Ardestia walked up the stairs, closing the basement door once she was in the hallway. Ardestia sighed when she realized she had no idea where David's office was. Ardestia decided to walk in a random direction, figuring that she would find David's office eventually. Ardestia looked up at the hallway walls, which were covered from top to bottom in framed photos and portraits. Ardestia's eyes wondered until focusing in on one very large portrait of a young brunette dressed in a blue dress. Ardestia couldn't help but admire the beautiful details on the portrait. Ardestia looked at the young woman's face, her green complemented her small and pale face. The green eyes seemed to follow Ardestia's own as they wondered down to the blue dress she wore. All together the dress in this portrait seemed very familiar, as did the woman who wore it. Ardestia cocked her head to the side in thought. Ardestia looked around to make sure no one else was in the hallway and then she took a small step back. She looked up at the portrait and gasped. The woman in the portrait was not only wearing the dress that Ardestia had found in her bedroom, but the woman wearing the dress looked like her mother. ''What the-'' Ardestia raised an eyebrow.

''I see you found the portraits.'' a voice said in a soft tone. Ardestia jumped, letting out a sigh of relief when she realized it was Barnabas'.

''You scared me.'' Ardestia breathed, and then looked back up at the portrait. Barnabas gazed at Ardestia for a moment and then looked up at the same portrait.

''She's beautiful isn't she?'' Barnabas smiled. Ardestia turned her head to Barnabas and smiled, nodding her head.

''Gorgeous.'' Ardestia smiled. ''Who is that?'' Ardestia asked. Barnabas sighed, looking down at the floor. Ardestia could tell that this particular portrait was very much cherished by Barnabas, which must of been why it's frame is was much larger than any of the others hung the wall. Ardestia looked back up at the portrait again.

Barnabas cleared his throat, causing Ardestia to turn her attention to him again. She raised her eyebrows in question as Barnabas became a bit hesitant. ''That my dear is Angelique Bouchard.'' Barnabas managed to smile. Ardestia smiled back at Barnabas. ''And that dress she is wearing was I gift that I gave her for her birthday.''

''So this is like..an ex-girlfriend? Wow for an ex-girlfriend her portrait is the largest portrait in this hallway.'' Ardestia said, looking around the hallway. Barnabas blushed of embarrassment.

''I guess you could say that she was my ex-girlfriend yes. And I assure you the size of that portrait was minuscule, it wasn't until after Angelique's death that I have her portrait enlarged.''

''You must of really loved her then.'' Ardestia sighed.

''My love for her was brief, she died long after we parted ways.'' Barnabas explained.

''So how did you find out about her death?'' Ardestia asked, cocking her head at Barnabas.

''Her and I briefly crossed paths after our break-up.'' Barnabas explained, walking over to Ardestia's side.

''I'm guessing the reason it was brief was her death.'' Ardestia

''Indeed it was.'' Barnabas choked. ''She died it in a fire.''

'That's awful. Was the fire an accident.''

''Not really.'' Barnabas murmured. ''It was in a way my own actions leading up to the night of the tragedy which caused her brutal death.''

''I highly doubt that. What would make you say such a thing?'' Ardestia asked.

'' She wanted to be with me, and in a way I shared the want to be with her, but I was too involved in making my father happy and so on, and then I fell in love with someone else. '' Barnabas explained as a smirk formed upon his lips.

''So basically you didn't really know what you want, and in the process you broke her heart and blame yourself for her death?'' Ardestia asked, looking back up at the portrait. Barnabas raised an eyebrow at Ardestia but nodded his head.

''Precisely.''

''Well I'm sorry for your loss.'' Ardestia said.

''Thank-you.'' Barnabas smiled, looking up at the portrait again. He let out a sigh.

''The dress is beautiful by the way. You seem to have very good taste when it comes to gifts.'' Ardestia smiled, nudging her elbow into Barnabas who grinned.

''Why thank-you.'' Barnabas smiled. Ardestia looked up at the portrait again and sighed. ''Your mother and I were talking about you earlier today.''

Ardestia looked over at Barnabas, raising an eyebrow. ''She did? Well that's not like her.''

''It's not like your mother to talk about you?''

''No, I meant, it's not like my mother to talk at all.'' Ardestia sighed. ''Which reminds me, Roger said she needed me in David's office, could you show me where it is please?'' Ardestia asked.

Barnabas smiled. ''Oh course my dear.'' Barnabas exclaimed. He walked past Ardestia, who turned around and followed Barnabas down the hallway. Barnabas stopped in front of David's office door, knocking on the door before slowly opening it. Ardestia gasped at the sight of a blonde woman standing in front of the sink. Barnabas looked up from the floor, immediately covering his mouth with his hand.

''Mom?'' Ardestia raised an eyebrow. Cassandra slowly looked down, turning around with her face looking down at the floor. Barnabas moved passed Ardestia and stormed over to Cassandra.

