Subj: The Shadows Return Part 2
Date: 5/2/99 7:48:02 PM Central Daylight Time
From: Kim Monroe

Fox Mulder swerved dangerously of the interstate exit onto the road leading to his apartment. He snapped off his cd player and got his keys. He opened his door and lay down on the couch. His phone rang immediately after he started to doze.

"Mulder," He muttered.

"Hello, this is Michael Mcguire, do you remember me?" a tentative voice asked.

"Michael, what have you been doing?" Mulder asked sitting up.

"I was going through some things of Dad's. I found something that might interest your doctor girl. It's a notebook and journal that belonged to a Dr. Julia Hoffman Collins. I guess when I asked if Willie Loomis had any thing of Dad's, he sent them by mistake. You're not going to believe what's in them."

***********************************************************

Carolyn fixed her hair and applied make-up. Barnabas had called. He told her it was a special occasion and she should dress nicely, they were going out. She arrived at the Old House dressed in a forest green velvet dress, her hair was held back by fashionable clips. Barnabas and a younger man were talking, as she neared, she recognized him as Willie Loomis.

Seeing her out of the corner of his eye, Barnabas suddenly lurched forward, his breathing labored, grasping at his heart.

***************************************************

"Scully," Dr. Dana Scully answered her cell phone, she turned the TV down.

"Scully, it's Mulder. I was wondering if you could come down for a while. A friend of mine brought something you might be interested in."

Scully sighed, looking at the dishes piled in the sink, the clothes heaped by the hamper. Damn it, Mulder she thought. "I'll be there in a few." She dressed and drove to Mulder's apartment, dreading what she would find.

***********************************************************

Carolyn and Willie helped Barnabas to the couch in the drawing room. Barnabas seemed in much better health.

"I'm sorry I ruined your dinner. I insist you two go by yourselves. Callista won't mind to eat here. Please go and enjoy your evening. I refuse to accept no as an answer."

After a few minutes arguing, Carolyn and Willie left. They made small talk for most of the ride into Bangor. Carolyn began to laugh.

"Willie, I think we got set up." Carolyn said smiling. "You know Callista hates to drive to Bangor. She and Barnabas had no intention of going tonight."

**********************************************************

Callista Blair parked in front of the Old House. Through the open windows, she heard Barnabas singing along with Fly Away, a popular rock song by Lenny Kravitz.

He's come along way. She mused.

She entered the Old House and wrapped her slender arms around Barnabas. "I thought Carolyn was going to be here." Callista stated observing the two place settings.

"She and Willie went out to dinner." Barnabas said.

"Oh, I thought she hated him," Callista mused, taking her hat off, letting her long blonde hair down. Or what should have been blonde was now streaked with lime green and orange. Barnabas nearly did have a heart attack.

"What do you think? Isn't it awesome?" the young woman asked.

"Have your parents seen it?" Barnabas asked trying to avoid an answer.

It seemed strange that a Blair would ever be a welcome guest at the Old House, but after Barnabas and Julia returned to 1971, they got married and found out that Angelique and Nicholas Blair had fallen in love. No one believed them. Until Angelique showed up in 1975 with a baby girl. Then they were shocked.

Callista was an adorable baby who won the hearts of everyone in the Collins property except for Maggie Collins, who couldn't have children.

When Callista was older, they asked if she wanted to participate in the Black Arts, she declined. After that, the only child worth anything to it's parents had been her brother, who had participated in the Arts. Barnabas and Julia viewed Callista as the child they never had.

"Callista, I believe that Carolyn and Willie are good for each other. I hope that there will be a wedding here soon."

"I hope so, Barnabas, I really hope so." Callista said wistfully. They talked of everything to Callista's college and dates' to the weather. Callista left at 10 that night and Barnabas retired shortly after.

Carolyn and Willie enjoyed their dinner at one of the finest restaurants in Bangor. The evening was pleasant and Willie and Carolyn found that they hit it off pretty well.

Carolyn learned that Willie had enormous success as a lawyer and even owned 4 grand town houses in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Carolyn suddenly felt ashamed that all she had done had been sit at Collinwood and care for her mother, who,although bedridden, was still mistress of Collinwood. She had cared for her Uncle Roger after her cousin David ran away in 1974. David's running away had jarred Roger from reality. Not that Roger seemed to really care about David previous to this. As she finished telling him, she blinked back tears. Unable to stop herself, she let a few slide.

Willie wiped them off with a napkin. "I wouldn't cry about that, I think that is a rewarded amount of accomplishments."

Carolyn smiled, "Do you really think so?"

"Lets go, what do yah say? The night ain't over yet," Willie asked, rising to leave.

"I'd love to, Willie." she got up and followed him out.

They were driving around Bangor looking for a place where it was open all night, however, they didn't want to go to a club.

Willie nearly hugged Carolyn as he spotted a place that played mostly oldies. They parked and went in. They sat at a booth near the back, when Carolyn noticed Willie staring intently at her.

"I uh, I was just thinking, that this is a dance and we um, oughtta be dancin."

As he said that, a slow song by Boyz 2 Men came on. Carolyn recognized it as I'm down on bended knee. As they danced Carolyn knew that she was falling in love with Willie Loomis.

Willie enjoyed the feel of her in his arms, he enjoyed the smell of her hair. Although the pain of walking in and finding Alison in bed with the other man had hurt so bad, Willie forgot that. All that mattered now was that a beautiful woman was in his arms and he loved her. The song was ending and Carolyn tilted her head up, Willie bended his head down, however, it wasn't Carolyn he was kissing, but Alison. He realized this in the middle of their passionate kiss, but then another realization occurred.

He had had dinner with Carolyn, danced with her, and although he hated to admit it, fallen in love with her. They danced the rest of the night, but an odd quiet had set in.

*********************************************************

Scully read the notebook several times, then put it down. "Well," Michael McGuire asked, interested to hear what Scully thought about it.

"I think that it is valid, outdated, but valid." Scully stated, sitting back to sip her coffee.

"Would you like to know what it is a cure for?" Michael asked, downing a large amount of beer.

Scully nodded, hoping it was not a alien virus or something of that kind.

"Vampirism, Scully." Mulder said, entering the kitchen.

"Dr. Hoffman was trying to cure a vampire."

Scully snickered noticing that Mulder was swaying slightly "As a friend and doctor, I think I should know how many beers you and Michael have consumed."

Mulder looked angered at this.

"I would just like to go to Collinsport, just to see if there are any records of vampire attacks. Besides what is in this journal." Mulder frowned. If Scully didn't go, he didn't think he could enjoy the trip. Michael spoke up seeing the uncertainness in Scully's eyes. "I have a friend in Collinsport, he could get us nice place to stay, and I know that you'd be welcome."

Scully, noticing the desperate look in Michael's eyes and the wistful expression on Mulder's face relented. She wondered briefly if she would regret this trip.