LAST TIME: David contacted Barnabas about the mysterious arival of Julia, who recognized Alora as Angelique. Hallie possessed Noah and planned to kill Allison. Carolyn saw Vicky suck a cat's blood, but blew it off as a joke.
Barnabas and Neil rushed rushed up the walkway. Neil stumbled over the body of the dead cat and noticed it was warm, but shriveled. "Dad," said Neil, "look at this."
"There's no time for that," said Barnabas hurriedly.
"But Dad there might be a...." He meant to say "vampire" but was cut off.
"Nothing is more important than your mother right now," insisted Barnanbas. The two hurried on. Finally they reached the door. Both burst in without even knocking.
Meanwhile, in the ballroom, Julia's accusing eyes burned into Alora's. "It's you," she accused. "Angelique Bouchard! The witch!"
Alora looked at the crowd's confused faces and then at Julia. She forced out a laugh. "I'm afraid I have no idea what you mean," she lied. "My name is Alora Stanton. I'm an author and historian. Perhaps you have me confused with someone from the seventies."
"Well, that's a believable explanation," said Vicky. "Julia, surely you remember my ordeal in the year 1795 where everyone I met was identical to a person here in the present. Perhaps this is simply another case of the look-alike counterpart."
"Yes, perhaps," aggreed Alora. Thank god for Vicky, she thought.
Julia looked at Vicky, then at Alora. "Yes, yes I suppose. I'm sorry, Miss Stanton."
Suddenly Barnabas and Neil came rushing in. "Julia!" Barnabas cried, rushing to her side weeping with joy. He embraced her warmly. "It has been so long... so very very long."
"Too long, apparently," she said.
"David," said Barnabas, "can you all give us a moment, please?" Without question everyone exited the room leaving Barnabas and Neil alone with Julia.
"So this is what my mother looks like," said Neil, tearing up.
"Oh my God, Neil!" said Julia, "my little baby boy. You're a man now. And I missed watching you become one."
"It wasn't your fault, mom," said Neil. He hugged both his parents, "we can be a family now. That's all that matters to me."
Several people sat in the drawing room. Among them were Gillian and Mark. Mark noticed that the expression on his girlfriend's face was one that only appeared when she was in deep thought. "Gillian," he asked, "I can tell you're thinking about something. What is it?"
"I'd tell you if she wasn't in the room," she said, pointing to Vicky, who stood at the other end of room reading a magazine.
Mark stood up, "Gillian's not feeling well, I'm taking her out into the air," he said. Everyone looked up, made granting gestures, and returned to their activities. Mark took Gillian by the hand and lead her outside. "Now, tell me what you're thinking of that concerns Vicky."
"Promise you won't either laugh or scream and run away?" she said, looking down sheepishly.
"Promise," he assured her.
"Alright," she said. "to tell you the honet-to-goodness truth," she began, "I don't think her fangs are fake."
Mark looked at her strangely at first not following. Then it hit him. "You think Vicky's a...."
"Vampire," Gillian said with a nod.
Barnabas took Julia up to their room. Neil stood watching her sleep. Barnabas left the room to go back down stairs, but was greeted by Alora. "You!" he said amazed. "How did you get here Angelique?"
"I'm not going say I'm not Angelique, but you must believe me when I say I am not the Angelique I was," she looked at him with a visible pain in her blue eyes. "I am not the same conniving, evil woman who cursed you in 1795, Barnabas. I came back for a reason and that was to find and protect you from... him."
"Him?" asked Barnabas, knowing not who the "him" was.
"Nicholas Blair, Barnanbas," she said. "He's been invading my dreams and telling me of his disturbing plans for the Collins family. I must protect and defend all of you. I feel I owe you and your family that much."
"Where is the catch, Angelique?"
"There isn't one this time. I ask for nothing physical or emotional, because there is nothing ofr the asking. You love Julia and I can see that. I just want forgiveness and a civilized aquaintance with you and your family."
"Who do they believe you to be?" asked Barnabas. "Surely this explanation wasn't the one you gave them."
"You're right. They think I'm Alora Stanton, author and historian. But that is beside the point. Will you let me help you? Nicholas blair is an evil and dangerous man, and now that he is not a human, there's no telling what he'll do."
Barnabas saw the sincere pain in her eyes. "Alright," he said, "but no tricks."
Angelique tossed her head back in a sigh of releif. "Oh, I promise, Barnabas." She turned and walked down the hallway to her room.
Mark looked at Gillian incredulously. "You can't be serious," he said.
"But I am," said Gillian. "I mean, I like Vicky, but don't you think it's odd that she's only seen at night, she nver smiles with her mouth open, and tonight she came as a vampire."
"That doesn't mean anything."
"I think it does." She glanced breifly to her left and saw a black object lying further down the path. "Oh my God, what's that?"
"It's probably just an animal," sadi Mark. "I'll scare it off." He picked up a rock and threw it at the thing. His aim was a little off, so the rock came down on the thing's head.
"Oh, you hit it," said Gillian. She ran to it and then screamed. Mark followed.
