Chapter 21

Vicki moved to Josette's crib and lifted her daughter and held her close. The small baby looked at her mother with those all knowing eyes. "I know I did not pick you up last night, but you my sweet little piece of pumpkin pie, need to learn that there are baby times and mommy and daddy times."

She moved to the rocking chair and slipped her shirt up to allow her baby to nurse. Rocking with her baby, she was humming lightly the tune to Josette's music box. The baby relaxed closed her eyes and suckled from her mother's nourishment. From the corner a figure appeared and walked to Vicki's chair. Vicki smiled, "Hey sweet Sarah mine, look who is here, Auntie Sarah has come for a visit." Sarah studied mother and child then smiled.

Sarah leaned over to lightly touch Josette's tiny foot then locked her arms behind her back and swayed back and forth to only a tune she could hear. "Do you wish to see your niece Sarah?"

Vicki gently with much protest disengaged Josette from her breast so Sarah could see her niece. "She is very, very pretty Victoria."

Vicki smiled, "Just as you are still very, very pretty sweet Sarah mine."

Sarah moved to lay her head on Vicki's shoulder so she could watch Josette. Sarah rested her hand under her cheek with the top of her head against Vicki's neck. Sarah then relaxed her head sideways and allowed her chin to rest against Vicki's shoulder.

"She looks like Josette with her red hair and pretty dark eyes." Vicki studied her daughter. "I think she looks very much like your brother Barnabas."

Sarah nodded and the rubbing of her hair tickled Vicki's neck. "Maybe, but I think she will be beautiful and will have lots of boyfriends."

Vicki chuckled "Oh my your brother already said she could not date until she was thirty."

Sarah touched the crying baby and immediately Josette quieted and looked intently to Sarah. "She likes you. She would not grow that quiet for anyone else."

Sarah smiled, "I like her unless she cries for a long time then it kind of annoys me that she is being so demanding."

Vicki laughed, "Well she does not know any better for now, when she gets older, I bet she will be a lot more fun and will play with you."

Sarah's eyes shined with excitement. "You mean like David used to play with me?"

Vicki nodded, "Yes, I have a feeling sweet Sarah, that there will be a lot of children to come that will want to play with you until they grow up and go away to school."

Sarah thought about that for a moment and sighed, "I hope so, its always way more much fun when you have someone to play with. I miss Daniel, he grew old and then moved on and left me all alone."

Vicki felt her heart touched by such sweet loneliness. "Well for a while my dear you shall have children to play with you here at the old house and maybe some day you will have my cousins and my sister's children to share in play time."

Sarah moved to sit in the floor pulling her ball out she began to pitch it in the air and sing London Bridge. Barnabas moving up the stairs heard the sweet voice of his sister and quickened his steps to stop in the doorway and look upon the sweet family scene of his sister at play and his wife nursing his daughter. Vicki glanced at the door and smiled at her husband welcoming him home.

Seeing her brother in the doorway, Sarah stood and moved to him, "Hello Barnabas. How are you today?"

He stooped down to peer into his sister's sweet face and capture his gaze with hers. Pulling his sister's body into his arms he gave her a strong brotherly hug. "I am fine today. How are you?"

Sarah pushed back and looked at him, then twisted to peer over to Vicki with Josette and smiled. "I am an Aunt and I will have a niece that will play with me some day."

Barnabas was so touched by the sweetness of this child. He was briefly reminded of her death and how she took her last breathes in his arms and collapsed. He was devastated by her death that he wept into her lifeless small body before gently laying her on her bed.

He was determined that never will he suffer the loss of someone he held so dear and loved so much again. Sarah sensed the train of his thoughts and she placed her delicate fingers on his cheek, catching the soulful lost look in his eyes she smiled, "You don't have to worry about ever loosing anyone you love again dear brother. Your life is now complete, you have Victoria's love and you have a new daughter. You are safe from Angelique she still fights her way out of hell and right now I am informed she and that mean Mr. Tepes are lost."

This news should not have amused him but it did. He was happy that he did not have to worry our care about being threatened by Angelique or Tepes again.

