Subj: FFL Burning Embers: Chapter 9
Date: 3/8/99 6:30:46 AM Central Standard Time
From: Cassie Rademacher

Chapter 9 Tangled Webs of Deceit

After a very reluctant, infuriated Julia left for the hospital with Joe in tow, Barnabas turned back to Quentin with a smile. "Well, it's been a while since we've been able to have a talk together, Quentin."

"You mean since yesterday?" Quentin responded sarcastically. He knew where his strong desire for Barnabas was coming from and he didn't like it one little bit. He was also torn because his body was responding as if it had a will of its own, yearning for his cousin's touch. "I think we'd better have more than a 'talk', Cousin Barnabas."

Barnabas' eyes shot up. "Really? And just what do you mean by that?" They were sitting on the sofa again, and Barnabas moved closer.

Very funny, Quentin thought bitterly. "You know," he said, and very deliberately put his hand on Barnabas' knee.

"Why, what on earth are you doing?" Barnabas's voice was deadly quiet.

"I'm doing what you want me to do," Quentin responded softly, his voice just as deadly.

Barnabas grabbed Quentin's hand roughly and removed it. "What are you implying?" He snapped. His features softened then, and his firm grip relaxed. Gently, he clasped Quentin's hand in both of his, the fingers of one hand tickling and stroking the palm of Quentin's hand. "I know you like it when Julia does that, don't you?" He asked snidely. "Does Julia know you like this?" He brought Quentin's hand up to his mouth, gently nibbling at his knuckles.

Quentin pulled his hand away as if it was on fire. With every ounce of will power he had, he got to his feet and barked, "Get out!"

Barnabas looked surprised. "Excuse me? Are you quite sure that's what you want?"

"Out!" Quentin yelled.

Barnabas stood up slowly, looking amused. Mockingly, he reached out and caressed his cousin's face. "Are you quite sure?"

Quentin wanted very badly to take that hand and kiss the palm of it. Instead, he pushed the hand off. Now Barnabas looked angry and took a step toward him. "Don't!" Quentin warned. "Don't touch me, Barnabas! I'm warning you!"

Barnabas laughed, an ugly chilling sound. "You're warning me, are you? Quentin, I could knock you to the floor right now and you would ask for more. You crave my touch-why fight it?"

"Because you're insane and you're doing it only to torment me," Quentin responded. "The only reason I don't try to kill you now is because of the close friendship we had and because I still love you."

"Yes, Quentin, I know you do." Barnabas moved suddenly, grabbing Quentin by his shirtfront and jerking him close. "I will overlook your display of rude behavior this time, dear cousin, but I tell you that I do not take kindly to threats. If I were you, I would think twice before issuing any more warnings to me. Do I make myself clear?"

Quentin could see the implied threat of violence in Barnabas' eyes and knew that this was no bluff. It was a challenge as well as a warning. Under any other circumstances, Quentin would have begun swinging and throwing punches. Now he fought the desire to throw his arms around his cousin and kiss him. Barnabas, reading the struggling conflicting emotions in Quentin's eyes, laughed at him. Releasing him, he said in a silky, insulting tone, "Perhaps at our next visit, you'll get your fondest wish." He turned and walked out of the Abbey.

Fuming with rage, Quentin slammed his fist into the wall and was dismayed when it went through the plasterboard.

Damn! He thought, shaking his hand and blowing on his sore knuckles ruefully. Julia would have plenty to say about this-Julia! She had some nerve accusing him of adultery when she'd probably already committed the very same act with Barnabas. Barnabas was just toying with him, Quentin knew that. He knew that Barnabas had no intention of doing anything more than torment him with desires that filled him with shame. It was the cruelest thing he could think of, Quentin thought bitterly, because as he fought his desire for Barnabas he also had to fight the growing doubts about his own sexual identity. After all, how could Barnabas control him this easily if there wasn't already some feeling-He pushed the unwanted thoughts away and concentrated on Julia.

"Daddy?" Donna asked doubtfully. He spun around. He'd forgotten all about the children and felt very guilty about it.

"Who won the game, sweetie?" he asked, picking her up.

"Jon did. I let him."

"That was nice of you," Quentin shifted her to his hip and walked toward the next room. He didn't want Donna to see the hole in the wall. He could hear Shane's voice talking to Jon and, for the first time, was delighted to have his "cousin" in the house. He came into the room and Shane looked up. He'd begun another game of Candyland with Jon. "Hey, Shane."