''Cassandra?'' Barnabas whispered. Cassandra kept her face on the floor, ignoring Barnabas' presence. Barnabas gently placed his index finger under Cassandra's chin, lifting her head up to look at him. Cassandra tried to push Barnabas away, but he managed to hold her hand down on the counter as he lifted her head up. She kept her eyes closed as Barnabas brought his lips to Cassandra's ear. ''Open your eyes.'' Barnabas demanded. Cassandra slowly opened her blue eyes. Barnabas immediately let go of her completely, holding his hands up in the air before clapping them over his mouth. ''Angelique.'' Barnabas breathed.

''Hello Barnabas.'' Angelique choked.

Ardestia stood in the doorway with her mouth open. ''Mom...?'' Angelique took a small step forward.

''Everything is okay dear, I promise.'' Angelique tried to assure her daughter, walking over to the doorway, Angelique reached out to hug Ardestia, but she swiftly backed away, shaking her head with disapproval. Ardestia looked at Barnabas for a moment before running down the hallway. Angelique was about to run after her when she felt Barnabas' hand grip her shoulder.

''Your not going anywhere until you tell me what the bloody hell is going on.'' Barnabas demanded. Angelique turned around to face Barnabas, looking down at Barnabas' hand which was still on her shoulder.

''Get your bloody paw off me.'' Angelique spat, looking back up at Barnabas.

Barnabas rolled his eyes as he let go of Angelique and walked around her to close the door and lock it. Both Angelique and Barnabas turned to face one another at the exact same time. They stared at each other when suddenly Angelique smirked.

''You look as if you've seen a ghost.'' Angelique whispered. Barnabas looked down at Angelique's feet, traveling his eyes all the way back up to her eyes.

''You have me locked away from my daughter right now, she is probably under the impression that I'm some evil creature or something. I spent fifteen years showering her with love, and I'm not about to let you be the reason it goes to hell.'' Angelique spat, walking over to the door.

''You don't know what love is.'' Barnabas scoffed.

Angelique raised her right hand to strike at Barnabas when he swiftly grabbed her wrist, twisting her whole body around and holding her arm against her back.

''And yet I had the stupid mind to love you.'' Angelique hissed.

''You never loved me.'' Barnabas whispered into Angelique's ear.

''Nor did you.'' Angelique countered.

''I did love you.'' Barnabas hissed.

''Oh that's a lie. You used me for the only thing you thought I was good for. My body.'' Angelique breathed.

''You wanted to control me.'' Barnabas whispered.

''You treated me like a toy, you played with my heart and then threw me away for a new one when I got worn out. Why do you think I tried getting you back through eternal youth?'' Angelique asked.

''That's why you became a witch? To win me back?'' Barnabas asked.

''It worked, or at least I thought it did. But then I found out you were still only using me.'' Angelique countered.

''It looks like we both used each other for our personal gain.'' Barnabas sighed, letting go of Angelique.

''It's really you isn't it?'' Barnabas breathed. Angelique nodded her head and looked down at the floor, hiding her face with her long hair, she began to silently cry into her hair.

''Are you crying?'' Barnabas asked, looking down at Angelique. ''But you never cry. Oh good god perhaps you are a ghost.'' Barnabas gaped. Angelique looked up at Barnabas.

''I'm not crying and I'm not a ghost. I'm just overwhelmed.'' Angelique countered, wiping a tear away.

''I don't understand how this is possible. Your supposed to be dead!'' Barnabas countered. ''You broke to pieces.'' Barnabas said, looking down at his coat pocket.

''I did. But oddly enough, my pregnancy with Ardestia saved me.'' Angelique sighed, propping her legs up on the bed, using her arms as support so she could lean back. ''Ask as many questions as you want. And I must say, your taking this rather well. It's like you've completely forgotten about all the hell I've put you through, or have you finally found room to forgive me in that cold heart of yours?'' Angelique scoffed. Barnabas looked down at his knees in thought, and then looked back up at Angelique angrily. Angelique's eyes widened in terror as Barnabas suddenly lashed out on Angelique. Angelique quickly rolled off of the bed, stumbling onto her knees, Angelique quickly got back up on her feet and ran to the door. Barnabas quickly sped over to Angelique, who quickly attempted to run past him, but Barnabas gripped his hands onto Angelique's shoulders, pulling them behind her back.

''Madam, I do not forgive nor do I forget.'' Barnabas hissed in Angelique's ear.

''That's funny isn't that when you told Julia right before you killed her?'' Angelique choked.

''Yes it is.''

''So what's preventing you from killing me right now, the distress I've brought you and your family is much worse then what Julia had done.''

''I obviously can't kill you, your witchcraft seems to have become too wicked for even I to counter.''

''Well that's very flattering, but I'm not a witch anymore, Barnabas.'' Angelique smirked.

