Series 2/Chapter 4: PLAN IN MOTION

The night was now in it's darkest moments. The moon, still floating above like a bright sickle hovered above Alexandra and Christopher blanketed by the frosty night fog.

Alexandra quickly regrouped from Claudia's possession, albeit a bit shaken and dizzy. During her time under Claudia's control Alexandra had been fully aware of all the events that had happened. She saw everything Claudia  had done and everything that she had said. Including what happened to Christopher the night of the full moon. 

When Claudia  kissed Chris as Alexandra she was able to see into his mind, all his emotions were there, out in the open. Alex now knew everything about Chris and his ability to transform, but she kept it to herself until the time was right. 

"Come on! We have to go after her!" Alexandra said putting all that aside and rushing towards Collinwood.

"Who is she?!" Chris asked, as he grabbed Alex's hand and they began to dash off towards the main house on the Collinwood property.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Alex said.

"At this point with everything that's going on, I'll believe just about anything!" Chris responded sarcastically.

"All I really know is that's she's some kind of sorceress, and she's very dangerous!" Alex said leading Chris through the foggy back woods that separated the Collin's family cemetery from the homes on the land. 

****

At the Blue Wale pub Kimberly and Leopold sat enjoying a stiff drink, something Kimberly needed after the stressful last few days she had had. Leopold was smitten by her beauty. Her crystal blue eyes seemed to look right into his soul and see every secret he was hiding. What Leopold didn't know was that that was actually true.

The truth about Kimberly's departure from Collinsport right after her divorce from David and affair with Victor wasn't one of shame and embarrassment, there was a mission behind it. A mission that would take years for her to complete. And now she had returned to do just that. Rid the town of Collinsport of it's evil and destructive citizens. Especially those like the Collins family.

When Victor and Kimberly first met, he was stable hand on Collinwood for Roger and David's horses. Victor saw some of the most sinister moments of Collinwood's history. The darkness, the evil. The undead. He knew all it's secrets and tried to save Kimberly from the grips of the Collins family. For her part, Kimberly knew too that there was something very strange going on in her new family and Victor was able to convince her to take his side and try to destroy them before any more of their undead family ancestors returned. But Kimberly had to be trained.

It was the early 80s when the affair first started, Caleb was a boy of 2 when she became pregnant with Christopher. It was a dark mark on the Collins family and David divorced her quickly and won a custody battle for Caleb leaving Kimberly and Victor to be together with their new son. As soon as the new baby was born, Victor sent Kimberly to a wooded area of Russia where a secret organization would teach Kimberly everything she needed to know to take down the family. Her knowledge of genetically altering human DNA was a desired trait for the mysterious group that called themselves The Organization of The True Hearted, or the OTH.

While in Russia, the mysterious leader of the OTH showed Kimberly a serum that mimicked the effects of the full moon had on a werewolf's bones, blood and mind so that a person could change into a blood thirsty, ravaging monster no matter the cycle of the moon. It was created for the soul purpose to destroy a werewolf's enemy: the Vampire. It was a serum Victor was given plenty of, a serum he and Kimberly would learn to test and then us on their own child. Christopher.



Leopold excused himself to from the table and went over to the bar for another drink. Kimberly reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone to text message Victor under the table. She quickly typed in her message and sent it.

"I'm here with the main one, Divernet. Where's Christopher? Get the serum in him NOW!" she wrote.

"Vodka tonic." Leopold said placing the drinks down on the table.

"Thank you. So tell me again this story of yours. You're Carolyn's husband's cousin or something?" Kimberly said trying to stall time for Victor who still hadn't returned her text.

"That's right. Jack Thorne was my cousin on my mother's side. We were close, you could say. Very close. I'm so sad that he's gone." Leopold said, spewing more of his cover story.

Kimberly hadn't any proof that he was lying other then the fact she didn't see his reflection in a mirror as they left Collinwood. The red flags were waving but she only could pin down one. And still, no reply from Victor. She began to get nervous.

"Is everything ok? I know that you've had a terrible few days." Leopold noting her strange behavior.

"My son. He and I had an argument earlier today before I was discharged. It's been a very tough few years for the both of us. I have been gone so long so reincorporating myself, I guess I should have done it slower rather than just show up." Kimberly said in a moment of real sincerity.

