Chapter 6

With Maggie's and Carolyn's help Adam had his wounds dressed and was being properly pampered by the attention of both women. "Is Vicki ok?"

Adam looked into Carolyn's bright blue eyes and felt himself drowning in their depths. "Thank you Carolyn." He reached to take her hand and found his over powered her tiny hands.

She smiled and gently pulled her hand from his. "You are welcome Adam. Now, Vicki wants you to rest. She said you fought really hard with that thing that got away."

Adam shook his head. "Vicki made it disappear."

Carolyn knew he was a special needs person with limited comprehension so she accepted his description of what had occurred in the bathroom when he went to save her sister.

"Yes, well she wants you to rest." She helped guide him to his bed, and encouraged him to lie down. Like a confused child, Adam lay on the bed and allowed Carolyn to cover him. "Now rest we have a lot happening to day and you will have a lot of new people to meet."

Adam smiled and it changed the overall look of his poor scared face. "Thank you Carolyn." She nodded, smiled, patted his shoulder and moved to the door. He watched her go; he rolled over and smiled, she made him feel special. Adam closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Vicki was feeling her struggle with the demon. Her body was bruised and she hurt from head to toe. Moving gingerly she sat on the edge of her bed. Using care, she slid her foot into her shoes and stood. "Now, to make sure that Cook has everything ready for an early lunch."

She was anxiously awaiting the arrival of her husband and wanted everything perfect for them. Moving with care she made her way to the stairs and paused, the room was filling with that odd static feel she had experienced before. "Hello?"

Her call was soft and her look inquisitive to her surroundings. "Hello to you too." Carolyn laughed lightly approaching her sister. "Who were you looking for just now?" Carolyn looked around the landing.

"I guess I heard you and did not see you. What are your plans this morning?" Carolyn fell into step next to her sister moving down the stairs to the foyer.

"I thought I would go to Collinwood, check on things there have Sandy clean moms and dad's room and have it ready for their return and I am sure she will want the family together for dinner, the thing is at which house."

Vicki shook her head. "Why not have it here, I am sure Cook can prepare a nice meal for everyone and we all will then be reunited under one roof."

Carolyn thought a moment, "True I just hope they are not too tired from their honeymoon to want to come here for dinner."

Vicki had not thought about that and nodded, "I forgot how tired Barnabas and I were when we got back from our honeymoon. Do you want me to ask Cook to come over and help Mrs. Johnson."

Carolyn pursed her lips and walked to the drawing room. "I suppose so, do you think she will mind?"

Vicki shook her head. "No, I am sure she will be delighted to help out."

Vicki stood by the front bay window and anxiously watched the drive; she could see the narrow expanse of the driveway past the huge oak tree that obscured her view to the gated entrance to her home. She loved that tree; it provided shade in the summer and a wind block in the winter. She had visualized her children playing in that tree after she and Barnabas had married.

Now it blocked her view. Then she saw it, a sliver of black and then the Bentley was moving down the driveway. Excitement flooded her and she made a dash for the front door throwing it open just as Barnabas bounded up the steps to sweep his wife up and swing her around. "Vicki, my love, my most precious darling love."

He broke his embrace, tipped her back and deeply kissed her. Vicki could feel his excitement in his embrace; the kiss sealed his passion with a hint of his arousal.

Her mind danced with the thoughts of their shared passion for the night ahead. Quentin and Daphne followed at a more sedate pace allowing the lovers a chance to share their reunion. Vicki glanced past Barnabas shoulder and asked, "Where are Julia and Elliott?"

Barnabas linked his arm around her waist and escorted her into the house. "We let them off at their house. After they have had a chance to rest, they will join us for supper this evening. I understand we are dining at Collinwood?"

Vicki fell into step with her husband and entered their home. "Yes, mother and dad will be home around 3 and we wanted the family together."

Daphne and Quentin entered the foyer closing the door behind them. "Which is why, I invited Quentin and Daphne to spend the night here. I understand while we were gone there was a busted pipe at Rose Cottage it was flooded and the water froze the doors shut. There is a repair crew working around the clock to get the place habitable for them."

"I had Cook prepare lunch and its ready whenever you want to eat." Vicki released her hold but found her husband was not ready to let her go.

Pulling her back in his arms he whispered into her neck, "Where are you going? I am not about to let you go now I have you in my arms."

She was trying to be patient but she knew she had to tell him what had transpired between her and Lang. "Darling, there is a little something I need to tell you."

Adam appeared at the head of the stairs and watched her in Barnabas's arms, seeing him drag her back appearing to want to hurt her, Adam screamed, "NO!" and jumped to the first floor from the landing of the second floor ready to charge Barnabas, "NO! YOU WILL NOT HURT HER!" He screamed and charged.

"No Adam, stop!"

Quentin looked startled and ready to jump to his cousin's defense until Vicki recognized the wild man for them.