"Grant! I'm so glad to see you. I wanted to talk to you about tonight, y'see…"

"Yes, I know. We have a lot of planning to do," Quentin lied easily. "Look, would you take the kids over to the Old House to visit Roxanne and Jamie? Just tell her I need her to keep the kids occupied while we figure out what we're going to do."

"Where's Julia?" Shane asked.

"Oh, she had to take a friend to the hospital-don't worry. She'll be back soon enough. Just ask Roxanne if it's okay if she keeps Jon and Donna for an hour or so."

"Sure, Grant." Shane agreed. Jon took Shane's hand without question, but Donna cast another troubled look at her father before going off with Shane.

Maggie had just finished packing her bags to move to the Old House, her face flushed with the anticipation of seeing Barnabas again. She shook her head, confused. Barnabas? It wasn't Barnabas she wanted to see, he was married to Roxanne! That's why she was going there-to help care for Jamie. What had she been thinking of? It was Willie she wanted to see-or so she thought until she heard Elizabeth's shriek. "Oh, no! I know who you are!" She wondered what on earth was happening, and then she heard Nicholas' soothing voice. Nicholas! He said he loved her-but what was he doing with Elizabeth? She saw Cassandra come down the hall toward her, running, her face as white as a sheet. "Mrs. Collins!" she exclaimed, concerned, and Cassandra slowed a little. Maggie heard a buzzing sound; it sounded like a mosquito's whine. When she looked at Mrs. Collins again, she saw a woman with blonde hair in a long flowing blue gown. She had unnaturally sharp teeth, and she was sinking them into Joe Haskell's neck. "My God! My God!" she screamed, terrified. She ran back into her room and slammed the door, bolting it behind her. What am I going to do? She thought, panicking. It was then that she remembered the secret panel in the room. It led to the outside of the house. She could get away to the Old House! She could run to Barnabas! Cassandra was horrified. She realized that Nicholas must have conjured a horrible spell to neutralize her-the worst possible one he could think of. Everyone was remembering just who and what she was! She thought rapidly. She had to think of a way to counteract the spell. She had no idea whether she could depend on Barnabas in his maddened state, but she was sure she could rely on Roxanne or Quentin for help. She decided she would first go to Roxanne. She passed Maggie's room and entered the West Wing. She would make her way through the labyrinth of hallways here and exit to the outside of the house. From there, she would go to the Old House. Nicholas, who could see that Maggie and Cassandra were headed out on a collision course, grinned with glee at the trouble his "sister" was in. Elizabeth was reclining on her bed, trembling with fear. Nicholas held her hand and patted it gently, soothing her. Roger was there too, numb with disbelief. "I cannot imagine how I was so taken in," he said, distraught.

"How could I have married that creature?"

"It's just fortunate that we've uncovered her spells now, before she could harm David or the twins," Nicholas murmured. "I knew that my sister dabbled in the black arts, but I had no idea the extent of her expertise!"

"Are you quite all right, Liz?" Roger asked, concerned.

"I'm feeling queasy, Roger, but I'll be all right."

"I'm going to leave you in Nicholas' capable hands-I need to check on the children!"

Nicholas shut the door behind Roger, grinning with demonic delight. When he turned to take Elizabeth's hand, he was serious again. "Elizabeth, this queasiness of yours worries me. Perhaps we'd better have a doctor look you over."

"No, I'm sure it's just the shock…"

"But, my dear, we have been together several times and unless you have been using some method of birth control…"

"Oh, Nicholas! It can't be! I assure you I am not pregnant!" Elizabeth began to sit up. She even began to laugh. "I have a grown daughter! I have grandchildren!"

"But, my dear, unless your menses have stopped entirely I must tell you that it is possible!"

Elizabeth began to scoff again but frowned instead. "Oh, dear," she murmured, thinking and obviously calculating in her head. She looked at Nicholas and blushed. "Nicholas, what shall we do?"

"See a doctor first," Nicholas said, taking her hand again and bringing it to his lips. "See a minister next."

"Say, Grant, what the hell is this anyways?" Shane asked in a whining voice. "What're we doing this for?"

"Trust me!" Quentin snapped. "Now listen to me, our fingertips have to touch at all times-no matter what happens, do you understand?"

"Yeah-but what're we doing?"

"We're trying to figure out how to keep you from turning into a werewolf tonight, you moron!"

Shane looked hurt. "That ain't nice, Grant. Why do you always call me names?"