"Caleb is a good man. I'm sure he'll come around." Leopold said.

As the two continued to drink and make small talk, Caleb and Kat walked into the Blue Wale. Perfect timing for Kat, the worst for Caleb who didn't want to see his mother at that moment.

"Great." Caleb said standing at the door.

"What is it?" Kat asked confused.

"The one person you don't want to see, and she's right there. My cheating, lying mother." Caleb said harshly.

Kat  noticed that Kimberly was with Leopold and she couldn't let Caleb ruin this moment for her. She needed to convince him that they should all sit together so that she could talk to Leopold and get more info on who he really was.

"Come on! Let's go say hello. You can't stay mad forever." Kat said to an annoyed Caleb as she dragged him over to Kim and Leopold's table.

"Caleb! I've been trying to get a hold of you all day." Kimberly said reaching for her son and a hug.

"I know. I've been busy." Caleb replied coldly. "Kat you remember Leopold, Leopold this is Detective Banning." Caleb added re-introducing them.

"We met briefly at the night of the fire. Good to see you weren't hurt." Kat said making herself more comfortable in the booth.

Leopold smirked and nodded in agreement. He was getting a very strange vibe from Kat, a vibe that to him was making him uncomfortable, like she knew more then she was leading on. He could tell she was very interested in him, in a way that sparked his suspicion.

"Tell me Miss Banning, how long have you been a detective?" Leopold probed attempting to change the subject.

"About 2 years now. It's hard job, doing this. Especially in moments like when we found Jack in the bay, for no reason at all, boom....there's a dead body in front of you. Mysteries ..you know? I have to be honest here now that I mentioned Jack. I don't buy it that Jack Thorne killed himself. Has the family had any speculation on to why he would have?" Kat said putting all her cards on the table.

Leopold and Caleb both knew the truth, that Jack was actually Leopold under a terrible witch's spell and that the body found near the docks was someone Leopold had planted as a cover up, but they hadn't anticipated Kat continuing to pursue the now closed case.

"I'm sorry, I don't follow." Kimberly interjected.

"Neither do I! It's a very bizarre story to follow." Kat said sarcastically as she took a sip of her cold beer.

Caleb looked at Leopold, the two feeling like sitting ducks for Kat's inquires.

"The fact of the matter is Detective Banning, Jack is dead. That's all. It's a terrible and unfortunate thing, and to have a family member's suicide brought up like this is in a place like this, is highly inappropriate." Leopold responded. "I think this is where I'll take my leave." He added as he excused himself from the table.

"Kimberly thank you for your company this evening, I'll see the two of you back on Collinwood, Caleb may I see you outside for a second." Leopold continued as he motioned for Caleb to come outside with him.

Caleb, weary of what Leopold needed to ask him put his leather jacket back on and followed Leopold out into the cold night air and met Leopold in front of the Blue Wale pub.

"Listen, Leo, Sorry about that, she's a detective, it's her job to---" Caleb said as he was interrupted by Leopold who's eyes had turned angry.

"Get rid of her." Leopold said in a deep and menacing voice, as he buttoned his pea-coat high around his neck and walked off into the night fog and leaving Caleb outside looking at Kat and Kimberly through the window.

****

Alexandra and Christopher continued to make their way over to Collinwood, running as fast as they could to the main house to warn Carolyn and tell her what had just happened in the cemetery. As they did, a jeep, hidden from their view, sat covered in brush just outside the main gates; left empty and abandoned by its owner. It was Victor's jeep. His cell phone still sounding a reminding "beep" for the message Kimberly sent.

Victor, unaware of Kim's text, was crouched down in the bushes, dressed in all black and waiting for the right moment to do what he knew he had to do to complete the mission he and Kimberly had taken on. A mission to rid the town of Collinsport of the evils the Collins family brought to life on their land and in their home.

He waited patiently for the right time to strike and then there it was, the perfect moment. Alexandra and Christopher made their way around to the main entrance of the west wing that was undamaged by Claudia's fire. They were in a hurried pace to get inside to warn Carolyn of Claudia's release.

As Alexandra reached to open the door Victor pulled out a rifle and placed his own son in the cross-hairs and whispered to himself a small quiet prayer that his aim was perfect.