"Adam, stop." She held out her arm and stood between Barnabas who wanted to drag his wife away from the charging madman only to see she knew this creature and very well from the way she was acting.

"Adam, this is my husband Barnabas. Barnabas this is Adam, the little thing I needed to tell you about."

Quentin held Daphne behind him, "If you call that little, I would hate to see your version of big."

Vicki looked from Quentin to Adam, back to Barnabas. "Adam, calm yourself and remember what we practiced."

Adam relaxed then looked from his Vicki to Barnabas. Barnabas could sense this being held closeness to his wife and he spoke cautiously so as to not upset the large man.

"Vicki would you care to explain?"

Vicki let her shoulders sag then she turned, "Adam go to your room please."

Adam held his position, "Are you going to be ok?"

She smiled, "More than ok Adam, my husband and the rest of my family are home, so please as a favor to me, go to your room." Giving her one last look, Adam moved pass Vicki to the stairs. Like a chastised child being sent to bed he moved, with shoulders slumped, head bent and dragging his feet.

Vicki moved to the drawing room and collapsed on the chair in front of the fireplace. Her day was getting longer with each passing minute. Barnabas, Daphne and Quentin turned to face her. "Well where to begin."

She muttered softly knowing full well they were looking to her for an explanation. One she was sure she did not want to give but was forced to at this moment. "Please don't look at me like that. I can assure you there is a perfectly good explanation for everything. It is going to take a little time. So, please sit and just let me explain."

Barnabas sat in the chair next to his wife, while Daphne and Quentin looked on feeling like a third wheel on a two wheel vehicle. "Maybe we should go to Collinwood."

Vicki glanced at them both. "No, this actually pertains to all of us. It involves Lang and the reason I feel he set you adrift at sea."

This piqued their interest and they moved to bring chairs into a comfortable little circle. "Do explain I am all ears." Quentin tried to offer a smile to break the tension.

In a faltering voice, Vicki began her tale of how she was taken by force from the house by Clark. How Lang had after she had reverted to vampiric state, his use of her as a life force for his creation. With each moment of her tale, Barnabas was growing more and more enraged and was holding his cold fury in his body.

He was so angry he had to control the tremble that was beginning form from his effort to keep his anger contained. She finished her story resulting in Adam escaping with her from the house and how they had stayed hidden for a week in the west wing of Collinwood. She was exhausted. "It was not until I was held on that table after the vampires curse was drained from my body that I realized what was Lang's true nature."

Quentin seeing the control his cousin was displaying offered, "A madman intent on playing God and wanting you to bring his creation to life, I would venture."

Vicki shook her head. "No, he was the vampire that had been feeding on me in Martinique."

That did it, the minute she said Lang was a vampire, Barnabas was up out of his chair and marching to the door. Quentin followed close behind. "Where are you going?"

Barnabas stopped and looked at his cousin, "You have to ask? I am going to kill him."

Vicki had sprung up behind her husband. "Barnabas, I had not finished my story please come back." He could see the distress in her eyes so relenting he moved back to the drawing room.

Vicki folded her arms under her breasts and rested them on her stomach. "After Adam and I were discovered by Mr. Cane, he informed me that Lang's clinic had burnt and they had found three bodies in the clinic. They thought it was Lang and the Clarks. I am sure its not. Needless to say, he has not been seen since my kidnapping."

Barnabas sat and looked with sympathy on his wife as he fumed secretly plotting Lang's demise. "Have you felt him since your return home?"

Vicki shook her head. "No, but I don't feel he is dead. I think he has left the area for now. I have no doubt he will return for Adam more so than me."

Barnabas was frustrated and it was all he could do not to rise out of his chair hunt Lang down and drive a stake through his black heart. Quentin studied his cousin and his cousin's wife as they both were at a loss as to what to do next.

"Well my suggestion is to let this go for today and we will decide on a course of action tomorrow, because tomorrow is another day."

Vicki glanced gratefully to Quentin. "That is not the end of it Quentin, I was attacked earlier by what I believe was a demon. It had gotten in the room and tried to drown me in the bathtub. If not for Adam I fear your home coming would have been far more traumatic than just meeting Adam." The three were sitting tensely and shocked hearing this new accounting of evil unleashed at Collinwood.

Barnabas stood and knelt next Vicki's side, "Vicki, my precious Vicki, How can I help? What can be done to stop this madness?"

In his own mind he wanted to find Lang and kill him. Knowing he would not be able to locate him until he was ready to make his presence know, Barnabas had to wait and be patient. Vicki glanced at the tender love displayed in her husband's gaze and knew there was little any of them could do unless they knew who and what was attacking their family.

Placing her fingertips against his face she smiled at him sadly, "There is not much either of us can do at this point my love. Not until we know why and what."