It was the dead body of the cat. The rock left a gash in it's head, bu no blood flew from the wound.
TO BE CONTINUED....................
Barnabas and Neil rushed rushed up the walkway. Neil stumbled over the body of the dead cat and noticed it was warm, but shriveled. "Dad," said Neil, "look at this."
"There's no time for that," said Barnabas hurriedly.
"But Dad there might be a...." He meant to say "vampire" but was cut off.
"Nothing is more important than your mother right now," insisted Barnanbas. The two hurried on. Finally they reached the door. Both burst in without even knocking.
Meanwhile, in the ballroom, Julia's accusing eyes burned into Alora's. "It's you," she accused. "Angelique Bouchard! The witch!"
Alora looked at the crowd's confused faces and then at Julia. She forced out a laugh. "I'm afraid I have no idea what you mean," she lied. "My name is Alora Stanton. I'm an author and historian. Perhaps you have me confused with someone from the seventies."
"Well, that's a believable explanation," said Vicky. "Julia, surely you remember my ordeal in the year 1795 where everyone I met was identical to a person here in the present. Perhaps this is simply another case of the look-alike counterpart."
"Yes, perhaps," aggreed Alora. Thank god for Vicky, she thought.
Julia looked at Vicky, then at Alora. "Yes, yes I suppose. I'm sorry, Miss Stanton."
Suddenly Barnabas and Neil came rushing in. "Julia!" Barnabas cried, rushing to her side weeping with joy. He embraced her warmly. "It has been so long... so very very long."
"Too long, apparently," she said.
"David," said Barnabas, "can you all give us a moment, please?" Without question everyone exited the room leaving Barnabas and Neil alone with Julia.
"So this is what my mother looks like," said Neil, tearing up.
"Oh my God, Neil!" said Julia, "my little baby boy. You're a man now. And I missed watching you become one."
"It wasn't your fault, mom," said Neil. He hugged both his parents, "we can be a family now. That's all that matters to me."
Several people sat in the drawing room. Among them were Gillian and Mark. Mark noticed that the expression on his girlfriend's face was one that only appeared when she was in deep thought. "Gillian," he asked, "I can tell you're thinking about something. What is it?"
"I'd tell you if she wasn't in the room," she said, pointing to Vicky, who stood at the other end of room reading a magazine.
Mark stood up, "Gillian's not feeling well, I'm taking her out into the air," he said. Everyone looked up, made granting gestures, and returned to their activities. Mark took Gillian by the hand and lead her outside. "Now, tell me what you're thinking of that concerns Vicky."
"Promise you won't either laugh or scream and run away?" she said, looking down sheepishly.
"Promise," he assured her.
"Alright," she said. "to tell you the honet-to-goodness truth," she began, "I don't think her fangs are fake."
Mark looked at her strangely at first not following. Then it hit him. "You think Vicky's a...."
"Vampire," Gillian said with a nod.
Barnabas took Julia up to their room. Neil stood watching her sleep. Barnabas left the room to go back down stairs, but was greeted by Alora. "You!" he said amazed. "How did you get here Angelique?"
"I'm not going say I'm not Angelique, but you must believe me when I say I am not the Angelique I was," she looked at him with a visible pain in her blue eyes. "I am not the same conniving, evil woman who cursed you in 1795, Barnabas. I came back for a reason and that was to find and protect you from... him."
"Him?" asked Barnabas, knowing not who the "him" was.
"Nicholas Blair, Barnanbas," she said. "He's been invading my dreams and telling me of his disturbing plans for the Collins family. I must protect and defend all of you. I feel I owe you and your family that much."
"Where is the catch, Angelique?"
"There isn't one this time. I ask for nothing physical or emotional, because there is nothing ofr the asking. You love Julia and I can see that. I just want forgiveness and a civilized aquaintance with you and your family."
"Who do they believe you to be?" asked Barnabas. "Surely this explanation wasn't the one you gave them."
"You're right. They think I'm Alora Stanton, author and historian. But that is beside the point. Will you let me help you? Nicholas blair is an evil and dangerous man, and now that he is not a human, there's no telling what he'll do."
Barnabas saw the sincere pain in her eyes. "Alright," he said, "but no tricks."
Angelique tossed her head back in a sigh of releif. "Oh, I promise, Barnabas." She turned and walked down the hallway to her room.
Mark looked at Gillian incredulously. "You can't be serious," he said.
"But I am," said Gillian. "I mean, I like Vicky, but don't you think it's odd that she's only seen at night, she nver smiles with her mouth open, and tonight she came as a vampire."
"That doesn't mean anything."
"I think it does." She glanced breifly to her left and saw a black object lying further down the path. "Oh my God, what's that?"
"It's probably just an animal," sadi Mark. "I'll scare it off." He picked up a rock and threw it at the thing. His aim was a little off, so the rock came down on the thing's head.
"Oh, you hit it," said Gillian. She ran to it and then screamed. Mark followed.
It was the dead body of the cat. The rock left a gash in it's head, bu no blood flew from the wound.
TO BE CONTINUED....................