Disclaimer: Dan Curtis owns Dark Shadows, not me.

Note: I did take the liberty that Ben knows about Vicky's claim to have come from the future. In the episodes I've seen so far, he doesn't have that knowledge. I also apologize in advance if the characters are a tad out of character.

The Way Things Are

A Dark Shadows Fanfic

Two hundred years apart, two men in similar situations are sitting at the local tavern in a town called Collinsport. Willie Loomis and Ben Stokes are men with a lot on their minds. At this moment they are taking a short time of their daily routines to ponder their circumstances over a drink or two.

'She always be callin' me at all hours. Ben, I need Miss Sarah's doll, Ben, I need a bit of Mr. Jeremiah's hair, or Miss Abigail's ribbon. 'S a wonder any of my work gets done at all! Witch never thinks of castin' a spell ta help me with all there is to do 'round Collinwood!'

'Barnabas used ta keep me real busy in the beginning, fixin' up the Old House, runnin' errands and guardin' the coffin durin' the day. Then when Maggie Evans was supposed ta be Josette an' all. I mean, I'm glad she's free now, but least when she was here, I had someone to talk to. Now, Dr. Hoffman comes and Barnabas just sends me away, no longer needing me I guess.'

'Ungrateful women… 'Shoulda never stopped ta talk with 'er, shoulda just kept on with my business.'

'Got only myself to blame really…. Why'd I have to break into that crypt?'

'And then when I try ta make the best a things, be sorta friendly and like, she don't want me askin' questions!'

'He never answers me when I ask 'em what he's doin'. Just tells me I'll find out soon enough.'

'Won't give a reason for the things she tells me to do. Just says, "You got no choice but ta obey."'

"It just ain't fair." They both said aloud at the same time. In that moment of shared words and feelings, the time barrier shattered unbeknownst to the two men.

"Huh, you weren't here a moment ago. Where'd ya come from?" Willie asked only slightly unnerved. He either hadn't noticed or didn't care about the sudden absence of music and that now it was only he and the stranger sitting at the counter with the barkeep nowhere in sight.

"Eh?" Ben turned to see a formally empty seat, now occupied with a strangely dressed boy. He too seemed unshaken at the sudden disappearances in the tavern.

"Name's Willie Loomis."

"Ben Stokes."

"Nice ta meetcha."

"Likewise." Ben nodded. "You're not from around here, are ya?"

"No, but I got a job workin' up a Collinwood."

"Kinda funny, 'cause I work up there an' never seen you around."

"I work for Barnabas Collins."

Ben couldn't help but be taken aback and was about to say something when it hit him. This boy with his strange accent and clothes, something about his whole manner reminded Ben of Victoria Winters. A woman who claimed to be from the future. Ben snorted. 'Witchcraft, no doubt.' He wasn't sure if the boy understood any more than he did, but if the lad worked for Barnabas, surely he'd know about the supernatural...

"I work mainly for the Collins family myself, but got stuck serving Angelique Bouchard." Ben took a few big gulps of his drink and looked Willie straight in the eye. "She's a witch ya know."

Willie raised an eyebrow. "A witch? She that bad?"

"I mean it. She's evil, that one. She's the one who did it."

"Did what?"

"Made Mr. Barnabas what he is…" Willie looked up from his drink, terrified. "One of the undead, a vampire."

Willie Loomis was shocked. His hand trembled so much that he was unable to bring his drink to his lips without spilling it. "Y-ya k-know 'bout Barnabas? How?" he managed to ask.

"The hows an' whys aren't important." Ben rubbed his eyes. "Guess I be owing ya an apology though."

"Why?" Willie prompted, eager to shift to something he could hopefully wrap his mind around.

"See, Mr. Barnabas asked me ta drive a stake through his heart, but Angelique stopped me from doin' it. Not that I'm sure I coulda gone through with it if she hadn't. Mr. Barnabas had always been real nice ta me."

"…Hard to believe Barnabas was ever nice." Willie muttered, subsequently empting his glass.

"Aye Willie, there was a time." Ben remarked almost fondly before he too consumed the last of his drink. "I best be off. Angelique don't like it if I ain't near the house."

"Yeah, sun's gonna set soon an' Barnabas is gonna want news before Dr. Hoffman comes." Willie agreed.

Ben slid off the stool and made for the door.

"Ben?"

The man halted for a moment, his back still to the boy sitting slumped at the counter. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Do ya think we'll ever…" Willie trailed off. "Never mind, it's nothing."

"Someone once told me there were two kinds of men: the ones that lead an' the ones that serve. Guess that's just the way things are." Ben then exited the tavern.

Just as strangely as they had disappeared, the inhabitants of the Blue Whale sprang back into existence and the jukebox picked right up where it had left off. Willie sighed. He'd seen so many unbelievable things since his arrival at Collinsport that the seemingly impossible encounter with the man called Ben Stokes didn't faze him as much as it probably should have.

"The ones that lead an' the ones that serve, huh?"

"You say something Willie?" the barkeep asked as he dried a glass.

"Nah, it's nothing." And with that, the young man left the tavern perhaps a bit wiser. He knew what kind of man he was, and for the moment, that was just the way things were.