by Terry S. Bowers

Knowing Barnabas would eventually have to return to the Old House for a change of clothing, for he seemed to have taken none with him when he left, Angelique determined to be there waiting for him. She had long ago told Julia she was not welcome in the Old House, and were Angelique to examine her reasons for that declaration, she would realize she was afraid of Julia Hoffman. Suspicious and perhaps jealous, yes, but Angelique also feared her; she feared the friendship and trust Barnabas gave Julia; she feared the comfortable communication they shared, and most of all Angelique feared Julia Hoffman had succeeded where she herself had failed. Angelique feared Julia Hoffman had gained not only Barnabas' trust and devotion, but also his love. With Roxanne's destruction, Angelique had lost her means to control Julia, and therefore Barnabas. Now she had to find another means. Angelique looked into the fireplace and the flames dancing about the burning logs. She was by no means out of ideas or options to achieve her goal, but they were not as immediate or satisfying as actually controlling the one person Barnabas really seemed to care about - Julia Hoffman.

But none of that occurred to Angelique, she would not allow it to. She forced herself to focus all her attention and energy on achieving her ultimate goal - gaining Barnabas' love; having him love her in return as truly and deeply as she loved him.

Hearing the front door open cautiously, Angelique ducked into the shadows, emerging only when she heard Barnabas' tread on the stairs. She waited until he was on the second floor, then moved to stand beside the bannister to wait for him.

She'd been right, he did need a change of clothes, and when Barnabas descended the stairs, he carried a small travelling trunk. She knew he'd packed his clothing.

"Barnabas, may I see you please?"

Her tone held none of the anger and venom it often did. She'd made the question to be a request rather than a demand, and when Barnabas coldly met her gaze, she did not allow her temper to flare.

"Very well."

He finished descending the stairs and placed his trunk on the foyer floor, then followed Angelique into the drawing room. She moved to stand near the fireplace while Barnabas remained near the door.

"What is it, Angelique?"

"I simply wondered... when you would be coming home."

Collins' eyes went wide with the apparent innocence of her question and he shook his head.

"I have no plans to return to this house so long as you remain here. Your actions against Roxanne, and more recently against Julia have caused me to be more certain than ever that I shall never be able to give you what you want. I do not wish to have anything more to do with you."

"How will it look to your family?"

"I do not care what they may think, Angelique. Our marital troubles are hardly worth their notice when compared to their own worries."

"And if I should decide to tell them the woman you call 'sister' is no blood relation at all...?"

Barnabas shook his head, very familiar with Angelique's tone of voice, her implied threat, the flashes of anger in her eyes. Once he had given in to her for fear of what she would do to him and to those he loved. She was trying to use that same tactic on him again. But Angelique had gone too far this time. She had taken from him all those whom Barnabas ever loved, ever cared about. She no longer had anyone she could use against him, no one whom she could use as a hostage until he gave in to her demands. She'd tried it with Julia - and lost.

"I will tell them the truth - that you are jealous of the closeness Julia and I share, and will say anything to damage our relationship. When you selected Julia as your victim, Angelique, you made the worst possible choice. Now, if you will excuse me."

Collins turned and was about to leave the room when Angelique's voice called to him again. Her tone was desperate, pleading, almost one of remorse.

"Barnabas, wait,... please..."

Slowly he turned back to face her, his expression carefully neutral.

"Barnabas, I'm sorry, but... I could not help myself. When I saw how important Roxanne was - and Julia is - to you, I... I had to do everything I could to change that. I want to be the one you care about, the one you think about; the one you can spend your eternal life with. I love you. All I want is for you to love me in return."

"Perhaps once, long ago, I did love you, but my love alone was not enough, Angelique. You wanted everything that I was or ever would be. You wanted more than I could give you. You wanted my soul."

"Is that so very wrong?"

"When given freely, no. When taken by trickery and deceit, yes. I can no longer feel anything but pity for you."

"Pity! Why?"

