Subj: Redemption Part Six
Date: 6/19/02 8:37:18 PM Central Daylight Time
From: Daphne

Part Six

"Trouble will find you, there's no need to look…" Harry Connick, Jr., "The Last Payday"

January 14, 1971 8:00 p.m.

"She's not dead, Barnabas," a tiny voice announced from over his shoulder as he knelt by Julia's side. "Only close to it. There's still time to save her." He turned to find Amy standing behind him, a vacant expression on her face as she stared at Julia. Instinctively, he moved between them to protect her from the gore, but she moved with him, not letting her wounded friend out of her sight.

"It's alright, Barnabas, I'm not afraid. I've seen blood before," she stated matter-of-factly, causing him to cringe. "Dr. Hoffman is trapped…somebody has locked her in a dark place and she can't find her way out on her own. You can save her if you know where to find the key."

"What do you mean 'find the key'? How do you know what's happening? Can you talk to her?" Barnabas asked, stunned by the girl's apparent omniscience. He had known for a while of her psychic abilities, and found her revelation both frightening and comforting.

"No, it's not really like that. I can enter her mind and see that she's in trouble, but there's a barrier that keeps her from knowing that I'm there. She keeps calling for you. I've tried to tell her she'll be alright, but she can't hear me."

She needs me and I don't know how to help her, he miserably thought as he turned his attention back to Julia. She was struggling to breathe and looked like a fragile china doll as her body fought to stay with him. When he'd gotten back to the house, her condition sent everyone into a flurry of action. Elizabeth had rushed to the phone to call an ambulance; Quentin had helped Mrs. Johnson gather blankets and pillows for her, and Barnabas had sent Carolyn to find Willie. There had been little time to explain what had happened, and although nobody understood the situation, they accepted it with their usual quiet grace. Then the waiting began. He felt as though all the nights of his eternity were nothing compared to the agonizing wait for help, and when the ambulance screamed up the main road, he was so concerned that he was oblivious to the siren.

"Barnabas, they're here," Elizabeth announced as she led the medical technicians into the drawing room.

"Thank you Elizabeth," he sighed, moving away from the sofa as the men began to treat Julia. He walked to the picture window and looked out at the moonlit estate, anguished confusion and pain overwhelming him. How could he accept what had happened? She had never been prone to irrational outbursts, even when her life was in danger, and the implications of her actions were as frightening as her injuries. Had he driven her to such madness, or was there a more sinister force at work? After a few interminable moments, one of the paramedics approached him and he forced himself to concentrate on the moment at hand instead of the reasons Julia could be in danger.

"Sir, we're ready to take her to Collinsport General."

"May I ride with you?" he asked.

"Of course, sir."

"Barnabas, we'll meet you there," Elizabeth called after him. "I'll just leave a note for Roger - he should be home from the conference soon, and I'm sure he'll be worried when he comes home and the house is empty. We'll be on our way in a few minutes."

"Thank you Elizabeth," he mumbled as he followed the stretcher from the house, afraid to look at Julia for fear that her suffering would be the last vision he would have of her.

********

"Willie, are you alright?" Carolyn called out as she approached the gazebo to find him sitting with his knees pulled up to his chest. He was shivering and staring blankly into the darkness, unaware of her presence.

"Willie?" When he didn't respond, she sat beside him and put her arm around his shoulder, comforting him when he was startled by her touch. "You can talk to me about what happened. You don't have to be afriad."

"Don't I?" he protested, on the verge of tears. "What I saw - what I did - I can't say anything about it. I've never been able to say anything. There's always a secret. And there's always punishment for revealing them…I can't tell you."

"You won't be punished," she soothed, "I'll protect you."

"You can't…"

"But Willie, you're not the only one who knows the truth."

"What do you mean?"

I know Barnabas is a vampire."

"How do you know that?" Willie gasped, fear seizing him as he realized what her confession meant.

"He controlled me once too."

"He did? When?"

"You were recovering from your gunshot wound. Julia had been working on a cure for him, but something went wrong and he aged rapidly. I found out and he attacked me. Being his slave ruined a perfectly good relationship with Tony Peterson and it alienated me from my friends and family. Trust me, Willie, I understand what it feels like."

"So you know how he became a vampire?" Willie asked, remembering how Barnabas had shared the past with him through their blood bond.

"Yes, I saw how Angelique cursed him. He told me that it was part of the sharing of blood. I knew she returned as Cassandra but I couldn't say anything about it. She would have killed me if I had. But what does this have to do with Julia? It doesn't make any sense…"

"It does too!" Willie protested. "She's back!"

"Who?"

"Cassandra…Angelique…whoever the hell she is. She can't stop with hurting Barnabas - she had to destroy everyone around him too!"

"Willie, calm down!" Carolyn demanded as he became hysterical again. "Just try to tell me what happened to Julia."

"Earlier this evening, Barnabas and I took a walk. He told me that he noticed she'd been acting strangely. On edge, distant, that sort of thing. We decided that she's just been under pressure recently - - I mean, she's been working at Wyndcliffe and the hospital, spending a lot of time with those sick kids. We assumed she was just stressed out. "

"But she's not, is she Willie?" Carolyn urged him to continue.

"No she's not. When we got back, she was in the drawing room waiting for us. I was surprised because she gave me the brushoff, like she didn't have time to say anything to me. She wanted to talk to Barnabas alone so I just went to the kitchen to get a drink. While I was there, a woman appeared- - it's kinda weird. She was very regal and gentle… looked a lot like your mother in fact….something had upset her terribly. She told me that they needed help and when I looked out the window, I saw Angelique. She entered Julia's body and by the time I followed them to the gazebo, it was too late. Julia was threatening Barnabas and when I tried to stop her, the gun went off. If she dies it will be my fault."

"No Willie, you tried to protect them both. Don't fall into Angelique's trap. She wants you to feel guilty."

Willie thought for a moment, carefully considering her words. He certainly didn't want to give the witch any more ammunition to use against Barnabas; perhaps standing up to the evil would help Julia. "Maybe you're right," he conceded, "But what do we do now?"

"I think you need to tell Barnabas exactly what you just told me."

"Oh no, he's too angry at me…"

"But who else would know how to fight the evil? Come on, Willie, I'll drive us to the hospital."

"Thank you Carolyn," he sighed as they started back toward the house. He didn't feel that he deserved her friendship but thought that perhaps with her strength, he might survive the coming ordeal…

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