you see that?"

"I love her, isn't that enough?"

"Enough to marry her?"

He smiled, which made his handsome face shine. "Maybe." As he finished speaking, Cindy had covered the expanse between them and the car. As she reached them, Barnabas put his arm around her waist.

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From their room, Julia saw the car approach. "Barnabas, come and see," she said happily.

"What is it?"

"He's home!"

Barnabas, leaning more heavily on his silver headed cane, slowly joined Julia at the window.

As they watched, Brandy leapt from the car, followed seconds later by Barnabas.

They watched the exchange between brother and sister, and then Julia spotted Cindy on the bonnet of the car.

"I see he brought Cindy with him."

Barnabas Snr frowned. "Which explains why he's so late," he grumbled. "With her, when he knows well enough that we are all waiting for him."

Julia smiled, and put her head on his shoulder. "He's in love," she said dreamily.

"Love? Is that what he calls it?"

"Yes, and so do I," said Julia turning to look at him. "He loves her, you can tell. And she loves him. Come on, they're heading towards the house."

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"Stephanie!" reproved Daniel of his youngest sister. "Barnabas will be home soon! And the party won't wait! C'mon on! Steph!"

He heard a rustle and headed towards it. "Gotcha!" he crowed, as he caught hold of the squirming 7-year-old.

"Danny, let me go!" she laughed.

"Not on your life, you little scamp!" said Daniel, turning her upside down, bring fresh gales of laughter. "Cry Uncle?"

"Uncle! Uncle!" she chorused. "Now put me dooown!"

Daniel put her down, and she stared up at him. "Is Barnabas really going to be a doctor, like Mommy?"

"Yes. That's why he's away so much. And that's why we're having a party. To show him that we're glad he's home."

"Will Cindy be there, too?"

"She might. Now, are you coming or not?"

Stephanie thought it over for the merest second. "Ok. But last one home is a rotten egg!"

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When the three young adults entered the house, Barnabas and Julia were already waiting in the drawing room.

Barnabas took a step towards his son, a smile of delight on his aged but still handsome face.

"Welcome home, son!" he said.

Barnabas Jr, stared at him, then with a smile went over to his father, and hugged him. "Thanks, Pops!"

Julia watched with a smile, as father and son embraced. She marvelled again, on how similar they were. Granted, Barnabas Jr, was a full two inches taller than his father, his hair dark brown, in contrast to his father's now white hair.

And 'junior' was just as handsome. Julia could well understand Cindy's attraction to the much younger version of her husband.

The two men ended their greeting, and a sober look burned in the younger man's eyes. "Julia," he said simply.

"Barnabas, welcome home!" enthused Julia. Though inside her heart wept. She loved him, as if he were her own son. But though in recent years, he had accepted her marriage to his father, things could still get awkward between them. Especially since the arrival of Stephanie.

Seeing Cindy hovering somewhat awkwardly in the background, Julia added, "Hello Cindy."

"Mrs Collins," said Cindy politely.

"Cindy!" yelled a child's voice in delight.

"Hi Steph!" replied Cindy, brightly, as she bent down to the child's height. Stephanie promptly put her arms around Cindy's neck.

"Are you here for my brother's party?"

"Its Daddy's party too, squirt," said Daniel, as he also entered the room. "Hi Cindy."

"Daniel."

"Hey, big bro!" said Daniel as he spotted Barnabas.

"Danny you never change!" laughed his older brother. "Come here, you little pest!" he added as he shook hands.

"Well, I'm gonna hit the shower," said Barnabas, Jr, when all the greetings were over with. Julia noticed with a sense of sorrow, that he hadn't even greeted Stephanie. It seemed to Barnabas Collins Jr, she didn't exist.

"Won't be long Cin," he said, as he headed up the stairs.

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Barnabas was just drying his hair, when the knocking came at his door. "Who is it?" he called.

"Dan."

"Open," he called as he resumed his frantic drying.

"Aren't you ready yet?" asked Daniel in surprise, as he watched his brother parade around the room, with only a towel around his waist to hide his modesty. "The party's waiting for the guest of honour."

"Yeah sure," said Barnabas rolling his eyes heavenwards. "I'm the life of the party."

"Actually you are. Every one's been looking forward to you coming home for the holidays. Especially Cindy."

Mention of Cindy brought a smile to Barnabas' face. "Yeah," he agreed with a twinkle in his eyes. "Cindy makes coming back home, worthwhile."

Daniel smiled mischievously. "Boy, you got it bad! Speaking of Cindy, she's still waiting for you."

"I'll be ready soon."

"That's what you said half an hour ago. David and Lauren and the terrors are here."

"I said I'll be down!" snapped Barnabas, as he popped a tablet into his mouth, and proceeded to crunch it.

Daniel cringed. Ever since he could remember, his older brother had had the annoying habit, of crunching instead of swallowing tablets. Something that, no matter how hard they'd tried, their parents hadn't been able to break.

"Jeez! No need to lose it!" said Dan, as he turned to leave the room.

Barnabas sighed. "Look, Dan, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap."

"Forget it. Look, Cindy needs you down there. Sarah's on the war path, and you know what that means."

"Yeah. Look, give me five, ok?"

"Sure. Hey, don't you think you're overdoing it?" he asked, as Barnabas popped another pill into his mouth.

"Headache," he explained. "Too much study."

Daniel seemed concerned. "I guess wanting to be a doctor, is hard work, huh?"

"You could say that," agreed Barnabas, distractedly.

"Well, I'll tell Cindy, you'll be down soon," said Dan, as he turned to leave the room once more.

When he left, Barnabas took a third pill, before finally getting ready for the party.

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When Barnabas had finally showed himself, everyone had been genuinely delighted to see him home. He took their words of encouragement, with good grace, but inwardly, he wished the subject could be dropped.

Though the party was held, as a homecoming to him, it also marked the beginning of the end. For his father at least. Last year, after his illness, his father had semi-retired from the Cannery. Now, he was retiring fully, and handing the reins over to Daniel, as the next young executive.

Barnabas secretly thought his father was disappointed in him, that he had chosen the medical profession, to working in the family business. But if the truth were told, the business had never held any interest for him.

Daniel had shown his good sense for business at an early age. By the time he was nine, it was evident to all that he would follow in his father's footsteps.

Now with the party in full swing, Barnabas found himself growing bored. He turned to Cindy.

"Come on, let's get out of here."

"Gladly!" she said almost gratefully.

Sarah saw them disappear from the room, and followed them out the house a few seconds later.

When she finally found them, they were in a tight embrace, kissing passionately.

As she watched the two lovers, unseen, Barnabas slid a hand familiarly up the inside of Cindy's blouse, and round to the front.

"Sarah Collins, you ought to be ashamed of yourself!" hissed a voice from behind her. Terrified for the merest second she whirled around to confront her other older brother.

"Daniel you frightened me half to death!"

"Come back inside. If he finds out, you've been spying on him…"

"She's wrong for him!"

"You don't know that!" hissed back Daniel. "Its up to him, who he sees!"

"She'll ruin him! She'll do something to stop him from being a doctor!"

"Then he'll have to find out the hard way, won't he? Because telling him otherwise, will only make him more determined to see her. Now come back inside, before he finds us here."

Sarah turned once more in the direction of her older brother and Cindy. The pair had vanished. Moments later, the sound of a car's engine broke the silence of the night, and Barnabas' Porsche sped past them, on its way to the village.

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.