AUTHOR'S NOTE: This fanfic is hugely inspired by Dark Shadows, a gothic television soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971 and was produced by Dan Curtis. Just so you know, I don't own ABC or Dark Shadows and I won't be receiving any payment whatsoever for this story.

This is the story of Bramwell Collins, son of Barnabas and Josette as well as others in the Collin's family. Happy Reading!

~V~V~

Bramwell Collins was returning to Collinwood. He had been away over 6 months, and he missed his cousins Melanie and Morgan, as well as all his other friends and relatives in Collinsport. He especially missed his parents, Barnabas and Josette Collins. He lived in the Collinwood mansion with his cousins Morgan and Melanie as well as his uncle Justin Collins while his parents lived in the Old House. Bramwell knew why his parents remained secluded. His father was a vampire, and his mother was almost 70 years old yet did not look a day over 25. For those reasons, his parents did not go out into society. Bramwell had always known that someday he might begin to have vampiric tendencies; already he wondered about himself. He was well over 40 himself in age, but looked to be much younger. His youthful appearance could not be explained, but knowing his father to be a vampire, Bramwell was fairly certain he too might be immortal. Other unexplanable things had been happening lately to Bramwell. He had the urge to be awake all night... and he would sleep all day. The sunlight bothered him tremendously, and he had a longing for rare meat. Could it be that he too were about to become as his father was? Could he too be turning into a vampire?

Bramwell tried not to think of such things as his carriage pulled up in front of Collinwood and the driver let him out. As he walked up to the door, he was thinking of her, of Catherine. They had met in an inn during his travels and had shared a night of passion. She too had been travelling to an unknown destination, yet had been very hush-hush about her intended whereabouts. What they had shared between the sheets had been unlike anything he had ever experienced with a woman before. He had fallen in love with her... and he had to find her. Her name was Catherine Harridge, and if he had to search to the ends of the earth for her... he would. Bramwell vowed nothing would ever keep them apart. Catherine was the woman for him, and there would be no other.

Bramwell walked up to the door of the mansion and strode inside. Upon entrance, he was greeted by a beautiful young woman he had never seen before. She had long honey-colored hair and rich hazel eyes. "Hello, Bramwell," she said, giving him a hug. "I have been waiting for you for many days," she spoke, breaking away from the fierce embrace she had given him. "I have travelled a great distance to make your acquaintance. You see, Bramwell, I am your sister. My name is Samantha Brouchard, and I am the daughter of your father Barnabas... and Angelique. I wanted to meet my brother... so here I am."

"Sister?" Bramwell gasped, in a total state of shock. He had a sister? And she was in fact the daughter of his mother's greatest enemy, Angelique? This had to be some sort of strange joke... but as Bramwell stared at Samantha, he saw it wasn't a joke. Samantha was absolutely serious. "How- how did you get here?" he questioned. "And where is she...? Where is Angelique?"

Bramwell was suddenly horrified, afraid the witch Angelique might harm his mother... or put another curse upon his father.
Angelique had left his parents in peace for the past half-century,
and Bramwell wanted it to stay that way.

"Please don't worry so, Bramwell," Samantha assured. "My mother isn't here. She's living somewhere in the future... she does not play a threat to you, our father, or your mother. This I assure you..."

"And as for how I got here, I travelled through time. I do that quite often. You see, Bramwell, I am a witch..."

"Witch?" he gasped out, horrified. His sister was a witch,
just as her mother was... and now no one in Collinwood would be safe. He grew up hearing the terrible tales of Angelique, and he did not want this other witch, her daughter to harm any of his relatives.

"Fear not, Bramwell," spoke Samantha, seeing his look of utter horror. "I am your sister and I am good, just like you and our father. I am not like her, my mother Angelique. Yes, I am a witch... but I am a good witch. I only practice my magik to do good... I swear it to you."

Bramwell began looking down the hall, feeling worried. He was wondering why the house was so quiet. Where was Melanie, Uncle Justin, and Morgan? Was anyone safe from this beautiful woman who claimed to be his sister and also a witch?

"I don't know if I can trust you yet, Samantha. Where is Melanie? Uncle Justin? And Morgan?"

"Uncle Justin has gone away on a business trip," Samantha explained. "I told them I am a dear friend of yours, so they have been letting me stay in one of the guest rooms."

"I promise I shall leave at once, if you insist it, Bramwell. I only wanted to know my own brother... and perhaps my father," said Samantha, feeling very sad as it seems her brother was frightened of her since she was a witch and the daughter of Angelique. Samantha had grown up all alone as her mother had always been absent. She really needed a family.

"As for Melanie, she hasn't been feeling well. She went to see a doctor, one Dr. Cyrus Longworth," answered Samantha. "And Morgan,
he's in the parlor, romancing his new bride-to-be. They are getting married in less than a week."

"What?" Bramwell gasped, as it was one shock after another.
First Melanie was sick and seeing a doctor. Bramwell loved her as if she were his own sister (which really she was and he was not aware). Then he was hearing that Morgan was engaged to be married. "Since when did Morgan get himself engaged?" Bramwell demanded.

Samantha laughed softly, hearing how outraged her brother was that he hadn't been informed of his cousin's romance. "Well, ask him for yourself..." she replied, looking up and seeing Morgan walk into the entryway, his wife-to-be upon his arm.

Bramwell got the shock of his life. Here he stood, face to face, with her... the woman he had been unable to forget.
Catherine! How could that be? She was here... at Collinwood? About to marry his cousin? It could not be... he had to stop them!

Bramwell got control of himself after a moment of great shock. "Morgan," he said in greeting to his cousin, his voice cool as his eyes were all over Catherine, who hung on Morgan's arm looking as beautiful as ever. "Please introduce me to... to your...
betrothed."

What Bramwell didn't know was that his cousin Morgan was now possessed by an evil spirit... and he had plans to bring harm to someone, someone of his own flesh and blood to fulfill the curse of Brutus Collins... and his discovery of Catherine and Bramwell's past affair was about to send him right over the edge...