Series 3/Chapter 9: A FULL MOON (PART 3)

In the slow burn of the late morning sun, Kat sat alone in the garden room of Collinwood; a large screened off area of the house that allowed fresh air to come in off the ocean. She was waiting for Caleb who was inside the main house putting together a small late brunch for them to share. Kat had been recuperating at Collinwood for 3 days now, and had easily fallen in love with the old mansion and its many elaborate rooms. As she waited, the door opened and one of the servants pointed Kat's partner Detective Loomis McGovern in Kat's direction.

"Loo! What are you doing here?" Kat said happy to see her old partner.

"You remember me?" Loomis answered noting that she had some memory loss after the attack.

"Things are coming back slowly. So to what do I owe this visit?" She asked patting the seat next to her for Loomis to sit down.

"Well, I was just in the neighborhood and wanted to check in on you. I haven't heard from anyone in a few days. Sebastian was supposed to keep me in the loop but, I guess he's gotten a little carried away in Collinwood grander." Loomis said looking up at the house.

"The neighborhood? This is the only house up here...." Kat said with a laugh. "Look, I'm sorry. I know things have been really crazy these last few weeks. But I want to thank you for all you've done, you know being there for me when I needed you." Kat said.

"Of course, you're my partner!" Loomis responded.

"I also wanted to talk to you too about the night I was attacked. I have a bit of that night back. Just pieces really, but I do remember that Caleb came to me after the attacker had fled. He had nothing to do with it." Kat confided.

Loomis scoffed and seemed and shook his head in disbelief but Kat insisted that her attacker was for sure not Caleb Collins.

"How can you be so sure? You were knocked out." Loomis countered with an eye roll.

"Loo...come on. You know me. I know me! I wouldn't be here if it was Caleb." Kat said with a smirk. "It wasn't him. I'm sure of it."

"I DO know you, and I know you wouldn't just let something pass without asking questions....but I won't press you about it anymore, if you're sure. I'll drop it. But promise me something. Promise me you'll keep your eyes open around here. Even if Caleb had nothing to do with your attack that still doesn't explain the countless stories and reports I read about in the files at work. I mean you really got to get a hold of them some day. They're incredible." Loomis said.

"What do you mean? What's in the files?" She asked.

"Just really weird things, and they all some how connect members of this family with really strange occurrences in town and to this  house You should ask Caleb about his Dad. There's a few things about him in there too. And be careful, that's is all I ask." Loomis pleaded.

"Detective McGovern. Pleasure to see you." Caleb said coming from inside the house.

"Mr. Collins. I was just leaving." Loomis said.

"So soon? You just got here." Kat said standing up with Loomis.

"I got to get back to the station anyway, which is something I hope you say pretty soon too." Loomis said as he hugged Kat goodbye and shook Caleb's hand.

Caleb sat down next to Kat and started placing down the items for their brunch picnic.

"What were you guys talking about?" Caleb asked.

"Oh you know small talk. Nothing big. He said he was going to make sure you were cleared for the attack. That's good news right?" Kat said in a happy tone.

"Yeah! Absolutely! That's great." Caleb said pouring Kat orange juice.

"He kind of glossed over some stuff though.... I don't know it was odd. He mentioned weird things happened years ago here. Apparently there's a huge case file or ....case files. You're dad is even mentioned. Do you know anything about that?" Kat wondered.

Caleb knew all the stories his father David once told him of his own childhood at Collinwood in the late 60s and 70s, and even some he begrudgingly got stories out of Carolyn a few times when he visited her in England on Christmas break from boarding school, and of course he knew Leopold's secret, and Claudia's and Barnabas'. But as true a Collins as Caleb was, he knew those stories remained in the family vault, never to be spoken of. Never to be acknowledged and revealed.

"You know how small towns are. Rumors always make for a better reality, know what I mean? This family has been here since ---god, since the 1700s. There's a lot of urban legends." Caleb answered.

"But for things to be in a police case file? that doesn't strike you as odd?" Kat asked in her typical police detective voice.

"What I think is odd, is that these amazing strawberries are sitting in front of you and you're not at all interested." Caleb said as he picked up a strawberry and dipped it in whipped cream and fed it to Kat.

She smiled and picked up some whipped cream on her finger and tapped it on his nose. They looked at each other lovingly and kissed, a long and passionate kiss. Finally a symbol of real love within the walls of Collinwood.

****

Hours later, the late afternoon and the sun had moved on to a different part of the house, enveloping the eastern part of the house where Carolyn was recovering from the events of the seance from the night before. She sat in her room on a comfy sofa dressed in a soft casual outfit with her eyes closed listening to silence. Her mind was else where. Her mind was on Alex and what she had done.

She was in utter disbelief that her own daughter would dabble in black magic and bring such terror to their lives, even after everything Alex knew about the family. She was hurt, and disappointed. But that Alex was the only person who would cause her pain and disappointment.