A tiny bead of sweat dripped down Victor's forehead and he pulled the trigger.

The blast shocked Alex and Chris both. Alex screamed as it startled her and she looked over at Chris standing behind her, his face had changed.

"Chris? CHRIS?" She yelled as Chris's arms reached out to her.

Then a second and third shot came, all three targeted to Christopher's back knocking him to the ground.

Alexandra screamed again as she fell to her knees and inspected the bullets, only to her surprise the gun had only fired three small darts. Darts that were loaded  with the serum that would turn Christopher back into his werewolf-self. The werewolf that would bring down every last Collins family member.

Series 2/Chapter 3: PANDORA'S BOX

The full moon had revealed Collinsport's hidden demons once again. A werewolf, secretly hidden away by his own father was now seeing his own life was a sham, that he'd been lied to about what he was, where he came from, and what he was meant to be. The feeling of betrayal swam through his veins like a raging river. Christopher was completely confused and upset. He threw the photos at his father and grabbed his coat from the sitting chair next to him.

"Where are you going?" Victor asked following his son to the front door.

"Don't! Leave me alone. Just...leave me alone!" Christopher said jumping into his own car and locking the door.

He picked up his phone and text Alexandra: "I need to see you. Now."

****

Kat and Loomis were writing up paper work at the police department on what they saw the night of the  fire at Collinwood when another police officer walked over and handed Loomis a missing person's form from a small town about 60 miles away from Collinsport.

"Whats this?" Loomis asked.

"Doesn't the guy in the photo look like the body that was pulled out of the bay a few weeks back?" The cop asked.

This caught Kat's interested and she stood up and snatched the paper from the cop's hands. It did look like same man Carolyn, Alexandra, Caleb and Leopold identified as Jack Thorne.

"Well, well, well. Either Jack Thorne has a twin brother  who happens to be a missing homeless man  named Frank Moore, or the Collins family have some explaining to do." Kat said.

"You're serious." Loomis said dryly.

"Yes, I am! From the beginning I've been saying something was odd about Jack's supposed suicide, and now we actually have some proof that there was some kind of cover up. Look for yourself Loo!" Kat said handing the flyer form back to Loomis.

"Wait wait wait! Let's just calm down, ok Kat, how are you going to prove any of this? You can't just go in there accusing this whole family of...I don't know what? What are you accusing them of exactly?" Loomis asked skeptically. 

"What you don't believe there's something fishy going on here? Look at this photo, I mean the guy we pulled out of the bay was a little water logged and gross but it's definitely the same guy.  I'm not sure Jack Thorne is dead Loomis. And if he is, where is his body? It wasn't the guy we fished out of the bay, I feel it in my gut." Kat explained. 

"Maybe you need to get a little more info from your boyfriend." Loomis teased. 

Even if he was teasing   her, Kat knew Loomis was right, if she was going to get anywhere with her theory that the family was hiding something she had to break Caleb. 

As Loomis got up to file their paper work Kat called Caleb to set up s meeting, and Caleb who was dealing with the mess his mother Kimberly had gotten him into needed a distraction. 

"I'll be home in an hour. Meet me there." Caleb's voice said over the phone. 

Kat left Loomis a note and snatched her jacked from the back of her chair and zoomed out of the police station, gun in holster.

****

At Collinwood, Carolyn and Alexandra were still in the Blue Room as dusk approached. The night was creeping in, the perfect time for Leopold to make his appearance. He came into the Blue Room and felt a strange vibe coming from Carolyn and Alex. Being that they had just survived a fire the night before, he figured it was all part of the trauma and didn't think twice.

Claudia,  however, knew that he would sense something strange in the room now that she was possessing the body of Alex and decided it was the perfect time to make her exit to avoid detection.

"Leopold! You don't have to stand at the door, please come in." Carolyn said, ushering Leopold over.

"How are you two feeling this evening? He asked as he sat across from them, starting to notice  something different about Alex, just as Claudia predicted. "Are you alright Alexandra?" He asked, squinting his eyes, as the energy from her aura began to glow red.

Alex nervously smiled and stood up taking a stack of magazines back to a coffee table on the other side of the room. "Never better!" She quickly shot back. "I have a friend coming over to see me in a few minutes. I'm going to meet him out side. I'll see you later." Alex said kissing her mother on the cheek.

