~~Tainted~~

Angelique had performed her chant numerous times, but it had not worked. Despite all her efforts, nothing occurred. "I must be doing something wrong," she spoke to Quentin who yet resided at Collinwood. The New House was nearly complete, and Marty and Todd had returned from their honeymoon at the Rose Cottage three weeks ago.

Quentin watched as Angelique stirred her witch's brew over a cast iron pot. The stench of it made him crinkle his nose. "You're trying to perform that spell again?" he questioned.

"Yes! I must make Todd and Barnabas suffer!"

"Angelique, you are going all about it wrong. You are using your own blood in the concoction. You must use the blood of an innocent. Your blood is tainted by evil and perversion."

"Who's blood shall I use then? Marty's? Sarah's?" Angelique asked. "I don't know anyone else here at Collinwood with an innocent bone left in their body!"

"You're right. We both know those old hags Kiki and Abigail are far from innocent. I have caught them in a lustful act on more than one occasion."

"Then I must get the blood of Marty or Sarah... yet now that Marty's married to Todd, she probably FAR from innocent. Every time I enter a room, I find them kissing and caressing. It makes me SICK! Todd should be fondling me!"

Quentin chuckled when he heard Angelique's plight. "Don't you get enough lovin' from me, you naughty little witch?"

"Quentin, you've become a beast. Ever since the full moon, when you became a hungry wolf and you attempted to devour me, I fear for my life when I am sleep in your bed. What kind of witch made you into this man-beast? It was not me, so I fear we have another witch residing here at Collinwood."

Quentin shook his head as Angelique mentioned his unfortunate plight. During the last full moon, he had become the wolf. He nearly attacked Angelique when she crossed his path in the forest while out in search for herbs. He didn't understand how he had been changed into such a fearsome beast. He'd always had an dark streak, but when he was the beast, he had no control of his deadly urges. He feared what he would do during the next full moon and hoped he would not cause too much destruction. Angelique had been lucky. She had kept him from hurting her with her powerful magic. Next time, his victim may not escape. Next time, he feared he would rip them apart with his razor-sharp claws.

"It wasn't a witch. It was the curse of a gypsy," Quentin stated. He hung his head, because deep inside, he knew why he was suffering from this affliction. He had discarded Jenny and he had left her. His wife had perished because of his indifference. When Quentin left, Jenny had went mad. Her family and friends tried to save her, but she starved herself along with the baby. Now Jenny and his child lay dead and buried, and Magda, Jenny's mother said that Quentin was to blame. She swore he would suffer for what he had done to their daughter. He knew he deserved it for hurting Jenny, but he hadn't known there had been a child. Jenny had been pregnant when Quentin left, but he had not known. Had he known, perhaps he would have stayed with her. Now he had to carry the heavy burden of knowing his wife and child had died because of his selfishness. For the rest of eternity, he'd bear the mark of his sins. He knew it was Magda, not a witch who had cursed him. Magda had her revenge and now he would live with the consequences. Knowing the nature of the curse, he vowed he'd never have any children. His sons would be marked to carry his curse, and he could let anyone else suffer.

"It ends with me," Quentin said to Angelique. "I will never marry and I will not sire a child. Any child of mine would be tainted by the mark of the beast. I cannot let an innocent child suffer." He'd already hurt one innocent child, his firstborn. He would not hurt another.

"How do you know you haven't already gotten a woman pregnant?" Angelique asked as she stirred her concoction over the fire.

"I guess I cannot know with complete certainty, but from this day forward, I vow to be more cautious."

"It's good that you would be. I don't want to give birth to your hairy children."

"Ohhh so it's Barnabas and Todd's children that you wish to be having?"

"Better me than Victoria or Marty!" Angelique gasped. "That's the last thing we need... a baby born of either of those unions."

"You better hurry then and work your spell. Victoria is going to trial soon... and Marty and Todd can't keep away from each other."

Angelique suddenly let out a wicked laugh. "Very soon he won't be able to keep his fangs away from her. Poor little Marty. Let's hope that he drains her dry."

