Subj: Consequences of Falling ch. 44
Date: 8/3/01 10:22:50 AM Central Daylight Time
From: Nicole

Meanwhile

Quentin had never seen Constance so terrified. She had gone stark white and the tremors had began in her hands. He had not wanted to scare her. She had tried to help him. She could not be blamed for his damnation. Quentin slipped the pentagram into his pocket and asked Constance to sit on the sofa. She staggered toward the sofa, scooting into the corner and curling her knees to her chest. "I don't know what to say," he murmured softly. Constance gave no reply, only curling tighter into her ball as she stared at him. "How seriously do you take this!"

"How seriously do you think?" wailed Constance. "I take this more seriously than you think!"

"Then why didn't you tell me that you knew this would happen?" demanded Quentin.

"I didn't know when, where, or under what circumstances it would happen. I only knew that it would happen."

"How did you know?"

"She told me," said Constance, her face crumbling under the emotional strain. "She told me that you would relapse and she gave me a pentagram."

"She?"

"Yeah. Beth Chavez told me while we were at Collinwood in 1974."

Quentin felt like he could sink into the sofa. He could not believe that his dead lover had warned his wife of his relapse. And neither had bothered to tell him! But he could easily see why Beth had not told him. Why would anyone want to face their murderer, even if they had claimed to forgive them? But she had attempted to save him. "She just came to you."

"Yes and no." Constance began to calm down, loosening up and shifting her legs to the floor. "At first she would just leave the pentagram for me and I would get rid of it. I eventually told Julia and she, Josef, and i held a séance. That's how we learned about your relapse and about Chris' baby. That was my only real contact with her. Oh Quentin, I'm so sorry."

Constance flew into his lap and began to cry. Quentin held her tightly, unsure of what to say. She would not have been able to help him. He carefully peeled Constance from his chest and began to wipe away her tears, whispering softly to her in hopes of soothing her. Once she calmed, Quentin said, "You have no need to apologize. This isn't your fault." He swallowed deeply and said, "I've known too."

"You...you knew," she whispered. "How?"

"I received a note from Petofi. He threatened both you and I if I didn't follow him again. At first, I didn't believe it was him, but he came to me at the beginning of the week. He wanted me to work for him, threatening to hurt you and take away the cure if I didn't comply. I decided that I would but he wanted me to kill Angelique and refused. That was when he removed the cure."

Constance took Quentin's face into her hands. "You should have never followed Petofi. Why did you consider it?"

"I was thinking of you," he whispered. "I remembered your story about Corrin and I didn't want you to go through that again."

"I wouldn't have cared. Do you know why I followed Corrin? I followed him because I loved him enough to want to protect him. I would have followed you, Quentin. Why wouldn't I?"

Quentin broke down, tumbling into Constance's open arms and bursting into tears. He had not expected to cry, but he had not expected her to understand. It could have been easier if he had only told her. They might not have saved him, but he would not have been alone. Quentin pulled away, composing himself quickly as he sat up. "What do we need to do?"

"We'll go outside near nightfall. I'll need to know exactly where you are so I can track you efficiently." Constance wrapped her arms around Quentin's neck and pulled herself closer, placing her mouth only inches from his. "I'm going to keep you safe, love. I won't let anyone hurt you."

Quentin kissed her, glad to fin her willing to be caressed. He did not know when he would have her this close again, when he would be able to hold her again and never let her go. Constance was the one who ended the kiss, but she did not pull away, instead clinging tighter to his neck. Quentin turned to see Petofi standing before them, a grotesque smile plastered across his lips. "This is beautiful," he snarled, "truly it is. Too bad it won't last the night."

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.