As Carolyn rested her room dropped in temperature. A slight breeze began to blow and caused her drapes to quickly close blocking any of the sun light to creep in. And up from the shadows rose Barnabas Collins uncharacteristically appearing in daylight.

"This is new." Carolyn said in her often sarcastic tone of voice.

"How are you feeling cousin?" Barnabas said still standing in a shadowy corner of Carolyn's bedroom.

"Like I've been to hell and back....oh wait, I did go to hell and back." Carolyn said with more sarcasm.

"I'm please to see you have your wits about you." Barnabas said coming closer to her, but still not disclosing his face.

"How else can I be? Last night was the most horrific thing I have ever experienced, and I've lived in this house for decades. That should tell you just how traumatized I am. How could Alexandra do such a thing? Play with that book she found. How? Barnabas I don't understand her." Carolyn confessed.

"She was bewitched. Angelique has a terrible effect on people, I know first hand." He said now sitting next to her on the sofa.

"Are you here to check up on me?" Carolyn asked realizing that he had never actually been in her room before.

"Of sorts, yes. But I also came to tell you about what will happened tonight. Unfortunately, it's more of a warning." Barnabas explained.

"What are you talking about? What's happening tonight?"

"Leopold Divernet has gone too far. He's taken too many risks with the lives of the people in this family and this town. Especially with that of a law enforcement officer. A person that, had she not lost her memory, would surely begin to investigate the people in this house further. Causing quite the panic in Collinsport, wouldn't you say?" Barnabas pointed out.

"Yes, I guess I can see how his behavior has been ....troubling." Carolyn conceded. "But he's only doing what you would do Barnabas. He felt that he had to, I don't know. I mean if he actually did attack Kat Banning, then I assume he had good reason to." She continued.

"I would have killed her." Barnabas answered, coldly pointing out their differences. "And Good reason? He attacked her and let her live Carolyn. Then allowed for one of our own to be implicated as the culprit. That alone should show you he has no regard for this family. That is why I've made the decision that I did."

"Decision? What decision?" Carolyn questioned as she carefully sat up on the sofa.

"Upon the transition of Kimberly's son Christopher on tonight's full moon, Leopold will be cornered and killed. A vampire cannot survive the viscous bite of a werewolf, and on his death I will take my place back in the old house across the main courtyard here on Collinwood."

 "WHAT? You're going to have Leopold killed? Barnabas you can't!" Carolyn said in shock.

"It has to be done. There is no other way." Barnabas replied.

"There has to be some other way Barnabas. You cannot do this. You can't take Jack away from me again!" Carolyn said with tears in her eyes.

"Jack is gone, Carolyn. Whatever is left of Jack has been eaten up by Leopold, and now it's time to rid ourselves of him. You know that this is the only true way." Barnabas answered her.

Barnabas got up from his place next to Carolyn and walked back towards the shadows he emerged from. He turned around and faced her to see Carolyn's face in utter anguish.

"You haven't changed one iota. You're the same selfish, cruel maniac that has haunted this family for decades Barnabas. I don't care what you pretend to be, or how kind you behave, you're never going to change. And there's not a gene therapy or blood transfusion on this planet that will help get your humanity back. Do this, and I promise you, I will make sure you finally answer for everything you've done. Past. And present." Carolyn warned.

"You don't know what you're saying Carolyn." Barnabas replied crudely.

"Don't I? I've know you my entire life! I know what you did to Maggie Evans, and Victoria Winters. I know how you used Julia Hoffman. Don't think I can't tell that you're trying to do the same to Kimberly....not to mention everyone else you've come in contact with. I mean for god's sake, you kidnapped your own baby and took her back in time a whole century to hide her from her mother. You're cruel! And now you'll kill ----"

"ENOUGH!" Barnabas said snarling at Carolyn and flashing his fangs, his eyes turning to pitch black staring deep into Carolyn's soul. But she had no fear.

She carefully stood up and walked over to Barnabas who seethed with anger at Carolyn's protest and looked him dead in his angry black eyes.

"---I wasnt finished talking." She said referencing his interruption. "If you have Leopold killed Barnabas, I promise you, it will be the last thing you do."

"You're too late cousin Carolyn. Jack and Leopold are both dead. In one way or another. I'm just making sure they stay that way."  Barnabas said before lifting his cloak and vanishing into thin air back into the shadows leaving Carolyn standing alone in her bedroom as the curtains began to open slowly again allowing sun light to cautiously dip its way back into the room.

****

As the evening turned to night the energy at the Collinwood mansion shifted to electrifying. Tonight, when the full moon rose to its highest peak Christopher would transition again to his werewolf alter ego, and kill Leopold Divernet for Barnabas Collins.