"Is she alright?" Leopold questioned Carolyn once Alex was out of the room.

"I think so. She's probably just tired. Last night was...it was insane!" Carolyn said with a laugh. "We were talking about some old family stories, so maybe that put her off too. I want to thank you for everything too Leopold. You saved our lives!"

"It was nothing, really.  No matter what. You're Jack's family and Jack is still a part of me." He said with a forced smile, his pale skin almost glowing in the setting sun light.

Even though Carolyn knew their time together had ended, and she was legally a widow, she still loved Jack, and Leopold having Jack's much younger face, a face that reminded Carolyn of their younger years made it all that much more bitter-sweet.  Could she ever let go of Jack's memory knowing that he was living just outside her door in the old Collinwood mansion behind the main house? Only time would tell.

As the two made small talk over tea and Carolyn explained some of the details of the reconstruction of the East wing, Kimberly, freshly discharged from the hospital, made her way into the Blue Room much to Leopold's delight, and Carolyn's disdain.

"Carolyn have you spoken to Caleb. Something's happened." Kimberly said without even a hello.

"Whats happened?" Carolyn asked worrying for her cousin.

"He came to see me at the hospital and Victor was there."

Carolyn knew this day would come, a day she promised Caleb's father David she would do her best to protect Caleb from.

"You told him, didn't you?" Carolyn said standing up to face Kimberly.

"He walked in on Victor and I talking I had to. He was starting to put two and two together. I had no choice but to tell him." Kimberly explained.

"Leopold, will you give Kimberly and I some privacy." Carolyn asked coldly.

"Of course." Leopold said, as he made his way to the door and hid around the corner to listen.

"Is that why you came back to Collinsport? To bring more pain to Caleb? Kimberly, when you and David divorced I stayed out of it as best I could. I saw how it destroyed David. We all agreed that your affair with Victor would be kept a secret and even knowin that I've agreed to let you to stay here, for Caleb's sake, but let me make one thing clear: if Caleb even makes the slightest mention that he wants you gone, I promise you, I will make sure of it. Consider this a warning." 

"You've always been one to make things that weren't about you about you and this couldn't be less about you. I just want to tell him my side of things" Kimberly said.

"Fine. Do what you want but when you do, know that truth isn't on your side." Carolyn warned as she walked out of the blue room, pushing Kimberly to one side and not noticing an eavesdropping Leopold hiding in the shadows.

Kimberly was unfazed byCarolyn's threats. She fully expected Carolyn to attempt to poison her son's mind about the divorce, but that had no connection to the real reasons, the mission Kimberly was brought back to Collinsport would all be revealed.

"Are you ok?" Leopold said walking back in.

To him, Kimberly was a vision. A beautiful striking blond who's eyes were like pools of turquoise. He was in love.

"Oh! Yes! Carolyn and I haven't exactly been the best of friends. But that'll change." Kimberly said sitting down on the pale blue sofa.

"She's a very nice woman. I trust that whatever the situation between you will be resolved. " Leopold said as he started to make his way out of the room.

"Hey! Wait! It's been....God...it's been a very insane day. Would you like to get a drink with me? At The Blue Wale downtown? I need to get out for a second." Kimberly asked.

Leopold felt like a child at Christmas, filled with excitement and joy. "Yes! I'd love to!" he said as she smiled sweetly and interlinked their arms.

Kimberly stood up and grabbed Leopold's arm and interlocked it with hers and the two  made their way past the scorched foyer and at the top of the stairs stood Carolyn. Her eyes burned with jealousy. Kimberly had wiggled her way back into her family. Something she knew she had to put a stop to. But could she she stop it before Kimberly and Victor's plan was set into motion? 

****

In the gardens outside of Collinwood, Alexandra waited in the brisk night air for Christopher. She paced back and fourth on the cobble stone courtyard under trees that had been burned by the winter ice and watched from shadows of the trees as Leopold and Kimbelry dashed off to the Blue Wale.

"Alex!" Chris said as he stepped into the other side of the courtyard.

"Hi!" Claudia responded in Alex's voice.

"I'm so glad to see you." Chris said, kissing her sweetly on the lips.

