Subj: Where Are the Angels Chapter 31
Date: 3/3/01 5:56:30 PM Central Standard Time
From: Melissa
Josette sat at the table looking at her lunch, she had been sitting there for almost an hour, the lunch wasn't appitiezing to her, and nothing in the house looked good, nothing sounded good either, she wondered how long it would take for Noah to get back to her.
She missed Barnabas, why did he come to her. It had been three months since his sister's death, and he hadn't come to her. The strange disappearances and deaths continued, and though she didn't want to believe that he could be responsible for them, she couldn't help but feel that it was.
The phone rang startling her, she picked it up, "Hello?"
"Josette. It's Joshua, I need to see you right away."
"All right, I'll be at Collinwood in minute."
"No, I'm at Noah's office."
"I'll be right there," she said.
A feeling of dread came over her, it had to be bad if Noah called Joshua, she pulled on her coat and got into the car.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Barnabas paced back and forth in the small room of the crypt. The body of the young woman he had met last night at the bar lay on the floor, blood trickling down her neck. He had seen Josette last night, in the car driving home from somewhere. She looked so beautiful, he wished he could go to her, but he promised himself that he would stay away, if it meant that she would be safe from Angèlique. But he had not seen Angèlique since that night, maybe he could go to her, just one more time and tell her why he could never see her again. She deserved a reason, she had to know why he never came back.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Josette walked into the office and found not only Joshua and Noah, but Peter Bradford there.
"Sit down Josette," Joshua said.
"What is it?" She asked with fear in her voice. Joshua looked at her with look of curiosity on his face that puzzled her.
"Josette have you been with anyone since my son?" he asked after awhile.
"What do you mean?"
"Have you slept with anyone since my son?" Joshua asked.
"No," Josette said with discomfort at the question.
"Then would you explain why you're pregnant," Joshua asked.
Josette looked up with shock, she turned to Noah who said, "The results from the test came back postive."
"How can that be," she whispered.
"You've been with no one," Joshua demanded.
"No I swear it, I haven't been with anyone since Barnabas," she cried breaking down.
"Barnabas has been dead for five months. How far along is she?" he asked.
"Three and a half months."
"Josette please tell me how this could be?" Joshua begged, "The family cannot take anything else. Who is the father of your baby?"
Josette looked at the men that stood before her, would they believe her.
"Josette?" Joshua asked again.
"There's only one man who could be the father of this child," she said, "the only man that I have ever been with. Barnabas."
"What kind of sick joke do you think that is?" Joshua asked angrily.
"It's the truth," she said, "he came to me, told me that he - he would never leave me. But after Sarah's death he hasn't come back," she sobbed.
"I've buried my son, and my daughter, I will not bury my wife, and if she hears this it will kill her."
"It's the truth, ask Peter, he would know if I was seeing anyone."
Joshua looked at Peter, who looked at Josette. "How can we believe this, Barnabas is dead and buried, how could he have come to you and -,"
"I don't know, but it's the truth, he siad that Angèlique cursed him, he's not dead," she said.
"Show me where he is," Joshua demanded.
"I don't know where he is, he always came to me."
"You will find out and when you do you will tell me," Joshua told her. "No one breathes a word of this out side this room."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Josette stood before the mirror her hand on her stomach. Grief had taken over her mind she hadn't ever noticed what was going on with her body.
Barnabas' baby, what was it, she thought, a boy? Or a girl? It wouldn't matter to her, just as long as it was his.
A hand on her should made her whirl around. "Oh Barnabas," she cried. "Where have you been?" she asked.
"I had to stay away, I just came to say that I'm leaving and I won't see you again."
"NO! You can't come here after staying away and just say goodbye," Josette cried.
"I have to. If it can save your life then this is the only way."
"What are you talking about?"
"Angèlique, she told me about my curse, everyone I love will die. I have to stay away from you."
"I don't want you to stay away from me, I want you with me always. Take me with you, make me what you are. I don't care just as long as I am with you."
"I can't do that to you. I love you too much to do that to you."
"What about our child can you stay away from us now?"
Barnabas stopped, "What?"
"I'm pregnant Barnabas," she whispered.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"I just came back from Noah's, and your father knows," she said.
Barnabas looked at her tenderly, "God, everything would be so wonderful, if I had never said I would come back for her."
"It's not your fault," Josette said.
"It is damnit, if I hadn't. . . "
"Don't do this to yourself Barnabas."
A sound from behind them caused them to turn around.
"Oh God," Joshua said, "It's true."
To be continued. . .