"Because you can not see that had you been content with what I could give you, we might have been happy together. But you could not accept that and instead turned your feelings into a selfish obsession, turned the good we'd shared into something vile and evil. By killing all those whom I loved - and who loved me - you also killed my ability to feel the very thing you want of me - love."

"But you have changed, Barnabas. You have found the ability to love again."

"Yes, but not because of you. And you have not changed, Angelique. Nor will you ever."

"Barnabas, is there nothing I can do to make you see how truly sorry I am? Can you not give me another chance?"

"No, Angelique, I am sorry. When you harmed Julia, you destroyed any good will I might have retained for you. I shall never give you another chance."

Angelique's eyes grew wide as full realization and acceptance came. She'd suspected it for a long while, but now she was certain.

"You're in love with her! You're in love with Julia Hoffman! It explains so much."

Barnabas met her accusing gaze levelly, hands clasped at his waist, eyes and voice calm.

"Perhaps I am. For otherwise she could not have become a victim of your curse."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your curse - that stated all those whom I loved - and all who loved me - would die. You yourself were its first victim."

"But,... you found Julia in time, you found her before she died from Roxanne's attack."

"Did he, Angelique?"

The woman whirled at the sound of Julia Hoffman's voice behind her. She'd not heard Julia enter, had not felt her presence in the room. Keeping her eyes on Julia, Angelique addressed Barnabas.

"You said you found her..."

"I said nothing, Angelique. I asked you where you were keeping her."

"But, you had Roxanne destroyed..."

A note of hysteria touched Angelique's voice and together, Barnabas and Julia took a step closer to her.

"That was so Roxanne could find peace and true death."

They took another step closer and Angelique's panic forced her to be bold. She nailed Julia with a hard, cold stare.

"You will not come near me. I controlled Roxanne and through her I will also control you, Julia Hoffman."

Julia paused, her eyes locked with Angelique's just long enough to let the witch begin to think her assertion was true. Then Julia began to laugh cruelly - a very close imitation of Angelique's own cruel laugh.

"Oh, but it doesn't work that way."

Behind her, Angelique was unaware of how close Barnabas had come until his hand touched her shoulder. Angelique jumped, turning to face him. Julia closed the distance so Angelique was wedged between herself and Barnabas, unable to move. She spoke softly, close to Angelique's ear.

"You made me what I now am, what Barnabas is."

More frightened than she had been in a very long time, Angelique nonetheless fixed her gaze on Barnabas, forcing him to look at her. She was certain she could still control him.

"You will tell her to release me."

Slowly Barnabas moved his gaze from Angelique to Julia. He nodded his head once. Angelique felt his grip on her loosen ever so slightly and sensed Julia take a step backward. Angelique smiled with evil satisfaction, but the smile became an expression of horror as she realized, too late, that Julia had taken a step backward for only one reason. The physical pain she felt when Julia Hoffman's fangs sank into her neck was mild compared to the agony she felt as her mind was assaulted, invaded, abused, beaten and finally conquered by the vampire control Julia now held over her.

Barnabas Collins gazed fondly at Julia Hoffman, her head bent over Angelique's neck, who rested against his chest, supported by his arms about her. Angelique had struggled - briefly - but with a whimper, she relaxed and went limp. Barnabas could only imagine the battle taking place within Angelique's mind. Having been her victim in the future, he knew the power and strength of Angelique's mind, of her will. But he also knew the power a vampire had over his or her victim, and he knew Julia would triumph.

Collins blinked when Julia raised her head from Angelique's throat, then stepped back. He was momentarily confused.

"Julia? Why did you stop?"

Carefully wiping the blood from around her mouth and chin, Julia glanced at Angelique, then met Barnabas' gaze.

"I thought it better for Angelique to experience what it is like to be a vampire's victim than for her to die immediately. Should she not discover for herself the helplessness and agony she caused us to endure?"

Slowly Barnabas nodded, appreciating Julia more than he ever had before, and grateful he had never been her victim. Her training in the workings of the human mind would give her added psychological advantages over her victims the average vampire did not possess - that he did not possess.