Claudia hand't felt a kiss in a very long time,  but she didn't expect what came with Christopher's. His  was different and powerful. As soon as their lips touched, the memories and events from the night of the full moon flooded into Claudia's mind like a horror picture show. Everything from the fight with this father, to his transformation into a werewolf and  the car accident and seein Leopold in the forest were vivid memories now in her own mind.

Claudia now knew Christopher's abilities. She realized that if she could some how be released from her sarcophagus prison In the cemetery she could use Chris's powers for herself.

"I'm so glad I came to see you. Some crazy stuff happened. I don't even know how to explain it." Chris said.

"I'm glad you're here too. I actually need your help with something." Claudia said in Alex's voice.

"Sure. Ok. whats up?" Chris responded.

"Take a walk with me. Come on!" She said grabbing Chris' hand leading him into the fog.

The two continues to walk hand-in-hand along the Collinwood property; through the various small arces of trees and past the nefarious Widow's Hill.  Claudia was taking Chris to the Collins' family mausoleum. She was going to use him to free her!

The waves of the Atlantic ocean crashed along  the cliff-side, angry and violent. The sky was pitch black and the moon was crescent, only revealing a small sliver of light to guide them along their way, but finally, they reached the shadowy, gloomy grave yard where so many of the Collins family members were laid to rest and where Claudia had been trapped by Leopold.

"What are we doing here?" Chris asked confused.

"I need you to go into the main mausoleum, and open up Catherine Collins sarcophagus." Claudia ordered.

"What???? What the hell for?" Chris said furrowing his brow.

"Chris, I need you to do this, I need you to do this for me!" Claudia said in Alex's voice, a voice that swirled out of her throat like a mystical smoke that curled and surrounded Chris and entered his ears and into his brain.

Chris felt lightheaded and dizzy, and began to blink slowly. He turned to the cemetery and in a daze walked in past several tombstones and grave markers. He walked through the light fog that had now placed itself, hovering gracefully in the cold air at knee length, on the above the grave stones.

Alexandra's body still stood at the edge of the gate, possessed by Claudia's evil spirit, waiting and waiting for the moment Christopher finally released her from her stone prison.

Chris walked into the mausoleum, his eyes darted back and fourth searching, and there, in the corner was Catherine's sarcophagus. He walked over and tried to slide the top off, he pushed and pushed and finally on the fourth try, the stone slid open and a light so bright burst from inside. Christopher screamed and fell to the floor backing away with his hands and feet terrified of what was witnessing.

Like the evils of Pandora's Box, Claudia's body rose from the crypt still in her red dress almost as if she was a sleep, simultaneously her spirit leaving Alex's body like black smoke from a bonfire calling her body to float standing up from inside to the front of the cemetery.

  Chris still in a panic followed and saw the Alex had fainted, he watched in terror as the black smoke of Claudia's spirit collide with the body he had just released from a crypt.

He ran over to cover Alex as the two parts of Claudia, spirit and body, melded together in a burst of white powerful energy and disappeared into the night.

"Alex! Alex! Wake up! Alex!" Chris said as Alex came to, rubbing her eyes.

She looked at Christopher, fully aware of what had happened  during and after her possession.

"Oh God." she whispered. "What have we done?"

                                              

Series 2/Chapter 2: THE BLUE ROOM

The tension in Kimberly's hospital room was thick. Victor and Kimberly felt like Caleb trapped them  like rats, but in a way this was what keeping the secret of their connection had come to, exposure at the most inopportune time; it was meant to come out. 

"There are a lot of things you don't understand Caleb!" Kimberly said from her hospital bed. 

"I can see that! What is this guy talking about?" Caleb questioned, placing a bouquet of flowers he has brought his mother on a side table.

Victor knew Kimberly and Caleb needed room to breath, he felt out of place, like a stranger caught in the middle.

"Maybe I should let you two talk." Victor said awkwardly, brushing Kim's blond hair from her forehead before kissing it. "For what it's worth, I'm happy you're safe Caleb. I really am." Victor added as he passed Caleb on his way out. The truth was, he was happy the fire didn't kill Caleb because it would ruin all the plans he had.

"Are you going to tell me what Victor Reed is talking about and why he is even here?" Caleb said sternly. 