Quentin looked at Daphne, "I am not so sure I want you in the middle of this, so I am sending you to Collinsport to the Collinsport Inn, I will put up protections to prevent anything from harming you."

Daphne looked into Quentin's eyes and shook her head. "If we are going to be married Quentin, then we need to stay together. We can fight this on a united front more than divided and apart."

Barnabas held Vicki's hand looking into her eyes. "You are unharmed?"

Vicki cupped her husbands face in her palm, "I am unharmed, now it is your turn, all of you to tell me what happened in Martinique."

Quentin sat back in his chair, "Lang had come by after you all had left. He was wanting to see you and Barnabas told him you were resting and he was not about to awaken you."

Barnabas nodded, "I wanted to kill him after Julia told me he had diluted your serum to keep your condition under control, that was why you were having those episodes and later we discovered you had been attacked by a vampire on the island. We were beside ourselves with worry and concern another reason to get you off the island."

Vicki sighed sitting back against the chair. "Those days when I thought I was going mad because I could hear and see things none of you seemed to see or hear."

Quentin stood and paced to the fireplace leaning his arm on the mantle he sighed. "We were all indulging in cigars and brandy except of course for Elliott,"

Vicki smiled, "He was having sherry."

Quentin chuckled, "You know our dear Professor well. We offered Lang a drink at first he declined, then he agreed after we offered a second time only he wanted to refresh our glasses."

Barnabas nodded again, "Except I was not drinking brandy that evening. I had declined and to keep from putting my hands around the man's throat I had turned my back on him, my mistake."

Quentin slid his hand into his pocket as he leaned on the mantle and thought a moment; "I think I was the first to fall to some kind of drug he had given us in our drinks. I was unconscious and from what Barnabas says, Elliott followed soon after. That left Barnabas who charged Lang and was given quite the nasty knock on the head rendering him unconscious. When we all awoke, we were adrift in a dingy out in the ocean. We knew we would need to find land soon or we would surely all suffer from heat stroke."

Barnabas moved to sit again in his chair not wanting to let her hand go, he drug his chair closer to hers. "That is when we saw land about a mile away, so we began to row towards landfall."

"Once we got to the shore, we beached the dingy, later we used it as part of a lean too and we explored the island. It was deserted except for some minor inhabitants other than the three of us, we were literally stranded. For us it began a time for survival and waiting. So we did what was expected, built a signal fire and foraged for food."

Quentin had paused in the telling of his story as he thought about how close they had come to being marooned. Barnabas picked up where Quentin had left off and proceeded how they had spent the first four nights on the beach fighting off mosquitoes and sand fleas. Then as rations began to diminish they were forced to forage further inland to find water and food. They turned to Daphne for her to pick up from her point.

Daphne nodded slowly, "We were frantic when we heard you were missing and we had no idea Vicki that you were missing so Julia and I flew to Martinique and that dreadful Inspector was no help at all. He got very nasty with Julia so we took matters into our own hands and contacted Neiva and Patricia. After that it was just a matter of them using your friends Aerith and Earwayna to locate Barnabas, Quentin and the Professor. "

Vicki smiled hearing her sisters had helped. "Oh I must thank them for their help. Do go on."

Daphne shook her head. "I would never have believed in elements being near human had I not witness their powers personally. We were following the blowing wind then on the horizon there was a water spout that seemed to hoover in one spot then it began to move as it moved towards the island it held stationary until we got close then it dissipated. I then saw the two join together to lead us to a cave where we found the three of them, the rest is they were rescued, we made it back to the island and we came home."

Vicki stood amazed; "Oh you did not tell her the important part of our stay in that cave."

Quentin was very amused by this part. "While Barnabas was exploring the cave, he found where pirates had hidden their treasure, so we came home very wealthy with golden Spanish coins and some very nice pieces of jewelry. We plan to have it appraised and we divided the find between us and gave a bag of the coins to Neiva and Patricia, which made them happy they would not have to work for the evil Doctor again."

Quentin had been amused by this part of the story and began to chuckle. Barnabas reached into his pocket and pulled out a emerald ring. "For you my sweet."

He took her right hand and slid the ring onto her ring finger. It fit her like a glove. "Oh my this must be worth a small fortune."

Barnabas smiled, "I had it appraised before we left the island. Mr. Sanchez came by the house and estimated it's worth 1.4 million."

Vicki's eyebrows raised in shock. "We must put it up before it's stolen or lost."

Barnabas folded his hand over hers and spoke softly. "Then I could not admire it on your finger." Lifting her hand to his lips he kissed it lightly.

Vicki was bathed in the warmth of his love she peered at her husband and was so grateful he was home. How was she to know that too soon their whole life was to take an abrupt turn and send their lives plummeting into the abyss of nine hells and her husband was be returned to his former self a blood seeking creature of the night. Their happy reunion was too soon to be short lived.