He met Julia's gaze again then easily lifted Angelique in his arms and carried her to a nearby chair, placing her in it so the blood trickling from her neck wound was barely noticeable. Julia met his gaze when he straightened and inclined her head once toward Angelique.

"You are certain?"

"Yes, Barnabas."

He studied Julia for a moment, then bent over Angelique, his own fangs finding the correct spot on the other side of her neck. He fed briefly, his own control mingling with Julia's so that whatever independence Angelique might try to exert would have no chance.

Barnabas straightened and smiled at Julia. Between them, Angelique had very little, if any, hope of exerting her free will again.

Knowing Angelique would be unconscious for quite some time, Barnabas turned away from her, ignoring her. He focused instead on Julia Hoffman, recalling the accusation Angelique had made earlier. For a long moment Barnabas could not believe it true; could not accept that he had - despite everything - fallen in love with Julia Hoffman. But the doubt and resistance passed quickly. Barnabas knew he'd realized it - if not yet admitted it - when he found Julia in the lighthouse. And although he would do anything to have Julia return to her human state, Barnabas Collins knew she would not leave him alone to this fate.

Barnabas could feel Julia's gaze on him, but she knew him so well, understood his need for reflection, that she did not disturb him; did not question him. Instead she waited quietly until he was ready to share his musings with her. Slowly Barnabas turned to face Julia. But this was not the time to reveal his newly accepted and admitted feelings. It would have to wait until their task in 1840 was complete.

"How long shall we keep her alive?"

"For as long as we need her, Barnabas. Angelique knows more about Judah Zachary than she has admitted thus far. When the time is right, she will help us prevent him from taking over Collinwood, from killing the children, and from achieving his revenge on the Collins family."

"Yes,... that will be fitting indeed. And then, Julia? Do we dare allow her to rise as one of us - as a vampire?"

"No, Barnabas, we can't. But we may not have to."

"What do you mean?"

Julia shook her head as she glanced over at the unconscious Angelique.

"There may be other options for her fate, Barnabas, other ways than death for her. We'll have to decide that later -- after she helps us defeat Judah Zachary."

Collins only nodded, trusting Julia to know what was best in regards to Angelique. As she had bitten Angelique first, Julia held the stronger control over the witch's mind, and Barnabas was not about to challenge that, but rather add his own powers to Julia's so they worked together against the witch. Julia had the ability to be cunning and clever with her control of Angelique, while he would be tempted to allow his hatred of the woman to rule him, to cause him to be cruel and vindictive. That would not net the results they desired and Barnabas was content to follow Julia's lead in this. She needed the experience as a vampire, and they both had a score to settle with Angelique. Together they would do so.

* * * * *

Barnabas and Julia took turns feeding from Angelique. They took very little blood, not wanting to weaken and drain her, but only to maintain strong control of her will, so the day Charles Dawson revealed what he felt to be the most damning evidence he possessed against Quentin in his witchcraft trial, Angelique/ Valerie was able to appear as a witness for the defense. She revealed her past identity of Miranda, her involvement with Judah Zachary, her inability to resist his temptations and, to everyone's surprise, produced the severed head of Zachary, stating where she'd found it and identifying Gerard Stiles as the one possessed and acting as Zachary, not Quentin.

Based upon Angelique's testimony, the fact the head was found in Dawson's home, carefully hidden so as to keep it from being easily discovered, the tribunal of judges moved to reconsider all the previous testimony and evidence. The decision was made for them, however, when Angelique/Valerie, who had just been relieved of her powers by an angry and uncharacteristically careless Judah Zachary, turned her anger and fear on the man they all knew as Gerard Stiles. She succeeded in mortally wounding him, and as Stiles lay dying on the courtroom floor, they all witnessed the decomposition of Zachary's severed head. All that remained in the glass enclosed case was a skull. Stiles returned to himself and with his last breath, begged Quentin's forgiveness. Collins gladly gave it, and was released from custody, all charges dropped.