Barnabas' suddenly released Angelique from his grasp, taking a step back. ''How are your no longer a witch? You obviously still poses the ability to change your identity.'' Barnabas raised an eyebrow, looking down at Angelique's feet, letting his eyes slowly travel up to Angelique's face.

''I gave all my powers to Ardestia. It was the only way she would of been able to survive.'' Angelique explained. ''And it's called contacts and hair dye.'' Angelique grinned.

''So you are no more than a mortal?'' Barnabas asked.

''Correct, I'll even prove it.'' Angelique said. Angelique looked around the office for a sharp operating tool. She then held out her left palm, gently cutting open her flesh. Blood came pouring out of her hand. Barnabas looked away in fear of not only the sight of incision, but to fight off his cursed urges. He separated the two fingers that covered his left eye away from each other, quickly covering his eye again at the sight of blood. ''Oh your so easy to scare.'' Angelique mocked, rolling her eyes as she wiped away the blood on her jeans.

Barnabas put his hands back to his side and slowly walked over to Angelique, taking her cut hand in his hands. ''God damn it Angelique.'' Barnabas grunted as he walked over to the cabinets and pulled out a stack of towels and then placed them on the counter. He grabbed a towel off the top of the stack and walked over to Angelique. He gently grabbed Angelique's bloody hand and began to press the towel against her cut with his thumb. Angelique let out a wince of pain. ''Sorry.'' Barnabas apologized, looking up at Angelique for a moment and then walked back over to the counter and grabbed a fresh towel.

''It's fine, I'd much rather deal with the pain that is going to heal me instead of the pain of a brutal death.''

''I should kill you, you know. But Angelique...'' Barnabas let his voice trail off in question.

''Yes?'' Angelique asked.

''Is there any chance that Ardestia could be my daughter?'' Barnabas asked, raising an eyebrow. Angelique looked down at her knees for a moment and then looked back up at Barnabas. ''I mean I know you said ear

''What do you think?'' Angelique asked in a sarcastic yet innocent tone.

''Is that a yes?'' Barnabas replied, looking down at Angelique's hand.

''Ardestia is your daughter, Barnabas.'' Angelique said looking up at Barnabas. ''But she doesn't know anything about you or my past.'' Angelique sighed.

''Why did you never tell me?'' Barnabas asked.

''Because then I would of had to come out of hiding, which would of meant explaining to my daughter about my dreadful past.'' Angelique replied. The room was silent for a moment before Angelique raised an eyebrow. ''Was that question the thing keeping your fangs from sinking into my neck?''

Barnabas shrugged. ''Well yes and the fact that none of my children know about my past either.''

''So what is your explanation to being a vampire?'' Angelique asked. ''Or do they not know about your vampirism?''

''Victoria and I told them that we were born in the 1950's , and that we were attacked by a vampire during our youth on the way home from a party.''

''So you told the classic 'date gone wrong' story?'' Angelique raised an eyebrow as a small grin appeared on her lips.

''No, we also told them that night was the night we met.'' Barnabas grinned, walking back over to the counter. He grabbed the entire stack of towels and carried them over to the operating table. Placing them next to Angelique.

''That's brilliant.'' Angelique smirked.

''I would thank-you, but it was Victoria's idea.'' Barnabas smiled. ''And why have you decided to come out of hiding now? Surely it wasn't truly due to Roger's misfortune.'' Barnabas scoffed, crossing his arms.

''Well actually Barnabas, that part is true. And trust me, I begged for days if not weeks for Roger to make other arrangements, but in the end coming here was our only option.'' Angelique explain.

''You were that afraid of telling your daughter about your past?'' I highly doubt she's never asked about how she is also cursed.''

''I wasn't as much of afraid, as I was ashamed. What kind of example would I be setting for my daughter if I told her my over compulsive past?'' Angelique asked. ''It's bad enough that she has OCD now as well. And she doesn't think she's cursed, I raised her to believe that she was just born with a gift. Which saved me from making up some silly little story.''

''Are you saying she is possessed or something of that sort?'' Barnabas asked.

''Yes but also no. She has this need- no - she has this obsession with perfection. And somehow even through that, she looks at me as if I'm best mother in the world. I can't risk telling her my past, because she'll have a damn meltdown, which will result in her hating me.'' Angelique buried her face in her hands. ''Your going to tell Roger aren't you?'' Angelique groaned.

Barnabas sighed, taking next to Angelique on the edge of the operating bed. ''No but, she is your daughter Angelique, you gave up the thing you cherished more than anything just to save her life, if that doesn't make Ardestia look past our mistakes, then she is definitely no daughter of mine.'' Barnabas sighed.

''Our mistakes?'' Angelique raised an eyebrow. Barnabas reached over and grabbed the last unused towel and lightly took Angelique's hand, pressing the towel against the palm of her her hand.

''That's what I just said isn't it.''