"I'm sorry," Quentin apologized impatiently. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Shane.

Quentin began an incantation, calling up someone from Julia's past that she had wronged. He asked for that person, whoever it should be, to speak to him. Shane immediately began to moan, his head rolling from side to side. He sat up suddenly, looking directly at Quentin. "Who are you?" Quentin asked.

"Dave Woodard," Shane replied. "Why did you call me?"

"I want to help you find peace-and justice," Quentin answered.

"Peace-and justice," Shane sighed wistfully. "If only that could be!"

"I'll help you, I swear it. Who are you, Dave Woodard? How are you involved with Dr. Julia Hoffman?" Quentin sat back and listened, incredulously at first and then with a growing sense of triumph, as Dave Woodard told his story, recounting how he'd been murdered by Julia and Barnabas.

Roxanne was miserable. She'd just felt the baby's fluttery movement in her abdomen, and Barnabas was not here to share her joy. The first time she'd been pregnant, carrying Jamie, she hadn't realized what the baby's movements felt like. Now she recognized the fact that she wasn't having gas-the bubbly feeling she was experiencing was the first detectable movements of her baby. She put on a false happy face for the sake of the small children playing in the garden-Jamie, Jon, and Donna. She loved them all-Jamie most of all because he was Barnabas' son. Hers, too-of her body, but not of her blood. Still, he was her son. She wondered if Barnabas would ever regain his sanity so that they could be a happy family. It could be, if only-if only she could get to Nicholas somehow as Cassandra had suggested. She would convince him to help her. A crashing sound in the underbrush of the nearby woods attracted her attention. She stood up, puzzled. Suddenly, Cassandra ran from the woods and across the lawn toward her. "Roxanne!" she called.

"What's the matter?" Roxanne asked, alarmed, for it was obvious that something was very wrong.

"No! Stay away from her! She'll hurt you!" Maggie shrieked, running in the opposite direction toward Roxanne. Roxanne stopped, thoroughly confused. Maggie gave her a slight shove and went for Cassandra, trying to claw at her. "Don't you dare hurt her, you witch!"

Cassandra put her hands up to defend herself, tearing at Maggie's blouse. Half of it came away in her hand. "Maggie Evans, you will stop your attack immediately," Cassandra said with great emotion. Maggie didn't slow down. She slapped Cassandra's face, and the witch's face turned nearly purple with rage.

"Cassandra, let me take care of her!" Roxanne cried out, afraid of what Cassandra might do. "Let me take her inside-you wait here!"

"All right," Cassandra agreed, seething. What she really wanted to do was turn Maggie into a loathsome spider and step on her. Roxanne grabbed Maggie by the shoulders and guided her into the Old House.

"No! You don't understand!" Maggie was protesting. "I'm just trying to protect you-that's all!" She turned violently and ran out the door and down the steps toward Cassandra. The two women grappled at each other ineffectually for a few moments before Roxanne was able to get between them and separate them again. "She's an unnatural, evil creature!" Maggie shrieked.

Cassandra put her hand onto Maggie's face. "Maggie Evans, feel the power of my touch. You believe that you know who I am, but you do not. When I take my hand away, you will remember only Cassandra, Roger's wife, David's step-mother." She exercised all the self-control she could muster and took her hand away without doing anything further to Maggie or to her mind. "Open your eyes, Maggie Evans."

Maggie opened her eyes, looking about in a dazed way. She looked at Cassandra and immediately shrieked: "Witch! Witch!"

Roxanne grabbed her by the arm and pulled her toward the Old House again. "Maggie, we'd better get inside-NOW!"

Willie or Shane came into the clearing now. Maggie saw him and called to him, "Willie! Help!"

Loping over, Shane looked at Roxanne and said, "Whatsamatter, Roxanne? What's wrong with her?"

"She's a little upset," Roxanne answered grimly. "Can you help me get her into the house?"

"Willie, the witch! You know what she's done to Barnabas!" Maggie cried out. Cassandra bumped into Shane as she backed up rapidly. "Is Quentin at the Abbey?" she asked frantically.

"Yeah-he sent me here to get the kids. He said he hadda call his lawyer- something about taking care of Julia. Gee, he's a nice guy, isn't he?" Shane answered. "Then we got to hide me because tonight I'm gonna change into a…"

"You must help Roxanne restrain Maggie first," Cassandra interrupted in a kindly tone she didn't feel. "She's delusional." She turned and made her way quickly to the path, intending on seeking help from Quentin. Roxanne had her hands full right now.