In her laboratory Kimberly scurried around monitoring Christopher's vital signs. She constantly checked of his heart-rate and blood pressure every second it seemed. She was consumed by worry. As she looked down at her son who seemed nervous himself, she gave him a warm half smile and patted him on the shoulder, sending him a message that everything would be alright. Even if she had no idea of the outcome herself.

Barnabas soon walked in, casual and calm. His normal demeanor in times of crisis.

"I don't know how you convinced me of this." Kimberly said quietly to Barnabas.

"Everything will be fine. And this is for the good of everyone." Barnabas said as he looked over at Christopher who was resting before the main event. "How is he?" He continued.

"He's calmer than I expected. But it's still early, things will change closer to midnight. Barnabas how can you be so sure this is all going to work the way you want it to?" Kim asked consumed with doubt.

"It will. It has to." Barnabas said.

"And Claudia, how can you be so sure you can trust her to deliver Leopold?" Kim continued her questioning Barnabas' motives for involving his daughter.

"Claudia knows that this is the right choice too. If she ever wants any kind of relationship with Christopher, Leopold must be out of the way. That I can assure you. Everything Kimberly, will work out." Barnabas said with one eye brow raised in a very confident tone of voice.

"It better. Because if it doesn't and something happens to Christopher......I will never forgive you Barnabas." Kimberly warned as she walked over back to Christopher who was laying on his back attached to machines monitoring his every heartbeat.

It was then that Barnabas realized, there actually was a real danger that if his plot to rid Collinsport of the reckless Leopold failed his relationship with Kimberly would too. That was something he could not afford, for Kim held the key to unlocking the vampire curse that haunted him for over 300 years.


The hours crept by and the moon slowly made its accent above the sleepy seaside town. The waves crashed upon the rocky shore and the late night fog rolled in, thick and soupy surrounding every building in town.

Claudia, stood at the edge of Widow's Hill looking out on to the sea. She thought about how she came to this section of her life and how her former lover, the real Leopold Divernet jumped to his death in the very spot over 100 years ago when he realized Claudia was a witch, and now, she had to help in taking his life again. But it didn't matter, This Leopold was different. Cold and vengeful. The plan to remove him from their lives was indeed necessary.

Claudia pulled her hair back from her face and wiped away a tear then made her way from Widow's Hill to the old house on the Collinwood property ready for everything that was to come.

She entered the old house quietly. As usual, all the front rooms were dim, lit only with candles wall to wall. She carefully made her way down the blackened corridor, her arms extended wall to wall touching the sides of the hall way. She felt every single bump and crevice in the paneled walls all the way down  to the room where Leopold kept his coffin, the coffin that once belonged to Claudia's own father, Barnabas Collins.

She peeked into a room, and there was Leopold standing near a large candelabra carefully lighting it and allowing the light to surround his chiseled face.

"Settling in for the night?" Claudia said with a smirk.

"What do you want?" Leopold replied as he kept his back to Claudia and lit more candles.

"Can't a girl visit a friend? I came to see how you were doing. Maybe even catch up." She teased.

"Go." Leopold said plainly.

Claudia circled the room like a caged panther looking, she looked around and noticed near a large black chair there was a mettle table and on that mettle table was the carcass of a decapitated hare, the same type that ran wild on the Collinwood property.

"Did I interrupt dinner?" Claudia said again with a tease in her voice. "No thanks, I already ate." She added.

"I asked you you go!" He yelled and turned to her with his fangs protruding and his eyes yellow and angry.

Then something came over Claudia, the Leopold she once loved was kind and caring and this Leopold, the one she changed Jack Thorne into was filled with anger and spite. She furrowed her brow and unloaded on him.

"I should have never created you." She said in a angry tone. "You've done everything I never thought you would do, and now....you're just this empty monster attacking female detectives in the middle of the night and eating hares for dinner." Claudia said condescendingly.

Leopold growled and lunged at Claudia grabbing her by the throat and lifting her up, his mouth open showing his white fangs ready to pierce her soft flesh.

"I should tear your flesh apart.....your powerless now, your witch blood wont kill me." Leopold siad sensing her powers had gone. "What do you know about that detective?" Leopold hissed.

"Barnabas....................knows." Claudia said struggling to breath. "Everyone knows." She added.

Leopold threw Claudia to the floor, she fell on her knees clutching her throat gasping for what air she could.

"You don't know anything." Leopold growled as he picked up the hare and squeezed blood from its open wound into his mouth.

"Barnabas........He wants to meet you, at midnight. In the courtyard." Claudia said still panting for air.

"Meet me for what? Barnabas Collins is old, decayed. He has no power over me of what I can do. But if grandfather Collins wants to wants to meet I will. But I cant' guarantee he'll make it out alive." Leopold said coldly.