~V~V~

The past several mornings, Marty had dashed to the chamber pot to vomit.. She was tired and irritable, and when Todd wanted to make love, she responded that she didn't feel well. "What's troubling you, Marty?" Todd asked as he gently caressed her cheek.

"I don't know," she said as she gave him a frown. "I just feel so sick. And all I want to do is lie in bed. I could sleep all day. I don't feel like doing anything."

"I need to get up though. Aunt Kiki will be angry with me. She says a proper lady never sleeps past sunrise. I need to sew or work in the garden. Maybe I should practice playing the piano... or spend time with Sarah. I don't know, but I truly don't feel like doing anything," she told Todd.

"You've been sick the past few mornings?"

"Yes," she said. "I can't even keep breakfast down. The thought of food makes me feel nauseous."

Todd thought for a moment and realized that Marty hadn't had her woman's flow since they had returned from the Rose Cottage. A sudden grin came to his face as he hugged Marty tight and let out of a whoop of joy. "I can't believe it, Marty. It would seem we are going to be parents!"

"What are you talking about, Todd?" Marty asked him. "Parents? I am SICK! I feel horrible! And I don't know why you-."

Todd got up and quickly dressed as Marty watched him in confusion. "I am going for the midwife. Don't go anywhere. Stay in bed... and I will bring her here to confirm it."

"Confirm what?"

"That you are carrying my child," he said as he walked over to the bed and took her face in her hands. "Marty, are you so innocent that you don't even know the workings of your own body? You're pregnant! We're having a baby!"

"No, no... I can't be," Marty protested.

"You can... and I think you are," Todd replied. "Just stay in bed... and I will be right back."

Todd rushed into Collinsport and returned with the midwife who examined Marty and determined that she was indeed carrying Todd's child. "Congratulations," she told the young couple. "You're expecting a little one who should be arriving in about eight months."

"Ohhh Todd... I just can't believe it," Marty said as she lay her hand on her flat stomach. "We need to tell Aunt Kiki and Abigail. They are going to be so excited."

"I am excited, Marty. This is what we wished for at the Rose Cottage - our own little baby to love."

Marty smiled as the news began to sink in. She and Todd were having a baby. The thought of it filled her with so much joy that happy tears quietly slid down her cheeks. Tenderly, Todd kissed them all away.

"Tonight at dinner, I will make an announcement. Baby Manning will soon grace this house. We need to prepare a nursery and start thinking of baby names."

"I'm so happy, Todd. All of our dreams are coming true, each and every one of them. I just know that nothing can spoil it for us."

Todd raised her hand to his lips and gently kissed her fingers. "I love you, Marty," he said as he looked into her eyes.

"I love you, too," she responded.

~V~V~

Victoria still sat in her lonely cell as she awaited her sentence. She would go to trial soon and she hoped the jury would have mercy on her. She wasn't a witch, but someone at Collinwood did have powers, and Victoria feared for everyone she had come to love. Marty and Todd seemed blissfully unaware of the danger in the house. Victoria feared her friends had been blinded with new love. The evil forces at work were intent on causing destruction. Victoria knew that no one was safe. Soon Sarah and Marty would die and she might be hung for witchcraft.

*Barnabas, where are you? Why don't you come to me?* Victoria lamented silently as she stared at the cold stone walls that made up her prison. Days had passed and she had not seen him, and John McBain hadn't returned to her jail cell. If someone didn't help her gain her freedom soon, she'd surely die, then she would never return to the future. She had to get out so she could save Marty and Sarah and conquer the evil forces that threatened them.

Longing tore through Victoria when she thought of Barnabas. She had fallen in love with him, and she did not want to leave this time and place. He needed her, and she could not leave him, could she? Victoria knew that if given a choice she'd stay with Barnabas. He just had to come to her, so she could tell him that she loved him.

"Barnabas, where are you?" she called out into her empty cell.

~V~V~

Barnabas and Todd were leaving on a business trip. They'd be in Boston for several days and although he hadn't even left yet, Marty was missing Todd. It was late afternoon, and they were preparing to leave on the evening carriage.