Sarah cocked her head and listened to something that no one else could hear. "I have to go dear brother, David needs me. I think there is a new darkness taking up residence at Collinwood."

Vicki frowned; looking to her husband as the child disappeared she gently took Josette away from her breast and straightened her clothing. "Darling, would you be kind enough to burp and watch Josette for a while? I need to go to Collinwood to see what has caused Sarah so much distress." Barnabas looked at his wife with a pang of iciness edging his heart.

"What could be such a problem that Sarah would feel the need to go to Collinwood to try and protect David?" Handing her daughter over to her husband, Barnabas took her and laid her against his shoulder and began to pat her back lightly as Vicki straightened her sweater and rearranged herself. He did not quite approve her wearing jeans but she was comfortable in them so he allowed his propriety to accept them for the comfort of his wife.

Vicki moved into the dressing room and reemerged wearing a raincoat, drawing on her scarf. "I will tell you one word, and you will know the threat. Laura."

Barnabas stood and moved to place his daughter in her cradle. Upon being laid on her back Josette decided to amuse herself by kicking her legs and grabbing her toes and bring them to her mouth to suck on them and look up at her father with a cuteness he found melted his heart.

"Laura Murdock Collins?" Vicki nodded, as she reached for her umbrella.

"Yes, Laura Murdock Collins has returned I am sure of it. Josette came to me last night and told me she was going to make her appearance known and she was coming for me to punish me for preventing her from taking David to the other side as her sacrifice."

Vicki cinched her coat shut, fished her keys out. "Laura is going to find that Ra's anger is a lot more pleasant than my anger. If she thinks she can come in here and threaten my family she is about to find herself in the company of Grannie Bouchard and Angelique."

Barnabas had never witnessed his wife in such a state of fire edged with ice-cold determination in her anger. He worried she would be putting herself at risk if she did not get her anger under control. "Vicki, remember to use calm and level headedness with her, she has a nasty bite."

Vicki turned moved to her husband's side bent over laying a light kiss on his lips then stood. "She does not want to taste my bite," She was growing calmer with each step she took as she added, "My love, I will return shortly. I assure you she is in for a nasty surprise when she discovers my powers are as great if not greater than her own."

Barnabas tugged her wrist and looked with concern born of love into her gaze. "Return to me safely my love."

She smiled, took her fingertips and caressed his cheek. "Always, I love you Barnabas Collins, we have a lot more children to bring into this world and it has been pre-ordained that we have those children."

Roger turned to Maggie and David, "Make it quick. I am going to the den to make a few phone inquiries myself." Turning he peered down to the foyer, standing in the foyer was Laura. "Laura?"

Panic seized him seeing her standing there staring at him "Roger."

She pushed the hood back from her head. "What are you doing here?"

She smiled, "I am here for some unfinished business. I have come to collect our son and take him with me."

Roger puffed his chest up and moved down the stairs. "You can't have him." She smiled, "Roger you should know that you can't stop me if I decide I want something. I want David and there is nothing you can do to stop me."

David peered out of the door seeing his mother he felt panic fill him. She looked so different than what he remembered. Backing up he ran down the hallway to Maggie's room and pushed the door open. "We gotta go now! Hurry Maggie, we gotta go now!"

Maggie looked confused at David's fear, putting he hands on his arm she stared at him. "David, what is going on?"

David shook off her hold and grabbed her hand. "We gotta go now. We are in danger there is an evil in the hallway and we gotta go this way." He led her down the hallway to Vicki's old bedroom that had been claimed by Penny. Moving to the wall just inside the door, he reached up and pulled the sconce, the door drifted inward, "Get the keys to Vicki's car and come on Maggie, I am not kidding she is evil and she wants to hurt us."

Maggie grabbed the keys and followed David leading her down the hallway of the secret passage to a set of stairs. Maggie was beginning to feel the same panic he had. "Where are we?" He put his finger to his lips in a shushing fashion. The shear terror in his eyes led her to believe he was truly frightened. Following him, he led her down to a subterranean tunnel

David led her around passages and at one point she thought she heard the ocean and could feel the freezing cold, he led her away from the sound and the feel of cold. They entered into another section of the maze and she paused, she knew this place, it was the cellar of the old house.