Ever paranoid and obsessed, Lamar Trask demanded Angelique be arrested, for she had proclaimed herself a witch under oath. Judge Vail agreed, and Angelique was led away; imprisoned in the same cell Quentin had occupied until that very afternoon.

Dutiful husband and concerned sister-in-law paid Valerie Collins a visit just after sundown that evening. They were shown to her cell, then left alone by the guard. Angelique slowly raised her gaze, momentary defiance flashing in her eyes, until she saw them both and she allowed her shoulders to slump. Their combined control of her mind, her will, was more than she could resist. One, or the other, alone and Angelique was certain she could have withstood them, but not together, not when they worked in unison against her. But they would pay. Someday they would both pay very dearly.

Julia's eyes danced with amusement when she heard Angelique's mental threats, and a smile came to Julia's face when Angelique realized Julia knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Valerie, I have spoken with Judge Vail, on your behalf."

"Why?"

"Because you are no good to us dead."

"You mean you fear me dead, for you know I will have my revenge on both of you. And it will give me great pleasure to see you suffer, Julia, begging for the true death you will be denied."

Again Julia chuckled. The woman was tenacious if not wise.

"We all know it shall never come to that, however, don't we?"

"Yes... Why don't you just kill me?"

"I asked that of Roxanne more than once, as I'm sure Barnabas asked it of you."

"That's it, isn't it? You want me to suffer and..."

"To know the agony and helplessness a vampire's victim feels."

Barnabas could tell by Angelique's eyes that she did know. Her suffering was two fold because he and Julia were both preying upon her. But Barnabas felt no compassion or pity for Angelique. She'd had none for him, nor any for Julia.

Carefully, tentatively, Angelique reached out with her mind to test the strength of Julia's control at that moment. It seemed to be at a low point, for Angelique could not feel the vampire's constant presence in her mind. For a very brief instant Angelique allowed herself to wonder why, and knew she had to take advantage of it while she could.

Reaching out to touch Barnabas' link to her, Angelique willed him to glance her way. Although she no longer possessed her supernatural powers, she still retained full control of her feminine powers - powers she knew Barnabas had - at one time - been unable to resist. He still could not. Slowly he turned his gaze toward her and they each stepped forward slightly so that only the bars of the cell separated them.

Angelique said nothing, but turned pleading eyes on Barnabas, hoping he would understand her plight, understand the only reason she ever did anything against him was because she loved him. He did not return her love, so she felt compelled to strike out at him, to hurt him in the hope he would feel the same depths of pain as she and understand. Angelique used her link to Barnabas to cajole him into releasing her, to convince him to use his stronger, more developed powers as a vampire against Julia and leave her to fend for herself; leave her to Angelique's mercies. Angelique promised she would not make Julia suffer - much; would arrange for Trask to find her hiding place and destroy her swiftly.

Sensing no resistance, Angelique smiled slowly when her gaze locked with Barnabas'. He returned the smile and she knew she had won. Barnabas would release her and together they would deal with Julia Hoffman.

Laughter filled Angelique's mind - and the room. Amused laughter coming from two different sources. Startled, Angelique pulled back, realizing they had been toying with her, allowing her to believe she still had some control, some influence over her own mind, her own thoughts.

Reluctantly Angelique brought her gaze up to meet Barnabas' again. All she saw there was cold and calculated loathing. She glanced at Julia against her will, the vampire's control of her even stronger than before. She had no choice but to obey this woman's commands.

A sob escaped Angelique when she saw the delighted amusement in Julia's eyes. It was the same delight she herself had felt when placing the curse on Barnabas. The difference being she'd thought herself dying at the time; Julia was already dead. It was the same delight she'd felt when arranging for Julia to come to Roxanne's tomb after sunset. Angelique had never considered how that act of jealousy could come back to her in the same way. Her own satisfaction was gone, but Julia seemed to be savoring it.

Angelique took a deep breath, to steady herself, and meekly met Julia's gaze.

"How long will you keep me like this?"

