DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters.
A/N: I want every chapter to feel like another episode in season two of DS 91. However, I also want it to be fun to read in more of a novel form. One of my problems with the 91 series was how fast it moved. I'm trying to slow down this story, especially in the beginning, and develop the relationships as relationships and not just as plot points.
My name is Victoria Winters. The night grows older at Collinwood as one woman attempts to confront an old evil. The greatest evil Collinwood has ever known threatens the lives of everyone in the great house. A distant silence has drawn one member of the family away from the house, and slowly another old secret begins marching toward the light…
THE OLD HOUSE
The warm light of the fire and the flickering candle light danced off of the small silver cross dangling from a chain wrapped around Victoria's hand. Barnabas turned his head from the blinding light of the cross. Anther familiar pain existed next to the burning caused by cross. When Victoria had moved into his arms he had allowed himself to hope. Now he knew she had simply been performing some sort of test.
"Please, Victoria," Barnabas pleaded quietly. "You don't need that."
A strange half-laugh came from her. "Really? Isn't this what would have saved Daphne? Millicent? All of those other girls whose name I don't know? How many have their been, Barnabas? Two hundred years, there must have been more than I can imagine-?"
"Victoria, you obviously don't know everything that occurred. If you'll put that away I'll try to explain."
"You think I don't understand? If I put it away I'll just be one more name on the list of your dead. Perhaps mourned a little more because I look like Josette."
"How can you think that? Victoria, I give you my word I would never let any harm befall you."
Her hand fluttered at the sound of his promise. Vicki hated that he still wielded some power over her, that she desperately wanted to believe him.
"Part of me wants to put a stake through your heart," Barnabas's face tightened noticeably. "The destruction, the grief you have caused." She took a deep breath. "But there is one…being even more destructive than you."
"Angelique," Barnabas spat out. "Victoria, she is back. She is here."
Vicki nodded. "I'm going to put the cross under my sweater, but I swear, Barnabas…"
"I will never hurt you."
Deliberately Vicki chose wounding words. "I'm sure Sarah never thought you would lead to her demise, either. Let's start at the beginning."
The clock ticked on as Barnabas told Vicki the pieces of information she didn't know. She felt the hot tears stream down her face as she thought of Josette on the cliffs and Sarah, huddling in the rain with Daniel, terrified of the person she had loved best in the world.
"God, it was all such a mess. I didn't know Sarah was sick until she had died. That's how Daniel was saved, Peter told me how they were treating the fever. I wanted to save her. I wanted to stop it all."
"Perhaps things would have turned out very differently if only I had listened to you that day on the stairs." Barnabas said while twisting his ring.
Vicki's head shot up. "You remember…how?"
Barnabas nodded. "Yes, I can remember those days with both you and Mistress Wicke. I'm not sure why. What I don't understand is why you were hung. Trask recanted his case against you."
"We don't know. Peter said the judge accepted Trask's confession, but then the next morning it the judge claimed that Peter had never visited him."
"Angelique," Barnabas spit out venomously. "Victoria, we held another séance while you were gone, after I read in Sarah's diary that you were arrested. Angelique came and possessed Dr. Hoffman." Barnabas paused, reluctant to tell her of Joe's demise at Julia's hand. "Angelique revealed herself to me, and Maggie Evans performed an exorcism. Somehow Angelique transported into Miss Evans. She attempted to kill Phyllis Wicke before you came back."
"She's in Maggie?" Victoria blanched, and sat heavily on the sofa. Maggie, who was having an affair with Roger, giving her easy access to any Collins she decided to rain her brand of destruction down upon. "We have to stop her."
"Other than killing Maggie Evans, I don't see that we have many options."
Victoria was silent. "So the exorcism worked, except that Angelique took possession of Maggie. But Maggie had probably never done anything like that before. Maybe a more seasoned practioner…"The vague outlines of a plan began to form in her mind.
"Since Trask died without descendents I don't know anyone else who could perform an exorcism. Victoria, you must be very careful. Angelique has already tried to kill you. We have to do everything we can to protect you."
"Barnabas, I think I do know someone who could handle the exorcism." Barnabas's eyebrows lifted. "He was my advisor at Phillips College, an anthropology professor who focused on the occult. He's written about participating in rites of exorcism from around the globe. Somehow we have to trap Maggie and get the professor here."
Knowing how dangerous Angelique was, Victoria knew this had to be planned with care. "Barnabas, may I stay here for a few days?" A look of shock crossed Barnabas's face. "We need to draw Angelique out. I think playing the happy couple will do it." Victoria went silent. "Also, if she does come after me, I don't want the other Collins to be hurt just because they happen to be near me. We also need Dr. Hoffman."
COLLINWOOD
As they walked into the great hall of Collinwood both were surprised to see Elizabeth still up. "Vicki, you should be in your room sleeping!" She admonished.
Vicki chose to smile in response. "Elizabeth, could I have a few days off?"
"I hardly expected that you would be ready to start classes with David immediately, but that doesn't explain what you are doing up at this time of night."
"I have invited Miss Winters to spend a few days at the Old House, Elizabeth, if it wouldn't upset your arrangements." Elizabeth's eyes revealed her understanding.
"Well, if you think you can rest better there, Vicki, of course."
"Thank you, I'll just be a few minutes to get some things," Vicki replied, her eyes modestly to the ground as her she touched the sleeve of Barnabas's coat, reminding herself that everyone had to be convinced she and Barnabas had began a love affair.
