Subj: A Dark Shadows It's a Wonderful Life
Date: 1/4/00 11:46:09 AM Central Standard Time
From: Melissa

A Dark Shadows It's a Wonderful Life

Chapter Three

The large doors of Collinwood opened a tall young man stood in the doorway; he had two suitcases with him. He walked into the house and let go of his bags, but before they could hit the floor they froze in mid air.

"What happened?" Angelique asked.

"This is David, I want you to get a good look at him."

"Did he ever tell anyone about the poison?"

"No, he never told anyone."

"Is he going to use it for blackmail?"

"No, he isn't like that," Clarence said.

"Well I would have."

"Yes, we know and that is exactly why you are still here," Thomas said.

"Did he marry one of those girls?" Angelique asked Clarence.

"Wait and see," he told her.

The bags dropped, and the doors to the drawing room opened. Above the fireplace hung a sign that read: WELCOME HOME DAVID. There was a crowd of people coming forward, they were all saying things like, "Welcome home
David."

"Hi Dad," David said hugging his father.

"Good to have you back son," Roger said.

"Hi, Vicki."

"Wait a minute. What's she still there for? I thought she was his governess."

"Weren't you paying attention, Victoria Winters married David's father," Thomas said, he didn't know how much more he could stand. "They were married a couple months after Carolyn fell into the pond. That was why Burke wanted to talk to her, and why he wasn't there to help."

"Not that he would," Thomas muttered. Burke Devlin's name was coming up on their list; they would have to think of something they could do to help him change.

The scene continued, David's family had thrown him a surprise party, and it seemed as if the whole town was there. David was glad to see everyone, he told all his old friends about his plans to go Chicago and become an architect, he had already been asked to join a firm. There was a tap on his shoulder, he turned around and found himself face to face with someone very familiar, but something was different about her.

"Hi David, do you remember me?" she asked.

"Amy? Is that you?"

"Yeah, do you like it?" she asked holding up her blond hair.

"Yeah it looks great."

"Want to dance?"

"Sure," he said.

"So you're going to Chicago? I'm going to New York."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm an actress, I got an audition for this play, but I'm going to do a Soap."

"Well, good luck."

"Thanks. Hey do you remember this song?" she asked.

David listened for a moment. "I know it, but I don't know what you mean."

"Silly, it's the song we first danced too." They danced to a few more songs while Amy told him how she got discovered, but David wasn't really paying attention.

From across the room another a young woman was watching David, she was sitting next to Carolyn.

"I told you that he'd come back," she was saying.

"But he's with Amy."

"That's because she's danced with every other guy here, and besides you know how she is. Go on over there."

"I can't, Amy's too. . . "

"She won't know the difference, once you're with him, she'll find someone else to throw herself at. David's always liked you Rachel," Carolyn said pulling Rachel up and walking over to where Amy and David were.

"David, you remember Rachel, don't you?" she asked tapping his shoulder.

"Yeah. How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Rachel said.

"David why don't you dance with Rachel while I talk to Amy for a minute."

Rachel felt terribly uncomfortable, but she so incredibly happy to be in David's arms.

"Are you glad to be back?"

"Yes, but I will be glad to go back to Chicago. Did you hear that I was asked to join the firm?"

"Yes, that's wonderful."

"How have you been?" he asked.

"Good, I haven't been doing anything as exciting as Amy, but I'm happy."

"That's good, oh here she comes."

"I guess you'll want to go back dancing with her," Rachel said dropping her arms and went to leave, but David stopped her.

"Don't go. I'd rather dance with you."

"You would?"

"Yes," he said and pulled her closer.

"Well what happened?" Angelique asked as the scene below dimmed and nothing could be seen anymore.

"David and Rachel were married, he decided to stay in Collinsport because he knew Rachel wanted to stay near her family. Carolyn married Amy's older brother and they moved to New York, she began to design her own line of clothes, and has become very successful.

Angelique's eyes lit up, "Could I wear something of hers?"

Clarence ignored her once again and continued. "After David took over for his father, he began to help make the town even better. Burke Devlin was still around trying to buy them out, but just like his father, David wouldn't listen. He helped Maggie buy The Blue Whale, and after Mrs. Wells died, Mr. Wells had some financial trouble, well David helped him out and soon he was paid back. The town had never been better. About a year after they were married, they had their first child, it was a boy they named him after Rachel's father, who had just died, after Rick, they had a daughter, Jane, then Andrew, then Chloe. David had to work hard, but as the years went by he began to enjoy what he was doing, it wasn't what he wanted to do. Things were going well until recently that things began to go bad. This morning David had gotten they payment that would have turned things around for the business. David sent his Uncle Quentin to deposit the
$100,000, somehow he ran into Burke Devlin. He knew about Quentin's problem with gambling, he got him to play cards, and Burke won all the money, he knew that with out this money the Collins Cannery and business would be ruined. He went to David to get him to sell the businesses, for the first time David had to think about Burke's offer. That brings us up to what happened a few hours ago," Clarence concluded. They were now in the living room of the Old House, David's home; it was filled with laughter and music. Rachel was trimming the Christmas tree with Rick, Andrew, and Chloe; while Jane was playing the piano. The door opened and his family greeted David. Rachel saw that something
was wrong. Chloe ran to her father, but instead of his usual greeting, a kiss on the forehead, he just walked into the living room, falling onto the sofa.

"Hi Daddy," Jane said from the piano.

"Did something happen today?" Rachel asked.

David mumbled something that Rachel couldn't hear. Chloe sat next to her father, and tugged on his sleeve.

David opened his eyes, "What?" he asked a little harshly.

She looked up at him with big eyes then ran out of the room.

"Was that necessary?" Rachel asked.

Jane was still playing the piano while Rick and Andrew were arguing about where to put an ornament.

David felt his temper begin to rise, he could not take any of this anymore, he wanted to kill his uncle, and he couldn't get any peace at home.

"Will you all just shut up," he yelled.

He got up and ran out of the house. Rachel followed him to the door and watched him drive off into the night, then she went up the stair to Chloe's room. The family remained quite for a long time after he was gone.

To be continued. . .

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.