"Victor and I .... " Kimberly said trying to ease into the truth but then deciding to just rip off the band-aid. "Caleb, Victor and I were together for a time after your father and I divorced. It was right before I left Collinsport. It didn't work out between us but we remained friends."  

"What?? When were you going to tell me? When were you going to mention you had a second child. I know his son, I know Chris! All this time my own half-brother walked around the same town as me and you never thought it would be a good idea to tell me?" Caleb said infuriated.

"I'm sorry." Kim said, her voice breaking. 

"Is that why dad divorced you? Did you have an affair with Victor?" Caleb said starting to put the pieces together. "That's what Carolyn meant by 'everything you did' to dad. I cant believe this is happening. Why are you here now? WHY DID YOU COME BACK?" 

Kimberly couldn't to answer because there was so much more to her return than just reconnecting with Victor, Caleb and Christopher. The truth was darker and much more convoluted. All she could do was tear up. Caleb picked up the bouquet and handed it to Kimberly. He shook his head and walked out of the hospital room.

"Caleb! Wait! Caleb!" Kimberly yelled but Caleb kept going. 

****

After the fire department had cleared the family to return to the home, Carolyn quickly rounded up a team  at Collinwood that filled the mansion with a flurry of contractors, painters, decorators and builders all busy working on repairing the fire damage in the east wing.

Like her mother Elizabeth, Carolyn wasted no time. If she and her family were going to remain at Collinwood, it was going to be restored with the best money could buy. She and her daughter Alexandra sat at table in a s they called the Blue Room, named after the songbird blue wallpaper panels that adorned the walls.

The room, decorated by Collinwood's first mistress Naomi Collins, was filled with 18th century art and Collins family heirlooms and was located on the western part of the house. Carolyn and Alex sat inside bathed in mid afternoon light enjoying tea as they skimmed through decor and design magazines.

Alexandra went over to the portrait of Barnabas Collins and lifted it up to get a good look at it. The real Alexandra had no feelings about Barnabas, but Claudia, who's soul was still locked deep inside Alex did. Claudia's hate for her father Barnabas was stronger then ever.

"Mother what ever happened to him." Claudia asked motioning towards the portrait in Alex's voice. 

"Barnabas?" Carolyn asked. She paused for a brief moment searching for an explanation of her mysterious relative. "Didn't I tell you? He was involved with this woman, Cassandra, who had at one time been married to Caleb's grandfather and my uncle Roger. They even had a baby girl named Evangeline. It was all very peculiar to be honest because the baby went missing. and Everyone blamed Cassandra who vanished right after that. Barnabas too left Collinsport and from what I heard he died soon after." Carolyn explained as she continued to skim through a design magazine. She had no idea that she was actually talking to Evangeline who was renamed Claudia by the nuns herself, now possessing Alexandra.

Alex's eyes began to water with Claudia's tears..."Evangeline", she whispered to herself. 

"Yes," Carolyn explained. "Barnabas was a complicated man. I adored him, but..."

"But what?" Claudia asked?

"He was complicated. Troubled." Carolyn said, leaving it at that. 

Claudia dabbed her eyes and asked "Can you tell me more?"  With  Alex's voice as she sat back down next to Carolyn and putting Carolyn's hand in hers. "Tell me. Tell me everything about Evangeline's mother." Alex's voice said in a whispery voice that circled Carolyn like smoke.

Carolyn looked up from the design  magazine and took a deep breath, filling her head with Alex's whispery mystical voice that put her in a strange hypnotic trans. The memories of Barnabas' last days came flooding back like the sea that crashed up against Widow's Hill. 

 "Her name was Cassandra but some say her real name was Angelique. I didn't know much about her but she was very beautiful and very mysterious. Like she was hiding something." Carolyn said as her eyes started to blink slowly right before they closed in a hypnotic sleep.

Carolyn opened her mind and Claudia crept in telepathically  and was taken to another time. 

****

COLLINWOOD, December 1971

****

Angelique Bouchard walked into Collinwood. But no one saw. The Collins family had assumed her missing after they believed she was involved with an evil man named Nicholas Blair who schemed to destroy the family. Their assumptions were right. 

The family sat silently in their activity, frozen in a spell of time that made it easy for Angelique to search Collinwood undetected for her baby girl, a baby girl that in reality had been taken from her in at her hideout the middle of the night.  