Rushing up the stairs he pounded on the door. "Vicki! Vicki!"

Vicki had been going to the front door when she heard David's voice. "David?"

Moving from the foyer she saw him peeking out from the cellar door. "David, how did you get there?"

He pushed against the door as she opened it and rushed into her arms. "Mother is back, she is at Collinwood, she is arguing with Father and she says she is going to take me. Please Vicki don't let her, she frightens me."

Vicki looked at Maggie and the stricken look on her face let Maggie know Vicki was trying to calm her anger. "Don't worry David. You go up to your room. Maggie, take him up there and lock your selves n the room. Do not come out of that room and put out the fire in the fireplace if there is one."

Maggie was beginning to react to Vicki's concern. "What is going on Vicki? I thought Laura had died."

Vicki nodded "So did I but if David says she is back she is back and she is going to take David with her and if that happens, he will die. Now, off you go and leave the rest to me."

Vicki watched them disappear up the stairs then she moved to the drawing room. Extending her arms she began to concentrate, "World of wonders elements of day join me now to fight the evil of the night. I call upon Earwayna, Aerith, Canace and Sorcha sisters that bound to me bind again and come as I need you."

The room began to fill with cold wind accompanied by warmth, the door blew open and the four sisters moved into the room. "Sister you have been under the influence of something dark and evil, we could not come to you in Martinique but we are here now, what do you wish of us?"

Again they spoke in unison as they stood before her. Vicki sighed, "I am now about to face the Phoenix that once plagued me.

Sorcha frowned, "She tries to control me but she cannot, you must take away her power, she cannot exist in the cold. You will need to put out her fire and it will send her back to her dark master. Vicki nodded, "Then all the fireplaces here need to be put out." Closing her eyes she spoke softly, "What lies with fire will die with embers cold as winter."

One by one all the fireplaces in the old house were being put out. When the fireplace in the drawing room went out, she opened her eyes. "Now, I summon you Laura Murdock Collins. I summon you to this house."

Laura rather enjoyed the way Roger cowered before her. "Oh Roger you are pathetic. Do you really think you can hurt me? I think not." She moved with a superior attitude to the drawing room and peered into the fire. Roger watched the tall blond beauty that had been his wife at one time.

Her dark eyes peered past him as she moved to sit by the fire and watched the flames. The flames played against her cold beautiful face her eyes grew wide concentrating on the flames watching them dance before her. She smiled, "Roger you are going to forget I was here and you are going up to your room to lie down."

She did not have to turn and see Roger in trance like form move up the stairs. "Now, David, come to me." She continued to stare in the flames she saw a glimpse of David sitting with Maggie in a room at the old house. "Oh no Vicki not this time." The flames in David's room went out and she frowned. "Show me." Then the flames in the drawing room fireplace started dimming growing smaller and smaller. "NO!" she hissed watching the flames disappear she drew her arms across her body. "What is this?"

Vicki smiled, "Now come to me Laura Collins, come to me."

Laura felt drawn to rise up from her place in front of the now cold fireplace and move out the doors of Collinwood. She felt herself propelled to the pathway to the old house. "So you want a show down Vicki, that will be your first mistake."

The four sisters moved to stand behind Vicki feeling Laura moving closer. "Together we speak, together we stand, face the evil that would destroy."

Laura's confidence began to wane the closer she got to the old house. "There is a different feel to this. What are you Victoria Winters?" Laura approached the old house and saw the doors open. She could hear the wind rising behind her seeming to push her forward. The earth beneath her feet turned to ice with the wind shoving her forward.

Vicki reached to either side of her and joined hands with her sisters of the elements. Together they joined in with Vicki's voice they commanded. "Appear before us NOW witch!"

