A Return the Shadows Chapter Two
By Vicki Reed & KimD

Julia walked down the hall to her bedroom, feeling better since she had spoken to Willie. He was her vital link to Barnabas, although she and Barnabas had become closer when Victoria was gone. Willie was going to report to her every coming and going of Barnabas, keep a record of how many victims he took, and he was to watch Carolyn very carefully when she came around and to let Julia know immediately if Carolyn and Barnabas were together. She took a deep breath, she had to expect the worst and hope for the best.

Barnabas looked in concern at Victoria. "Are you all right?" he asked, helping her to her feet.

"I don't know...I think that I must have fainted," She leaned close to him and he embraced her tightly. He wondered if love really did conquer all things that even if she did know the truth if her love was strong enough to over look it.

"Come to the Old House with me, Willie will make you some soup or tea..." Victoria looked up at him. "I don't know...there is a guest at Collinwood tonight, your bro....I mean your cousin, Quentin Collins." Barnabas shook his head in confusion.

"It doesn't matter Victoria, you're still ill, you need to be taken care of. Please, come to the Old House, I've hardly seen you since you came home." As they walked down to the Old House he touched her face. "You're very beautiful Victoria." he whispered. "I didn't know if I'd ever get to see you again..." His voiced became heavy with emotion.

"I don't plan on going anywhere..." Victoria slipped into his arms and he kissed her hair and her cheeks and finally he kissed her lips. Warm human lips to his cold dead ones.

As Victoria kissed Barnabas everything seemed confusing, how could Barnabas be a vampire when he had been in the sun with her the day she had given him Sarah's diary. Perhaps what happened in the past hadn't really happened, she kissed him again. She still had feelings for him that she couldn't deny.

"I'm cold." She whispered taking his hand. "Let's go on to the house."

As Vicki stepped in the old house she was overwhelmed by memories. She almost felt like she was entering the house two hundred years ago. "It's all so fresh," she said as all the memories that she'd tried to forget came back. "Just like yesterday."

"It must have been terrible."

"So much tragedy. But maybe it's best forgotten," she said, realizing he was studying her, looking for information. "Do you mind if I clean up a little? I'm still feeling a little smoky." It was now her turn to study him. Did he suspect that she knew anything? Barnabas and Victoria spent part of the evening together before Willie took her back to Collinwood, and when she fell into bed she fell asleep quickly.

The next morning Vicki had time to think. She was unsure how she felt about Barnabas. When she was with him everything seemed all right. He was so gentle it seemed impossible for him to be anything else. She could forget what he was.

When she was alone everything seemed clear. He was a vampire, a murderer. He should have died two hundred years ago. She didn't want to see him again until he was willing to admit the truth to her, but he would suspect something. She wanted to confront him with what she knew, but that was dangerous. It was obvious he still wanted her to know nothing about his past. Yet her heart couldn't just let go. She had never met anyone like him before, he was sort of a like a fairy tale prince, but this was no fairy tale, it was more of a nightmare.

That afternoon she was greeted by Quentin. "Vicki, Hello. Have you seen Roger anywhere? He was going to show me around the estate."

"I think he just left. But I'm not doing anything. I can show you around." They spent the next few hours looking around the house and grounds. He told her about her life, leaving out the time travel. He seemed interested, and he really cared about her life.

"When do I get to meet Cousin Barnabas. I've heard Roger and Liz mention him several times yesterday. I'm starting to become a little curious."

"I would think you'll get to meet him tonight." She found that she was starting to confide in him. "I've been a little confused lately. But I find that I can't talk to anyone about it."

"I understand how you feel. Liz mentioned that you haven't been feeling well lately."

"I'm not really ill, just tired. Dr. Hoffman says that I need time to rest."

"Yes. It gives you too much time to think over certain things." He understood just how she felt. "If you ever want someone to talk to I can be a good listener."

Meanwhile Dr. Hoffman was busy in her room, agonizing over blood samples; she still had samples from Daphne and one last vial of the cured blood. If only she could get a sample from Carolyn...

Suddenly it came to her and she closed up everything and walked down the hall by the room Victoria taught in. She saw the new tutor, saying something to David in anger; it was in her face. David was shaking his head, and for once Julia saw true fear in that boy's eyes. Then she heard the woman's voice had a sudden accent to it, French.

"What is going on here?" Julia demanded, swinging the door open.

"Nothing Dr. Hoffman." Helen said slyly, "Nothing at all, we were just learning a few things weren't we David?" he nodded helplessly.

Dr. Hoffman merely shook her head and continued down the hallway and down the stairs to the drawing room where Elizabeth was sitting, having tea. "Elizabeth, you look well today."

"Julia! What a lovely morning it is!"

"That it is, Elizabeth, I want to talk to you about a couple of things. First of all, I think that Victoria will be ready to teach again in a few days. I think David misses her terribly."

"I think so too. Helen is nice, but I believe she has come from a much more structured school than Victoria."