Leopold looked up at a twisted old grandfather clock that had been repaired and placed in the corner of the room. It was 5 minutes to midnight. He snarled at Claudia and grabbed a cape like tweed coat and began to make his way outside to the courtyard to meet Barnabas.

As he stepped out of the old house, the large courtyard between the main house and the old house was quiet. The fog rolled across the grass like puffs of smoke searching for a way to dissipate and dissolve into nothing.

Leopold put on his cape and fastened the top notch around his neck and carefully walked down the front steps, Claudia knowing she had set a trap wickedly smiled to herself from the door watching Leopold walk out to eerie emptiness of the courtyard and looked around, all he could hear was the waves from the sea crash near by.

Christopher cautiously walked out of house from a secret side door, apprehensive yet calm, knowing that in just seconds when the clock struck midnight and the moon was in the highest position he would begin his transformation and fulfill his part in Barnabas' plot to rid Collinwood of Leopold. Taking another life made him weary, but he trusted his mother Kimberly and Kim seemed to trust Barnabas.

If Barnabas believed Leopold to be a threat to their existence, it stood to reason that he had to be stopped. His mind was made up, he would go through with the plan for Barnabas and Leopold.

Chris' mind raced as he walked into the shadows keeping his eye on Leopold standing in the courtyard alone. Then it came, like a single sail boat alone in a calm sea the moon rose to its full glory. The hairs on Chris' body began to twitch, his bones began to stretch and pull his skin inhuman directions. His teeth grew sharper and his mouth watered for human flesh. His body collapsed to floor writhing in pain, breathing heavy and hard. His heart pounded deep and fast. 

Leopold turned back to his left side and noticed two bright yellow eyes looking at him from brush near the main house.

"Come out." Leopold said thinking it was Barnabas.

But what Leopold heard, did not come from Barnabas. A growl came from shadowy bushes nearest the main house. Then yellow eyes that got larger and larger and started to come out from the shadowy corner revealing Christopher, in werewolf form snarling and shooting hot breath from his nose like the beast he was.

Leopold hissed again and opened his mouth revealing his large fangs and flicked his cape backwards to giving his arms space and hissed again at Christopher.

The werewolf carefully paced pack and fourth then at the stroke of midnight, bayed at the moon and lunged at Leopold who instantly jumped 20 feet in the air and landed on the opposite site of the werewolf directly behind him.

The wolf quickly turned and snarled and lunged again, Leopold again jumped but the werewolf caught the end of Leopold's cape and dragged him down to the ground and swiped his large claws and sliced Leopold's face.

Leopold punched and hit the werewolf across its large vicious snout then stuck a thumb in the werewolf''s eye causing him to back off and regroup. Leopold then lunged at the wolf and tried to bite but missed when Christopher turned over and pushed Leopold off of him.

The werewolf again carefully and methodically moved across the foggy courtyard, both of them pacing and waiting for the other to strike again beneath the purple light of the midnight moon that sat in the sky with a halo of light surrounding it.

Claudia walked out on to the veranda of the old house causing Leopold to be distracted at the motion to his right side and looked over at her. In that perfect moment Christopher the werewolf moved to strike, and he did.

The wolf pounced on the distracted Leopold and laid his giant paws on Leopold's chest pushing down and crushing him, then with one final swoop of his claw swiped at Leopold's throat.

Leopold got up and gasped for air, blood seeped from the giant gash like a waterfall. He stumbled and walked towards the center of the courtyard leaving the werewolf growling off to the side to watch him die. Leopold held his neck and looked up and Claudia for help, gasping and clutching his neck, but Claudia backed away slowly from the light of the moon that hit the veranda and stepped back into the shadows.

Suddenly a door burst open from the main house. It was Carolyn with a gun pointed at Christopher.

She shot one bullet but missed and Christopher howled at her and then ran off into the shadowy distance of the Collinwood estate, Claudia gasped and ran out on to the grass passing Leopold who had collapsed.

"Carolyn what are you doing?" Claudia said standing between the gun and Leopold with her arms stretched out.

"Where is he? Where's Jack?" Carolyn screamed rushing out into the purple light.

Leopold lay in the center of the courtyard between the old house and the main house in a pool of his own vampire blood. Carolyn gasped and covered her mouth. She couldn't believe her eyes. Leopold was slowly turning back into Jack, Carolyn's husband.

All his features were turning back to normal, his eyes, his beautiful kind eyes. The curse had been broken once Christopher slashed his throat.  Carolyn broke down and collapsed on Jack's chest in tears.

"How will I ever tell Alex? How....how can I tell her?" Carolyn said devastated.

Claudia stood over Carolyn and Leopold's dead body and looked up at the main house to a window where a shadowy figure was standing and watching. It was Barnabas.

Barnabas looked down at the scene, Leopold was dead. Now he could once again rule over Collinwood like he was meant to, alone. Now, there was no one alive that could stop him from getting what he wanted.