Subj: A Return to the Shadows part 34
Date: 8/5/01 12:33:06 AM Central Daylight Time
From: KimD

Julia wrapped her coat tightly about her, fending off the chill of the cold Maine night. She walked up the steps to the old house and knocked at the door. It was only a moment before Willie answered the door looking surprised to see her again. "Dr. Hoffman."

"Hello Willie. Is Barnabas back? I really need to talk to him."

Willie moved to let her in. "Yes, he came in a short while ago."

Julia entered the old house and found Barnabas in the drawing room staring pensively into the fire. "Barnabas," Julia said, announcing her presence.

He looked up at her as she entered the room, his thoughts interrupted. "Good evening Julia."

"I know what happened to Vicki. I saw the marks on her neck." He looked up at her coolly as if he were judging her words carefully. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Yes," he said with cold calmness, "I know exactly what I'm doing, but I don't see how that's any of your concern."

"You're aware that you were seen?"

"Yes, by Quentin." He turned to stare into the fire, as if he was contemplating what he should do.

"What do you intend to do?"

"Wait and observe. What I do depends on him. You can tell him to be very careful."

"I could start the treatment again."

His attention turned back to Julia. "No, after what happened before, I don't think that will be necessary."

"Then you intend to destroy Vicki's life just like yours was destroyed?"

He rose to his feet anger flashed in his eyes. "I would suggest Julia," he said with thinly concealed anger, "that you do now interfere with my plans for Victoria."

She looked directly at him and said indifferently, "I have no plans to interfere. I only wanted to offer you an alternative." That seemed to calm him, but he still looked suspicious of her. She stepped back toward the door. "The experiments were working. My offer stands if you ever decided to resume treatment." She turned and left him their knowing he wouldn't accept her offer. He no longer trusted her.

After entering Collinwood she found Quentin in the drawing room waiting. He turned as he heard her enter. "I suppose you saw him?" he asked.

"Yes, and he really did see you. You must be careful of what you do. He can be very dangerous when he feels threatened. I would advise you to stay away from both him and Vicki. You might want to consider leaving Collinsport."

"I can't do that. This is my home now. My past present and future are all here. And I refuse to let him destroy Vicki."

"Fine," she said realizing how stubborn he was. Talking him into leaving would do no good. "There's another way. I have created a treatment that will make them both normal again. He refuses to take it, because of something that happened before he doesn't trust me. He will likely kill anyone that gets in the way of his plans."

"What are his plans?"

"Vicki resembles one he lost a long time ago. He will turn her into a vampire to replace his lost love."