Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Shadows, Dan Curtis does. But I own O.C.'s.
Summary: This is the story of a Prodigal Son returning to his home in Collinsport, ME.
Chapter 1
He finally arrived at the Amtrak station in Bangor, ME, after a 9 hour train ride from New York's Penn. Station. He had the cab take him to the airport to where he can rent a car. He had driven for a couple of hours before he had reached his destination.
Home! Collinwood, he had thought he would had never have seen this place ever again. Instead of just walking in through the door like he use to when he came home from college, he knocked on the door and waited for someone to open it for him. The door finally opened after a minute to reveal a grayed haired house keeper to him.
"Mrs. Johnson. What a wonderful surprise to see you again." He said.
"Mr. Collins. It's so good to have you back here again." She told him. She let him come into the house and hang up his coat. "Your father isn't here right now. He's in town right now getting a present for your mother. Tonight's their anniversary. There's going to be a few people here tonight for this." She informed him.
"That's alright. I had wanted to see my mother first anyway. Is she around here? I would like to surprise her that I'm here."
"Oh, she's gone out to the gazebo to enjoy herself before tonight's party. I'll take your bags up to your room, and put your clothes away for you." As she was leaving him to look for his mother.
"Thank you Mrs. Johnson. I appreciate it very much."
He had gone out the French doors that led to the garden, and to where the gazebo was. He walked until he had seen his mother sitting down on the worn out bench that had been there since before he was born. He had sneaked up behind her, and put his hands over her eyes.
"Quentin, is that you doing this again?" his mother said.
"Nope. Guess again." He said as he was removing his hands from her eyes, so that his mother could see him.
"Brian! I thought I would never see you again." She told him as she looked at him and smiled.
"I know mom. I just wished that I didn't have to leave the way that I did." Brian smiled as he looked at his mother and smiled.
"Brian, you know that you are always welcomed home here to us." She had told him.
"I just hope that dad feels the same way that you do, mom. I just don't want this fighting between the two of us to keep going." Brian told her. He gave his mother a big hug, and the two of them went back into the house.
As the two of them sat down in the living room, Mrs. Johnson asked them if they would like anything to eat, or drink. They both told her no thank you. "Mom. Do me a big favor."
"What is it?" She asked him.
"Just don't tell dad that I'm home yet. I want it to be a surprise for him, just like I did for you. Please?"
"Alright. I'll make sure that he doesn't find out. I'll also make sure that Mrs. Johnson won't say anything either." She told him.
Brian said to his mother "Thanks mom, you're the greatest."
"Anything for one of my two favorite men here in the house." She told him.
He then went up to his to his room to relax for the upcoming confrontation that was sure to happen tonight.
David Collins had come home from work from the cannery. He had taken over of running the cannery after his father; Roger Collins had passed away not too long ago. He saw Brian going through the door at the top of the stairs. He had asked Maggie if that was Brian. She told him yes, but not to say anything to the rest of the family. She also told him that Mrs. Johnson was the only other one that knew he was home. He told her that he would keep quiet about this.
Brian had lay down on his bed to get some sleep after the train ride, and driving the rental car home.
He was dreaming of what had happened 2 days ago. He had woken up in Central Park just after sunrise to find his clothes covered in blood, and the body of the dead girl lying right by him. He still had no memory of what had happened to him from his blackout from the day before. He knew that this has been happening to him for the last 2 years, and still no memory of how it happens.
He managed to get back to his apartment before anybody really had a chance to look at him, or the police questioning him. He called Amtrak to find out information on the next train to Bangor. The Amtrak clerk informed him that the train leaves at 3:15am from N.Y.'s Penn Station with a transfer in Boston at 9:05am, arriving in Portland at 11:30am, and then transferring again for another train at 12:01pm, arriving in Bangor at 2:15pm.
He asked to clerk to reserve him a seat on the next available seat. She told him that the next seat will be opened for reservation will be in 2 days. He said yes and booked the seat. He woke up in a cold sweat over the dream he just had. Brian went to the bathroom to wash his face off, and to freshen up a bit before going downstairs to meet the rest of his family.
As he came out of the bathroom, there was a knock at the door. He went to the door, and asked who it was. It was David, and he opened the door to the person he had considered a big brother. They both shook hands, and then hugged each other after not seeing each other for the last 3 years.
"So. What brings you home after a 3 year exile from Collinwood?" David asked him.
"I figured that maybe the time is right to come home and patch things up with my father. And try to get him to understand that I want to be a writer, and not follow in his footsteps at working at the cannery, sitting at a desk telling people what to do, but for writing. I know I have talent in getting people to do what needs to be done, but that's not what I what to do. I just wished that he would understand this." Brian told David.
David changed the subject "Look, your father will be home shortly. Why don't you come down and talk to him then?"
"I'd rather wait till the party starts for them before I come down. I don't want to spoil the party before it starts for them. I'll be down when the time is right. My mother will call up to me when my father gives her the present he got her. After all, this is her night as well as my father's." Brian said.
"Alright, I'll see you later." With that, David left Brian's room and headed downstairs. Brian then prepared himself for what may come between him and his father.