"For as long as we need you."

"And then?"

"Julia and I will decide what is to be your fate, as you decided ours."

"Do you believe my master..."

"Your master - or his son - took away the powers he'd given you. And had he not, I doubt he would have had much inclination to help you -- a witch who fell victim to not only one, but two vampires - both of her own making."

That thought had occurred to Angelique, but she'd not wanted to let herself believe it. Now she had to. She sank down on the bunk, her eyes closed as she wrapped her arms about herself. It was the only comfort she would ever receive.

Behind them, the door opened and two guards entered.

"Mr. Collins, the Judge would like to see you again. Mrs. Collins, you're to come with us as well."

Angelique rose and stood by her bunk, waiting for the guards to open the cell door. For a brief moment she considered trying to get away - hoping the guards would shoot and kill her in the escape attempt, but Angelique immediately felt Julia's control slam down on her and the thought died away to nothing.

The trio was led to Judge Vail's chambers and there Valerie Collins was released. Trask had tried to bring witchcraft and then murder charges against her, but as Valerie had admitted to being under Judah Zachary's spell, and no longer had any powers of her own, the charges were dropped and Valerie Collins freed.

As they stepped into the late evening air, Angelique knew she had simply exchanged one jail cell for another. Were she able to deal with Barnabas alone, she was certain she could have convinced him to release her, but Julia would not be swayed and Angelique resigned herself to a life of slavery to these two, unless she could find some way to be rid of Julia Hoffman.

Returning to the Old House, Julia waited in the drawing room while Barnabas saw Angelique to her room and into bed. When he returned, Julia was staring into the flames of the fire - a habit she had picked up from Barnabas.

She turned to face him.

"We must decide what we will do now, Barnabas."

"Yes, I know."

"Our reason for coming to 1840 has been realized. We defeated Judah Zachary. But was it enough? Were we able to save all those in 1971?"

"We must go back to be certain. But how?"

"Quentin's stairway through time. It brought me here, it can take us back."

"And what of Angelique?"

"What would you like, Barnabas?"

"I do not know. I have wished her dead so often, but now that I am faced with the probable reality of it... I do not know. I never believed I would ever have the chance to decide her fate, I somehow knew... it would be she who decided my fate. Once, long ago, I did love her, Julia. Must we destroy her? Could we not..."

"We dare not take her with us, Barnabas. The family knows her as Angelique Rumson. I don't think Carolyn could deal with the reminders of Jeb and the Leviathans she might cause. Nor do we dare risk allowing anyone to recall her as Cassandra."

"Then we have but two choices, Julia. We can risk leaving her here, to perhaps find a way to regain her powers and avenge herself on us, or... we must kill her. Tell me what to do, Julia."

His tone was pleading, the look he gave her desperate and confused.

"I can't, Barnabas. You know how I feel, but... I will abide by your decision in this. She has wronged you more than she has me."

"How can you believe that, Julia? It was her jealous vindictiveness, her desire to possess me completely that caused you to become a vampire."

"It was Angelique's curse that took everyone you ever cared about - ever loved - from you."

"No, not everyone... You are still with me, Julia."

She met his gaze, eyes wide, wondering if he could possibly mean what his words seemed to imply. As if he could hear her thoughts, Barnabas stepped closer and placed his hands on her arms. Their eyes met and locked.

"You are still with me, Julia. You have been with me through so much. I regret that it took your... death to make me realize how much you mean to me,... how much I do love you."

"Barnabas..."

"Julia, no other woman has touched my life, my heart, my soul as you have. I am in love with you in a way I never believed possible."

"Barnabas, you fool!"

Behind them, Angelique stood defiantly in the doorway to the drawing room. Her eyes flashed anger, hatred and jealousy, and she forced herself to move slowly forward into the room. Angelique locked her gaze on Barnabas, as if by sheer habit she could control him. Julia stepped back a pace, knowing Barnabas had to resolve this on his own. She could not interfere.

"Can you not see I have done everything possible to make you love me? Barnabas,..."