Once on the bedroom hall, Vicki walked past her room and knocked on another door. "It Vicki," she whispered urgently.
Julia was more than a little shocked to see Vicki knocking on her door . "What do you need?"
"Barnabas told me about Angelique, and you, and Maggie. I have a plan, but I need your help. Can you come to the old house? You'll have to be careful, Elizabeth is still up."
"You have a plan?" Julia repeated, disbelieving. "Fine. I'll go out the back way."
"Please bring your medical bag," Vicki asked before slipping down the hall into her own room.
Elizabeth sat down across from Barnabas. Anyone with any insight into the human condition would have noticed his intense interest in Vicki since the moment they met, and Vicki certainly had seemed to return the interest. She had kept up with how many dinners Vicki missed, how many times Barnabas or Willie Loomis had walked the girl home. She was even aware that Vicki had spent a night at the old house. Her natural retitence was battling with her concern for the girl. Vicki had just survived an unthinkable ordeal.
"I hope you won't think I am interfering, Barnabas, but please be careful with Vicki. Who can even estimate what sort of damage this experience could have caused her? I would hate if she had to deal with any more…emotional upheavals."
"Dear cousin, I give you my word my only wish is to protect Miss Winters." Yes, Elizabeth thought, cousin.
"How closely related do you think we are?" Elizabeth asked.
Barnabas looked at her strangely. "I believe we are fifth or sixth cousins," he answered smoothly, quickly calculating in his own head. The reality, he knew, was that Elizabeth was his great-great-great-great-niece.
Vicki came down the stairs carrying a large leather bag. "Here, let me take your bag," Barnabas said as he met at the bottom of the staircase.
Elizabeth impulsively put her arms around the girl. "Come see us soon."
THE OLD HOUSE
"You know, it just might work," Julia said carefully when Vicki finished explaining her plan. "Vicki, Barnabas and Willie know how to use a syringe. Do you?"
"Yes."
"Willie, do you understand what you must do?" Barnabas asked.
"Uh-huh. I have to let everyone know that Miss Vicki is living here with you and I have to keep the syringe with me all the time."
"I don't think Barnabas should ever be left alone during the day," Julia said slowly. "One of us should always be there, or god knows what Angelique might do. She seems to be attracted to his coffin."
Vicki's face paled noticeably at the word coffin. Never, she thought to herself, had she actually imagined Barnabas asleep, presumably helpless, in his coffin. She shivered. How many times, she wondered idly, had she been dressing for a date as he climbed from the coffin?
Barnabas didn't fail to notice the change in Vicki's blood pressure. Damn Julia. No doubt she used the word purposefully.
Willie had carried Vicki's bag into Josette's room. The natural response would be the hate Josette, Vicki thought, but instead she missed the girl who had become her friend. They were both caught up in this unbelievable web of horror.
Reaching into the bag Vicki pulled out the music box. "This is really yours, my friend," she said as she set it on the mantle. "The Countess told me it is why you went back to the house that night." Unbearable exhaustion beat down upon her. She hadn't slept the night before at all, and now it was almost morning of another day. "Tonight, Josette, I wear my own nightgown," Vicki said to the portrait as she opened the music box and began changing.
Barnabas heard the music from the library, where he was attempting to read. Without thinking he walked to her door. He could smell the scent of her. Quickly he descended the stairs and moved quickly towards Collinwood.
"Carolyn, Carolyn" he called. At Collinwood, Carolyn awoke in her bed and began her descent down the stairs. After he fed from her she lay limp against his chest. He pushed her face up with his hand. "Carolyn, I have a job for you. You are to let nothing happen to Victoria Winters."
"I will let nothing happen to Vicki," Carolyn repeated, kneading her face against his hand.
COLLINSPORT
Vicki stepped out of Willie's pickup truck.
"Miss Winters," someone called, surprising her. "I thought Elizabeth said you were taking a trip."
Sherriff Patterson was not who she expected to see, although the drawl was unmistakable. "I returned late last night."
"And that other girl? The sick one?"
"She recovered enough to return home," Vicki said, somewhat truthfully.
"So you are back at Collinwood? Why are you driving Loomis's truck instead of one of the Collins' cars?"
"Sherriff, I wasn't aware you kept such close watch on what we drive." Well, she might as well start the story with him. Honestly, she was a little put off. Back in time some people looked remarkably like people she knew here. Elizabeth bore a remarkable resemblance to Naomi. David looked like Daniel. Peter. Most simply reminded her of people from her time. Countess Dupree, of all people, reminded her of Julia Hoffman.
And Sherriff Patterson resembled Andre du Pre to a remarkable degree. "I'm actually staying at the Old House with Barnabas Collins for a few days. Willie was nice enough to loan me his truck so I could run some errands in town."
"You are staying with Barnabas Collins?" Patterson repeated. He'd watched them at the party; there was something there. Either this girl was going to prove his theory wrong about Collins (her neck was clear of marks) or was another tragedy in the making.
"We are seeing each other," Vicki said with her natural primness. "So I am spending the rest of my vacation with him."
"Be careful, Miss Winters. That is a strange old house."
Back in his patrol car Patterson wondered what it was about Victoria Winters that seemed so familiar.
He suspects Barnabas, she thought as she walked towards the payphone. I don't know what to do about that.
The phone rang several times. "Phillips College Anthropology Department."
"May I please speak with Professor Stokes?"