She searched high and low, but the baby was no where to be found in Collinwood. It was then she confronted him....the one man she believed to be the kidnapper. The one time love of her life: Barnabas Collins. She knew deep down Barnabas he had taken the baby. But taken her where?

As Angelique appeared to Barnabas who was in the Blue Room of Collinwood smoking, she released the time spell and slapped Barnabas across the face. 

"How dare you!" She hissed.

"Get out of here." Barnabas returned stunned at the intruder. "Get out of this house and never come back." 

"What have you done with my child!!?" Angelique demanded desperately. 

"I've saved her from you. She's in a place you and my foolish cousin Roger will never be able to find. She is Safe. And loved." Barnabas said.

"I'll kill you Barnabas. I will kill you for doing this!" Angelique screamed crying and pounding on Barnabas' chest. 

"You know as well as I that that baby's life is better off away from you, away from here. She shouldn't live the kind of life you'd give her. Maybe if her Roger was rid of you sooner and raised her in his own, but not with you here." Barnabas said grabbing Angelique's wrists. 

"You're a fool. Do you really think Roger Collins is my child's father?" Angelique said pulling her wrists out of Barnabas' grip.

Angelique had recently tricked Barnabas' cousin Roger into marrying her all so that she could sink her hands on the family and get closer to her true love Barnabas. The family hated Angelique, or as they knew her by her pseudonym "Cassandra". 

"What are you talking about?" Barnabas growled as he put out his cigarette. 

"You! You're that baby's father Barnabas!" Angelique confessed. "You must remember the night we shared just before I married Roger. It was just you and I...it was passion, it was love. And we made Evangeline. She is yours." 

Barnabas' eyes became enraged. This whole time Angelique had told everyone her new husband Roger Collins was the baby's father, but it was all a lie. 

Like a lightening bolt in a storm he shot over to Angelique knocking over the rococo style chairs, and Dagwood table, his fangs piercing from out of his mouth, his eyes red like two balls of fire. 

"Bite me! Go on! Bite me!" Angelique dared knowing the dangers to both she and Barnabas if he drank witches blood. "Take us both away from here, take us away with one single taste Barnabas and everything will be over." 

Barnabas for a split second thought of the downfall but it was too late, his rage had overcome him and he wanted Angelique, the lying, manipulative, evil witch's games to end. He plunged his fangs into her neck, blood seeped down his throat like molten rock. Her scream echoing from the Blue room  throughout Collinwood as she began to turn to dust in Barnabas' hands.

Barnabas, his hands filled with the Angelique's ashes, his mouth covered in her blood fell to the ground. 

There was silence all around him. The room started to turn dark and then, the sound of a baby's cry. His daughter. A daughter he had not known was his. The cry came and then suddenly silence.

****

COLLINWOOD, PRESENT TIME 

****

"Honey? Honey you're crying." Carolyn said coming out of the trans noticing Alex still holding Barnabas' painting in her hand with tears streaming down her face. 

Those were Claudia's tears. The Blue Room and it's memories that flooded back into her mind from Carolyn's memory was like she was there watching it all unfold in front of her. 

"I was just thinking of Daddy." Alex's voice said as she smiled and gave Carolyn a welcomed hug, while Claudia's reflection, hidden from Carolyn's view, was revealed in a the adjacent window. 

****

Now reaching early evening, Victor arrived home, and there waiting for him was Christopher. Christopher got up and came over to his father and punched him in the face. 

"What have you done to me!?" Christopher asked with tears in his eyes. 

"Chris, you don't understand. Let me explain." Victor said wiping the blood from his lip.

"I found all of these photos and records in your room. I found the basement too, is this me? Am I this.... this thing?" Christopher said showing Victor photos he found of his werewolf alter ego. 

Victor couldn't lie. He knew that someday Christopher would eventually figure it all out. There wasn't any reason now for Victor  to keep it from Chris. It was finally time.

"Yes , it is. But trust me, there is a plan for all of this. You're the soul protector of this town. When the time is right you'll be there to keep us safe. I've been wiating for this this moment for so many years." Victor explained as he rubbed his sore jaw. "Son, your mother's back." 

