AUTHOR'S NOTE: This fanfic is hugely inspired by Dark Shadows, a gothic television soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971 and was produced by Dan Curtis. Just so you know, I don't own ABC or Dark Shadows and I won't be receiving any payment whatsoever for this story.

This is the story of Barnabas and his beloved Josette with Quentin and Angelique thrown into the mix. I hope you do not mind some 'other' pairings in this and the next chapters. Be patient. All things will become as it should be in time...

~V~V~

Quentin's bright eyes glimmered with pain when he heard Angelique's question. "What do I know of love?" he repeated.

"Why, Angelique, I must be a wretched fool, because I fancied myself in love with you," he admitted. "We had so much happiness together, so much joy... but now it's tainted because you've betrayed me."

"Betrayed you?" Angelique scoffed. "Betrayed you, I did not! What we had was companionship, Quentin! That ... and spectacular, mind-blowing sex! We had nothing more! It's Barnabas I love! And Barnabas I shall always love!"

"You do not love him; you are obsessed with him. There is a difference. A difference that Josette knows. SHE's the one who loves him. Because you are a horrid witch, you can never love anyone. You are doomed to love no one forever," Quentin stated. "Good bye, Witch. I hope you burn in hell."

With those words, he turned and walked away as sorrow shadowed his sapphire eyes. He could not bear to look at Angelique another second.

Angelique did not trouble herself with Quentin's words. She lingered outside the bedroom door, wondering what was keeping Josette and Barnabas. As she lay her hand upon on the door knob, she hoped that she and Barnabas could save her dear, sweet Samantha ... before it was too late.

~V~V~

Once alone with Barnabas, Josette began to cry. She did not know how to tell him about Melanie and the fact that she had abandoned their child.

Looking at her in concern, Barnabas thought she was crying about what had happened with Angelique. He had came so close to sleeping with the witch after being trapped once again her spell. "I'm so sorry, my darling," he spoke as he drew her into his embrace. Holding her close against his chest, he caressed her hair to comfort her. "You were right all along. I should not have come here and trusted myself around Angelique. I should have known I was playing into her wicked trap."

As she felt his tender kisses upon the soft skin of her face, Josette was reassured of his love. Deep in her heart, she did not blame him for what had happened with Angelique. After all, she had been under a similar spell and she had nearly made love to Quentin.

"I do not blame you, Barnabas," she whispered. Softly she stroked his cheek as she stared into his hazel eyes. How could she tell him? How would she ever find the words?

"Why all the tears, my beloved?" Barnabas asked.

"I've done a terrible thing," she told him as she quietly sobbed.

"When I took my life... and I fell upon those rocks, I was carrying our child..." she admitted.

"What?" Barnabas gasped.

"I was carrying your child... and I could not bear the thought of having a vampire's baby. Angelique showed me in visions what our child would be like, a gruesome, evil beast with sharp, little fangs. I saw visions of a horrible creature that would attack me in the night and suckle at my breast," Josette lamented. "I couldn't bear the thought of it, so I took my own life."

"But I came back for you... I stopped you from committing suicide..." Barnabas said as it all began sinking in.

"What happened to the child, Josette?" he suddenly demanded.

"Barnabas, I was frightened. I lived in so much fear of what our child would be like. When you went to the future and left me in the care of your father, I gave birth to our child."

"She was perfect and beautiful... but despite all of that, my fears remained. I abandoned her," Josette admitted. "I abandoned our little girl."

"You did not!" Barnabas exclaimed as he stared at her in horror.

"Melanie!" he spoke in a gasp when suddenly it was all made clear to him. His cousin Justin had found a basket containing a healthy, beautiful baby girl on the steps of Collinwood at about that same time. Melanie Collins was their daughter!

"Yes, Barnabas. Melanie is ours. I am so sorry," Josette replied tearfully. "Forgive me, my darling, for I was wrong; for giving up our precious daughter and for thinking I could never love her. I do ... love her ... and I am so sorry."

"Josette, I don't know what to say..."

"Please say you will forgive me. My dearest Barnabas, I love you..."

"I don't have time to think of this now. I must help my other daughter. Samantha. She is in danger."

"Let me go with you, Barnabas. Together, we can return to the past. You and I can help your daughter Samantha."

In a state of shock from all that he'd seen and heard, Barnabas did not know what to do. Quietly, he agreed to let Josette help him locate his daughter.

*And we can also find Melanie in the process,* Josette thought to herself. *No one is safe at Collinwood. We must protect them all.*