Quentin sat in the rocker of the drawing room, gently rocking himself and smiling. He'd turned on his stereo. Music always soothed him when he felt he was about to lose control of the circumstances in his life. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, listening to Charlie Parker. Jazz or blues always helped him relax. The door flew open. "Quentin!" Cassandra called. She sounded hysterical.

He came to his feet abruptly, angry. What the hell did she want? He needed to be able to think, to plot how to use his knowledge about Dave Woodard against both Julia and Barnabas. He met Cassandra in the foyer; she threw herself into his arms, sobbing. For God's sake! He thought irritably. "What is it?" he asked impatiently.

Cassandra didn't seem to hear. Weeping, she told Quentin what had happened- that Nicholas had cast a spell causing everyone in the family to remember who she was. Damn Nicholas! Quentin thought bitterly, more because of the inconvenience to his plans than because of any compassion he might have felt for Cassandra. Suddenly, he remembered something and he smiled a little.

"Ssh, ssh," he soothed. "I'll help you, Cassandra."

"Oh, Quentin, thank you," Cassandra sniffled. "I knew I could depend upon you!"

"Well, hell, you've been helpful to me so many times," he answered somewhat ironically. Before Cassandra could wonder about that statement, he went on quickly: "Look, I need you to help me, Cassandra. Then I'll help you."

Now she looked at him, her blue eyes still luminous with tears but filling with suspicious doubt. "What help do you need, Quentin?"

"I need you to teach me how to cast a love spell."

"A love spell!" She exclaimed, stepping back. Now her suspicions were aroused.

He took her by the hands. He felt something in her palms. Puzzled, he opened her hands and extracted a piece of fabric and a button. "What's this?"

"Part of Maggie's blouse-and I suppose that is either Maggie's button or maybe Roxanne's."

"Were you all in a cat fight?" Quentin asked, smiling with genuine amusement.

"Never mind!" Cassandra exclaimed irritably. "What do you need a love spell for?"

"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies," Quentin answered. "Look, do you want my help or not?"

"All right!" Cassandra exclaimed, exasperated. "First of all, you'll need something that belongs to the two people you intend to cast the spell on."

"Or three people," Quentin said with an air of innocence.

"Quentin!" Cassandra fluttered her eyelashes. Now she was intrigued. "I simply have to know now! Besides, you want to make sure the spell works, don't you?"

Quentin considered. "All right. You help me and then I'll help you."

"Agreed. Now-which people are to be the victims-er, the beneficiaries of this spell?"

Trying very hard to control herself and not laugh, Cassandra carefully formed the clay doll. She looked at Quentin. "Have you got something belonging to Barnabas, too?"

"This. Willie-ah, Shane had it." Quentin handed over the keys to the basement of the Old House. Cassandra grimaced. Well, it was better than nothing, she supposed. She began her incantation, declaring that this doll was Barnabas Collins. Next she picked up an old scarab of Laura's. She didn't ask where Quentin had gotten it from-it might have been one Laura'd had recently or it might have been the one from 1897. It didn't matter. "You are so deeply in love with Laura Collins still. Being with her again consumes your thoughts and your dreams." Now she took the cloth from Maggie's blouse and wrapped them around the button and the blouse.

"You want to be with her so much, Barnabas Collins, that when you are with your wife Roxanne, you will see only Laura. When you are with Maggie Evans, you will see only Laura. And you will want Laura very badly, to hold her and to love her." She ended the spell and sighed, satisfied.

Quentin burst out laughing. Cassandra's eyebrows arched up in amusement. "What is so funny, Quentin?"

"I was just thinking-what if they all happen to be in the same room together?"

The lilting sound of Cassandra's laughter joined Quentin's. As all the tantalizing possibilities of that potentially explosive event surfaced in their minds, they did not bother to consider the feelings of Roxanne and Maggie. Cassandra's only concern was in fulfilling her end of the bargain and then getting Quentin to help her. The thought did occur to Quentin momentarily, but he thought the spell would only serve to help both Roxanne and Maggie. He rationalized to himself that Roxanne would benefit by getting the love of her husband back and that Maggie would benefit from being away from Nicholas Blair's attention. Now that he believed he had effectively dealt with Julia and Barnabas, he turned his attention to Cassandra and how he might help her-as minimally as possible, of course. He wanted to save his energy for his coming battle with Barnabas and Julia.

passing the pen to Ann...