Laura felt her body lifting and carried forward on the wind, her body was being pelted with ice as she glided through the front doors to be place in front of Vicki. Laura stood blue lips eyes growing dim with frozen fear as she faced Vicki with the sisters of the elements. "You are condemned Laura Murdock, you are condemned to the frozen between. Find a place with those that wreak evil on these planes and do no harm no more."

Laura listened astonished while Vicki's voice was blended with earth, wind, fire, and water. She was surrounded by a soft glow of purity facig Laura. Laura had only heard of such a creature, now she faced her and she was afraid. Never before had she been challenged as she was now.

She knew that death was imminent and unless her master desired to save her she would be banished to the darkness of the in between never to feel the warmth of the fire again. "Sorcha! You of all these heretics should be sympathetic to my plight."

Sorcha frowned, "You abuse the fire, you seek to control what is not yours to control. You and your dark master have no allegiance to me." Vicki squeezed Sorcha's hand giving her reassurance that she was with her.

"You have been judged Laura Murdock. You are now sentenced to the between." Vicki closed her eyes "Espartos between, you are banished!"

Laura felt her body beginning to separate and dissolve she was in form banished to the in between. The howling of the wind drowned the terrified scream that followed the blackness her form had become when she disappeared from view.

Vicki felt the room lighten as Laura's' essence was banished. Opening her eyes she felt a calm all around her she looked around the room, she found she was alone. Her sisters had returned to the plane of their existence and she felt relieved that David would now be safe.

Vicki moved to close the front door. Leaning with her back to the door she let out a sigh. "David! Maggie! You can come down."

Vicki called up to the second floor. Maggie having pressed her ear to the door waited and fretted over what she was hearing. When Vicki called, David beat Maggie to the door and threw it opened, dashing out into the hallway to run headlong to the top of the stairs and look down at Vicki.

"Is she gone?"

Vicki nodded, "She will never hurt you again David." Maggie moved tentatively down the hallway feeling a chill in the house. "It got really cold in here."

Vicki frowned. "It should be warmer soon. Come on down. I am sure Cook has lunch ready. Vicki thought as she went to tell Cook she was ready to have lunch served for Maggie, David and herself.

Vicki walked the well time worn path to Collinwood. Approaching the house she saw the front doors were open. Moving into the foyer she found her mother looking for her Uncle Roger. "I think he said he was going to lie down Mother. Where is Dad?"

Vicki looked around and then saw the loved figure of her father coming down the stairs. "he is up here Liz said he felt a headache coming on and went to lie down."

Vicki had been incensed and had never felt her anger so complete as it had been with Laura. "Vicki?" She shook her head and smiled, "Hello Dad. Hello mom, how are things in the west wing?" Liz had seemed to have momentarily forgotten she had guests in the west wing.

"Oh dear, I left Mrs. Cook and Mrs. Johnson in charge and went looking for George and must have gotten side tracked." "Where is David?" Liz filled with concern turned to George.

"He came to the old House Mother he is fine, he and Maggie came over for a visit."

"In this storm?" Liz was shocked.

"No I thought Maggie was going into Collinsport with Joe to pick up some supplies for our guests. I think the west end was hit rather hard and we will be having some guests for a few more days. Mrs. Cook was a god sends Vicki, I cannot thank you enough for sending her and the Hudson's to help out. My staff would have been over whelmed."

Vicki shook her head. "No she sent Joe and stayed with David. And it was their decision mother to come and help out. What about Willie?"

Liz smiled, "He was the most help, he was there handing out blankets entertaining the little ones that were afraid the roof was going to come down on them and he helped Roger secure the rest of the house I know saving us from more damage than we had."

Vicki smiled, "I am so glad we could help out mother, we suffered through the storm with only minor damage and for the most part after she got to sleep little Jobeth slept through the rest of the night."

Liz thrilled at hearing her name tacked on as a nickname for her granddaughter. "Are you staying?"

"No, I am going back, it is close to JoBeth's feeding time. I just wanted to check on you and Dad to see how things were going and if you needed any more help?"

"No I think we have it all under control dear, you go back and take care of that wonderful baby of ours."