"I also want to speak with you about Carolyn, she's quite sick Elizabeth, very ill, lifeless lately." Elizabeth nodded sadly.

"Yes, I agree. Oh Julia, I had such hopes for her. I thought for a while that she wanted to be here so that she could be a photographer, but now she has no interest in anything."

"Perhaps we should send her on a holiday for a few days, or I could run some tests using blood samples...."

In Collinsport Maggie Evans was helping clean up with her father after a rowdy group of sailors had came into the bar for lunch. They had all been so young and full of life. They reminded her of Joe and of Daphne.

Joe had disappeared without a trace; maybe he was just spending a few restorative days at sea, but something told her that wasn't true. She missed Daphne terribly and Carolyn, something was horribly wrong with Carolyn.

Maggie thought of Julia's possession and Victoria and Phyllis Wick, something had happened that night at Collinwood, it was as if Maggie had been released from something.

Suddenly a vision hit the young woman, it struck her as few had. Maggie crumpled to her knees. "Oh God!" She screamed. In her vision she saw a knife plunge deep into Joe Haskell's back, but even worse was that Joe was standing above a coffin about to take a life himself, she could almost see the sleeping face of the vampire.

Sheriff Patterson shook his head in disbelief, it was almost too much to fathom. One of his deputies had called him, his voice shrill with fear. The events of late had confused Geroge thoroughly; there had been that odd woman at Collinwood, the teacher...then there were the attacks on the town, the mysterious Mr. Collins.

But what he saw now shocked him, not far from the Old House two shallow graves had been found Joe Haskell lay in one, dried blood on his shirt, it was obvious that he had been stabbed. A young woman from town lay in the next one, drained of all her blood, two tiny pricks in her neck.

George turned to one of his deputies. "Somebody better call Mrs. Stoddard..."

When evening came Julia went to the old house. She was almost certain she knew who Helen really was. "Good evening Julia," Barnabas said in welcome.

"Hello Barnabas. Have you met the new governess yet?"

"Yes, I met her a few days ago."

"What did you think of her?" Julia asked watching him for an answer. "Did you notice anything unusual."

"He remembered the evening Elizabeth had introduced them, and Wille's claim that she was Angelique. But he found nothing odd about her himself. "No, not really."

"I heard her today yelling at David with a french accent. He was terrified of her."

"Willie thinks that she's Angelique. He said that he saw her in the graveyard."

"He could be right. "I think I've convinced Liz that Victoria will be able resume teaching in two days. "

"I don't like it, Angelique can do a lot of damage on two days." He headed for the door. "I'm going to see her."

Barnabas was greeted at the door by Mrs. Johnson, and shown to the sitting room. Elizabeth and Roger were there talking withJeremiah! In his mind he could still see the day they had the duel, and the day of his funeral. Flashes of childhood, manhood, fighting their enemies together, laughing, smiles, the woman they both loved...

"Barnabas," Elizabeth was saying, "This is Quentin Collins." Quentin Collins that was the visitor Victoria had mentioned yesterday. This was definitely due to Angelique, only black magic or Angelique could be so cruel.

"Are you alright?" Roger asked. "You look a little odd."

"Yes I'm fine." He looked at Quentin again; not completely sure his past hadn't came back to judge him. "You just look like someone I know."

"You're not the first person to say that!" Quentin said laughing.

"Well, if you will excuse me, I'm here to visit a lovely young woman."

Barnabas had excused himself and went in search of Helen's room. He found it easily. It was frighteningly close to Victoria's room. He opened the door and went in to find Helen stand there. "Mr. Collins," she said trying to sound surprised, "do you always enter people's rooms uninvited." He advanced toward her. "I'm tired of playing your games. I want to leave here tonight," he said with thinly concealed anger.

You have no right to order me out of here." Elizabeth had already told her that in a couple of days Vicki would resume teaching David. Dr. Hoffman had been responsible for that. If only they knew how useless it was. She would never completely leave Collinwood.

"Maybe I can't, but I know who you really are. You can't hide behind a disguise forever."

"I think you'd better leave now." Could he really be threatening her? He could never win; she was even more powerful now than before. She smiled as she thought of how her well her spell must have now been working. "Ah, Mr. Collins." she said laughing. "To know me is to love me!"

Vicki walked into her room and found a single rose lying on her bed. She picked up and smelled it's sweet aroma. She picked up a note that lay under it. "Thank you for showing me around today," it read. "I look forward to seeing you again -Quentin." She heard her door close and turned to find Quentin standing in her room.

"I couldn't wait until later," he said as he approached her.

"You shouldn't be in here," she said suddenly feeling herself becoming drawn to him.

"Tell me you want me to leave," he said as he reached out to touch her.

"Please go," she said as she turned away from him.

"I'll come back." She heard the door shut as Quentin left and felt the emptiness of the room. What was wrong with her? She hadn't felt this strongly about him earlier.

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.