"I don't like you leaving at dusk. What if there's an accident?" Marty asked as she watched Todd hand his valises to the carriage driver.

"I will be fine, Marty. I won't be gone long and when I do come home, we'll go away for awhile, just you and me, and we'll make up for lost time. I promise."

Marty kissed him and held him tight for a moment as sudden tears blinded her vision. "I'm so scared, Todd. It's as if I will never see you again... as if this is the last time we will-."

"Don't say that, love," he said as he hugged her close. "You're just feeling emotional because of the baby. Everything's fine. I'll be back before you know it."

"I love you," she said as she clung to him. The carriage was here to take him to Boston, but she didn't want to let him go. She wanted to beg him to stay and to never leave her.

"We must go now," Barnabas said as he approached them. He smiled at Marty as Todd drew away from her embrace.

"While I am in Boston, I'd like you to visit Victoria for me. She's very lonely, and she could use your company," Barnabas urged.

"I will go see her," Marty promised.

"Tell her when I get back, I will come to see her. And that I am seeking the help of an attorney in Boston who can help her with her case."

"I will tell her, Barnabas," Marty said as she gave him a hug. "Take care of Todd for me. I am going to miss him."

"Don't worry about me, Marty. Take care of yourself and the baby," Todd said as he gave her one last kiss.

He then left with his cousin and boarded the carriage. Moments later, they had left for Boston. As they rode away into the sunset, Marty trembled. She told Ben to take her home as she let out a long, painful sigh.

~V~V~

"I finally got it right. It's going to work this time. I know it," Angelique said to Quentin.

Before she could begin the chant, Quentin asked, "Where did you get the blood?"

"From little Sarah of course. I saw that she had an accident. Now that Marty's pregnant, I could not take HER blood. She's hardly innocent if she's carrying Todd's child."

"Angelique, what do you intend to do?" Quentin asked.

"When Todd comes back to Marty, he'll be a changed man," Angelique stated with an evil smile. "And as for Barnabas, he'll suffer just as greatly."

"Let's see you work your magic then," Quentin said as he leaned back in his chair.

Angelique poured the droplets of the child's blood into the cauldron. Moments later, an eerie glow came pouring through the window. Knowing that her spell was nearly complete, Angelique began her chant.

Ohhhh king of the darkness.
Father of hell.
Let them suffer a dark fate.
Let your darkness absorb their light.

Allow them passage into the darkness.
Into the fires of hell.
Let them suffer.
And become one with the night.

Ohhh dark lord.
Let them be reborn as your children.
I give them unto you.
So they shall be born again.

~V~V~

A strange eerie light overtook the carriage as Todd and Barnabas made their journey to Boston. Todd was tired so he dozed next to his cousin, but Barnabas instantly realized something was amiss. The carriage had came to a halting stop and then there was a strange tapping noise and the painful cry of the driver.

"What's going on?" Todd asked as he sat upright in his seat to look at his cousin.

"I don't know... but I fear the driver's in trouble. The carriage stopped... so we should go out and check on him."

"It's pitch black outside. I do not think we can see."

Suddenly all the hairs stood up on the back of Todd's neck. It was as if someone... or some THING were trying to scratch their way through the door of the carriage. "Help me!" came the pitiful cry of their driver.

"Something's happened... and we must go for help!" Barnabas insisted.

"Don't open that door!" Todd cried out. But it was too late. Barnabas pushed the door open and they were assaulted by over a dozen bats. Todd fell back in his seat as their fangs tore into his flesh.

"What the hell?!" Barnabas gasped as the bats attacked his cousin.

Blood ran down Todd's neck to soak his white silk shirt. Barnabas tried to smack the bats away with his hat, but it only made them more vicious. As their screeches split the night, the vampire bats tore into Barnabas's neck.

After they had completed their task, there was streaks of blood all over the carriage. Barnabas was as white as death and Todd was not breathing.

~V~V~

Marty sat straight up in her bed at Collinwood because she had a nightmare. "Todd..." she whimpered. She clutched her blankets tightly as painful sobs wracked her body. Something had happened to Todd. She just knew it. He wasn't coming home...