"You cannot make someone love another, Angelique. All you have done is to ensure I would not - could not - love you. The woman I choose to love is no concern of your's. You could not accept that in 1795 and it lead to years - centuries - of hatred between us, just as you cannot accept it now. I do not love you and never will again."

"She is not a woman, Barnabas!"

"Just as I am not a man - because of you. I had thought to be kind to you, Angelique, kinder than you have ever been to me, but..."

Barnabas' statement went unfinished as all three were startled by the bursting open of the front door. Seconds later Lamar Trask stood framed in the drawing room entrance. He faced Angelique, maniacal vengeance flashing in his eyes.

"The authorities were afraid to charge you with witchcraft, but I do not fear you. Evil creature of Satan, die!"

He pulled out a pistol and fired point blank at Angelique. The bullet entered her chest and she sank to the floor, almost in the exact same spot as when Barnabas had shot her in 1795.

Trask did not have a chance to savor his kill, for he heard an angry roar and felt himself held in a vise-like grip.

"She was mine. Now you will die in her place."

The deep, harsh voice in his ear gave Trask no chance to consider his fate, nor at whose hand he was to die. He felt a hot, sharp pain in his neck, an overwhelming sense of vertigo took hold and his last thought, his last memory was one of doubt in the Almighty for allowing him, a faithful and devout follower, to become the victim of such all consuming evil.

Julia glanced up from Angelique's body as Barnabas finished with Trask and rose slowly. The hatred in Collins' eyes had calmed a bit and he was now certain of what had to be done. Collins met Julia's gaze, then glanced down at Angelique.

"She's dead, Barnabas."

"As is he. I have wanted to settle with him - and his family - for a very long time."

"Barnabas, we..."

"We must not allow Angelique to rise, Julia, but... I think we shall not be so kind to Trask."

Slowly Julia nodded, a slight smile touching the corners of her mouth. Trask could have no more repulsive a fate than to become one of the evil creatures he reviled - to become one of the living dead.

"I doubt he will survive long as a vampire, Barnabas."

"I am depending on that. Will you help me with Angelique?"

"Yes."

"Then... we must return to 1971, Julia. We will decide what is to come next once we have learned if we have been successful in changing their fates."

Julia nodded and stooped to help Barnabas with Angelique's body. They carried her into the woods, and after driving a stake through her heart, Barnabas severed her head. They buried the body in a deep, unmarked grave, then tossed her head into the ocean from the peak of Widow's Hill. The sea would take care of it and prevent it from ever being re-united with her body.

Together Barnabas and Julia watched the head crash on the rocks below, then it was taken out to sea by the tide, where the sea creatures would make short work of the flesh. When it drifted from sight, Barnabas slowly reached for Julia's hand and laced his fingers through hers. She met his gaze.

"Julia, I do not know what kind of future I can offer you; if I will ever be able to escape this curse, or help you to escape yours, but..."

Julia reached up and placed her fingers over Barnabas' mouth. She met his gaze and did not blink.

"I'm not going anywhere without you, Barnabas. We have all of eternity to spend together."

"Julia..."

His voice was thick with emotion as he pulled Julia into his embrace. She held tightly to him, and when they broke apart, their gazes met again. Slowly they moved toward one another until their mouths met in a human kiss. Then, as one, each moved their mouth to the proper spot on the other's neck. Together they gently, tenderly nipped at each other's flesh, exchanging a single drop of blood each and silent vows, linking their lives, their minds in such a way humans never could; creating an eternal bond that could never be broken.

With his first and last taste of Julia's blood, Barnabas knew he and Julia were meant to share their eternity in this way. He knew she would never leave him, as he would never leave her. She had his blood, she had his soul, she had his life, she had his eternal love.

When they drew apart, their gazes met and held, then as one they turned, heading back toward Collinwood and the stairway through time. They would step off it in 1971 to find the house restored, the people well and sane, and their eternal future awaiting them.

* * * * *

* * * * *

Terry S. Bowers

September 4, 1997

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