Chapter 2
Barnabas pulled back from his love and simply smiled down at her. He swore he saw a flash of orange in the corner of his eye, but when he looked up, it had disappeared. Guilty conscience he thought.
He regretted killing Dr. Hoffman. Really, he did. But, could anyone really blame him? She had stolen his blood to make herself into this… hideous creature. He would not see anyone suffer as he did. And even as he thought this, he looked down at the woman smiling up at him. Well, except her.
Barnabas moved to stand up, grasping Josette's hand and pulling her along with him. "Come, my love."
"But, Barnabas, where will we go?" Josette asked.
"Home is wherever family is. We will go find Elizabeth and the children and figure out what to do—together," was Barnabas's immediate reply.
Behind the rock, through her haze of self pity, Julia couldn't help but question why they would not just return to Collinwood manor. She then wondered of what all had happened since her "death". Sticking to the shadows, she began to follow Barnabas and Vicky.
Upon arriving at what was left of Collinwood, Julia could barely contain her highly audible gasp of shock. Ruined. The home she had come to love these past three years was utterly destroyed. She sobbed softly into the palm of her hand when all of a sudden she felt a presence behind her.
"I knew I saw you," he said. "At the cliffs. How?"
"If you must know, my little experiment worked, obviously," Julia said whirling around. "Barnabas. Why?" she asked.
"You betrayed this family, and you betrayed me. Why should I not have killed you?"he asked.
"Because I love you, Barnabas… I only hoped that becoming like you would make you see that we are perfect together," she explained, stepping closer. The underbrush tickling her bare feet.
With her chest against his and her palm resting over his heart, she said, "Do you remember our little discussion about Doctor/Patient confidentiality?"
"Um… Y-Yes. Quite well, Doctor. However, I cannot allow you to remain here. You deserve to suffer for what you have done to—"
"Oh, can it, Barnabas! You steal blood and kill every day. The only thing I ever did wrong was love you. Now, I'm forced to watch you and your little mistress for all of eternity. And there's nothing I can do about it," she exclaimed, her voice breaking on that last word.
Without any other sounds, she turned. And then she ran. Away from Collinwood. Away from her "family". Away from the only man she ever really loved. Away from Barnabas.