Subj: The Homecoming--Chapter 1
Date: 3/13/02 2:03:03 PM Central Standard Time
From: Peggy Boone

Elliot Stokes was on the telephone with Julia. She had called him every other day to tell him about Barnabas. He knew where he had been staying, but he had been sworn to secrecy. Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. He told Julia he would call her back. He hung up the phone and went over to the door.

"Who is it?"

"Professor Stokes, it's Adam."

He opened the door and found both Adam and Barnabas standing in the hall. He invited them in.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Barnabas has been staying with me and we both need a place to stay."

Stokes turned to Barnabas. "Does it have something to do with the phone calls from Julia?"

"Not exactly."

Adam told him about seeing Nicholas Blair in the mirror in the basement.

"What does he want?"

"We don't know. Adam broke the mirror and we left. You said you spoke to Julia, is she all right?"

"She is, but she misses you."

"I know she does."

"Do you think that Nicholas is trying to find his way back?"

"Maybe."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'll think of something."

Willie was worried. He drove to Adam's house to see Barnabas, but he could not seem to find either Barnabas or Adam. He looked for Adam's car and found it was also gone. He got back in his car and started back to the Old House. He wondered where they had gone. He was afraid Barnabas had again fallen ill and Adam had driven him to the hospital. He was thinking about going into Collinsport to see if he was at the hospital, but he decided to talk to Julia first. When he got back to the Old House, he could not find Julia.

Barnabas asked Elliot if he knew where Julia was. When he told him that she was at Wyndcliffe, he called her and told her where he and Adam were. When she asked him if they were all right, he told her they were.

When Julia returned to the Old House, she found Willie pacing impatiently inside. When she asked him what was wrong, he stopped pacing. "I went to Adam's to see Barnabas and they were both gone." "I know. Barnabas called me. They are both staying with Elliot."

Julia went to Elliot's and knocked on the door. When he opened it, she asked to see Barnabas. When he heard his name mentioned, Barnabas walked out of the bedroom. Julia saw the smile on his face when he saw her. "Are you two all right?"

"We are now."

"Why did you leave Adam's?"

"We had to. We think Nicholas is trying to come back."

"What do you mean?"

"We saw his face looking back at us from the mirror down in the basement."

"What happened?"

"Adam broke it with the shovel." Barnabas took Julia's arm and led her into the kitchen. "What's wrong?"

"I wanted to talk to you in here."

"Is something wrong?"

"I believe Nicholas was trying to get control of Adam."

"What do you mean?"

"When I went down into the basement, Adam was standing with his eyes locked onto the mirror. He didn't know I was there until I put my hand on his shoulder."

"What happened then?"

"He almost hit me with the shovel."

The two of them went back into the living room. Adam looked up at them. Julia went over to the couch where Adam was sitting. "Adam, Barnabas told me what happened in the basement. Are you all right?"

"Yes. Julia?"

"Yes, Adam."

"What do you think Nicholas wants?"

"I don't know." After Julia went back to the Old House, Barnabas sat in the chair with a confused look on his face. He knew of the connection between him and Adam, but he wondered why he had not been affected by Nicholas in the basement.

Adam still wasn't saying why she had left her Uncle Ned's house. No one at Collinwood knew Barnabas had been there visiting with Amy.

When Julia returned to the Old House, Willie hurried over to her. "How's Barnabas and Adam?"

"They're fine." She didn't tell him why Barnabas and Adam had left Adam's house. She knew that if she did, she would have him to worry about.

Julia had a note delivered to her by Elliot. She recognized Barnabas' handwriting. When she opened it, she read: "Julia, could you see about Amy. I saw her at Collinwood and made a phone call to her and she seemed like something was bothering her. She was upset when I left her on the terrace. Barnabas."

When Amy got out of bed, he was surprized to see Julia in the drawing room with a cup of coffee. "Good morning, Amy."

"Hi, Doctor Hoffman."

"Why don't you sit down. I want to talk to you." Amy sat down on the couch beside Julia. "Amy, have you been feeling all right?"

"Not really."

"What's wrong?"

"Doctor Hoffman?"

"What, Amy?"

"Why doesn't Barnabas want to go back to the Old House?"

"He hasn't been feeling well. He'll go home when he is ready."

"Do you think he will?"

"I do."

Julia started walking toward the door when he stopped and turned back to face Amy. "Amy?"

"Yes, Doctor Hoffman."

"Would you like to go see Barnabas?"

"I would. When can we go?"

"Now." Amy ran upstairs to get dressed. Elizabeth Stoddard came out of the library. Hello, Julia. I thought I heard you here."

"I am taking Amy with me for awhile." Amy came back downstairs. "Have a good time, Amy."

"I will."

Julia and Amy got out of the car and knocked on the door. It was opened by Elliot. "Hello, Julia, who is your friend?"

"Amy Jennings, this is Elliot Stokes."

"Hi, is Barnabas really all right?"

"he's fine, would you like to see him?"

"Yes, please."

He escorted Julia and Amy inside. Barnabas went into the living room when he heard Julia's voice. He saw Amy standing beside her. When Amy spied Barnabas, she ran over to him and hugged him. He held her on the couch as she chattered away. "Are you really feeling better?"

"I am."

"When are you going back to the Old House?"

"Soon."

"Barnabas."

"Yes, Amy?"

"I don't blame you for Chris falling from Widow's Hill."

"Thank you, Amy."

When he heard the knock on the door, Adam hurried into the kitchen. He opened the door a crack and peered out. He saw Julia and Barnabas sitting on the couch and a little girl was sitting on Barnabas' lap. In the living room, Amy heard a sound. She turned to see where the sound came from. She saw the kitchen door open and a man was standing in the doorway. Barnabas turned his head to see what Amy was looking at. "Who's that?"

"That's Adam." To Adam, Barnabas said, "Come in here and meet someone." They saw him inch his way over to the couch. "Adam, this is Amy. She's a friend of mine and Julia's."

"Hi."

"Hello, Adam." Soon Julia got up and took Amy's hand. They turned to face the other three in the living room. "I have to be getting Amy back to Collinwood. Bye."

When Amy and Julia were on their way back to Collinwood, the little girl turned in her seat to face Julia. "Doctor Hoffman?"

"Yes, Amy."

"Who was that man at Professor Stokes'?"

"Adam?"

"Yes."

"He's a friend of ours. Amy?"

"Yes, Doctor Hoffman."

"Will you promise me something?"

"What?"

"That you don't tell anyone about Adam."

"I promise."

When they returned to Collinwood, David asked Amy where they had gone. She told him that they went to see Barnabas. When he asked her how he was feeling, Amy told him he was feeling better. Amy told him that Barnabas told her he was going to go home to the Old House soon.

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production