Note: Hey guys! So my friend and I have gotten together and figured that it'd be cool if Barnabas met Nellie. Hopefully you guys will like this fanfic, and we'll most likely update fairly regularly so keep checking in and review to your heart's content! Thanks!- Ashley and Allie
With an umbrella in hand, Barnabas stood outside his now destroyed cannery, staring at the remains of the building with a solemn look. Barnabas Collins had nothing left. His beloved Victoria hadn't survived, Collinwood burned down, Julia was at the bottom of the ocean, and he didn't even have Angelique to fight with anymore. Carolyn left for New York like she wanted and the cannery was nothing but a pile of wood and ashes. Elizabeth was somewhere in the distance, talking to a man about how she would be able to fix the ruins of their house and business. David was standing with his uncle, wearing a face that was too mature for his age.
"Are we ever going to go back home again, Uncle Barnabas?" the little boy asked quietly, breaking the long string of silence.
Barnabas cleared his throat. "Of course we will, Master David. It's ready, waiting for us now. We must wait for a few more minor problems to be fixed before we go back."
The vampire had also been thinking about their living situation. Currently, they were staying at a small motel outside of town. They all hated it. Barnabas was thankful for a room to himself, but it was much less comfortable than the coffin he preferred. He had made it clear to Elizabeth that the rebuilding of their former mansion must be done as soon as possible. It had taken a long time, but the house was almost done now. Barnabas assumed that he could move back in immediately but Elizabeth wouldn't allow him yet, for what reason he had no idea.
David sighed and walked away, but Barnabas did not bother to see where he was going. The man turned around and looked at the dock as a passenger ship was just arriving. Barnabas watched all of the people arriving into his town, admiring them. They were coming into a new life with new hopes instead of returning to an old life, full of broken promises and crushed dreams. Barnabas envied them. Taking a deep breath, the vampire watched all of the small families and young men walk off of the boat with smiling faces. There was one single passenger that looked different than the others.
It was a tiny woman; probably just around the age of forty. She was pale, almost as pale as Barnabas. She wore all black and a hat that managed to cover most of her face. Through the hat, Barnabas could see that she was beautiful, but also extremely worried. He was always able to read emotions. While the other people departed out to the spots that were waiting for them, the woman waited, looking around as if she was confused. Barnabas had a strong urge to help her.
Making sure that Elizabeth and David weren't looking, Barnabas made his way over to the woman. She looked extremely tired and weak, even though she was only holding one suitcase. She didn't see him until he was a few feet away from her.
"Are you in need of assistance, madame?" he asked politely, nervously.
The auburn-haired woman turned around quickly, her hand on her heart. She was breathing heavily and she looked at the vampire with wide eyes. "Oh, dear, you gave me quite the fright," she answered him, out of breath. "But no, oh no. I'm quite alright," she said with a reassuring smile.
Barnabas' eyebrows furrowed. He noticed the mysterious woman's Cockney accent, something he used to hear quite often when he was a small child. "You're not," he protested. "Do you have anywhere to go?"
"Why are you askin'?" the woman responded bitterly.
"Well, madame, I consider myself as the caretaker of this town. I am Barnabas Collins, you see. This town was named after me...my family. I see it as my responsibilty to see over the welfare of the townspeople," Barnabas explained.
The woman raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Nellie Lovett," she said quietly, holding her hand out to shake.
Barnabas nodded and shook her hand, trying to look at her face through the hat she was wearing. "Beautiful name," Barnabas commented. "And where have you come from, if I may ask?"
Nellie's eyes turned distant as she stared at the ground and released Barnabas' hand. She quickly snapped out of it, though. "London."
"London," Barnabas responded with a smile. "I remember the days I spent in London. Not too great when you're there, but you do come to miss it, I suppose," he mused.
Nellie nodded slowly, staring at Barnabas with a suspicious look on her face. "Yes, well. I 'ate it and I'm glad that I'm 'ere. I must go now, I'm afraid, so I'll meet you again another time," she said quickly.
Barnabas shook his head and held a hand out. "No, madame. You mustn't. Please, I beg of you, come stay at my mansion. It is much more comfortable than wherever you're going. While it is in the process of being rebuilt, I can assure you that it is safe for you. I couldn't bear to see a woman like you out here, homeless in the cold. You will have a room to yourself, you can also converse with my relative, Elizabeth. She'll help you make a life here," Barnabas said almost desperately. He wanted to save the life of Nellie Lovett.
Nellie, having nowhere else to go, took a deep breath and thought about her options. After a few moments she cleared her throat. "Sure," she said almost inaudibly. "But no funny business," she added sternly, her eyes roaming Barnabas' body.
Barnabas simply frowned and shook his head, not knowing what Nellie meant. "I can assure you that you have all of my respect. Come, now, Ms. Lovett. I will show you to your new home," he said with a small smile, holding his arm out. He hadn't felt this happy in a long time.
So that is the first chapter of many to come. I hope you guys liked it! Please review! We really are genuinely interested in people's opinions and wanna know if you guys like this ship or not. :)