"She's back? Why? Whats going on and what are you talking about? Protect Collinsport from who?" Chris asked still looking at the photos of himself that he found.

Victor and Kimberly's plans for their son were now time sensitive with every growing day Collinsport was more and more in danger with the Collins family now fully embedded back into the community. Something they knew would get worse if they didn't act now. And Chris was their secret weapon.  

Victor went over to a locked cabinet on the other side of the room then took a key from his key ring and unlocked it. He pulled out a small cedar box that has a slide off top and handed it to Chris.

"Open it." Victor said. 

Christopher opened the box and pulled out syringes with serums and medicines marked CR-1984.   There were also photos of the members of the Collins family, past and present. Every single one.

The very top photo, was Alexandra.

"Son, we have so much work to do, and it's just starting to come together. I need you." Victor said placing his hands on Christopher's shoulders.

Christopher looked through the photos then back at his father,  confused and angry.

"What is this?" Chris asked.

Victor took the photo of Alexandra off the top of the pile and said "Your enemy."

Series 2/Chapter 1: FIERY SECRETS

Deep in the dark woods outside the barriers of Collinswood, Leopold waited for his blood meal. He walked slowly and quietly, his eyes were like lasers, darting back and fourth for an sudden movement from anything with a heartbeat.  Then he saw a small hare that nibbled on some vegetation near a large birch-tree. Leopold's eyes changed into deep red balls, he hissed and pounced on the hare plunging his fangs into it's neck. Blood seeped down the side of his mouth. The pleasure was instant. It wasn't human blood, but for now it would be all he could muster to kill the aching thirst he had without killing anyone else.

As Leopold wiped away the blood from his mouth and his fangs retracted he heard the sound of fire engine sirens off in the distance. It was coming from Collinwood! Leopold ran off in their direction, never noticing to growling and glowing green eyes watching his every move; hidden in the brush.

The eyes moved slowly and suddenly jumped from behind the bushes, it was Christopher, in werewolf form feasting on the remains of the hare Leopold left behind on the icy ground.

Leopold quickly came back to the house and saw some of the rooms on the first floor burning. Without thinking he leapt into the house through a window in the rear east wing  and made his way to the main entrance of the house, there he saw Kimberly laying on the floor covered in soot and  ash. Thick black smoke billowing out from the other end of the room circled him as he covered his mouth and called our to an unresponsive Kimberly.

Carolyn and Caleb were racing down the main stairs, Caleb helping a slower Carolyn by guiding her with by the hand slowly and carefully cover her face from the heat with his leather jacket.

"Hurry! This way!" Leopold said, grabbing Kimberly and putting her over his shoulder.


The four quickly ran over to the west wing of the house and burst through a side door to safety.

Kat, and Loomis stood in front of the Collinwood Mansion in utter shock as east wing smoldered in front of them. Claudia still inside of Alexandra's body cautiously kept her distance as to not be detected.

Leopold placed Kimberly on the ground as she started to come to and the paramedics helped with oxygen masks. All Claudia's disappointment, she had hoped no one would survive.  Still  playing the part of Alexandra, her rage remained deep inside.

"Mom!! Thank God you're ok!?" Claudia said in a perfect mime of Alexandra's voice approaching her mother who was now sitting on the back of an ambulance.

Carolyn smiled through her oxygen mask and put her hand on Alex's head.

"What the hell happened?" Kat asked Caleb as she knelt down near him whoon the front lawn shivering with cold and covered in ash.

"I don't know, we were clearing up a room for my mother to stay in and all of a sudden we smelled smoke. That's when Leopold came in." Caleb explained.

Kat stood up and looked at Leopold sideways. There was something familiar about his face but she couldn't quite tell.

"They're lucky you were around. I don't believe we've met." Kat cautiously said extending her hand.

"Leopold Divernet. I'm Jack's cousin." He said as looked over at Caleb and Carolyn who were hearing the explanation for his identity for the first time. "I'll be staying in the old Collinwood house behind the main house, Carolyn has been so kind as to let me renovate it."

"So you saw the smoke and came out to help?" Loomis asked.

"Exactly." Leopold responded.

Claudia fumed, her eyes filled with hatred and anger. Leopold thwarted her revenge again. She'd have to come up with something much more foolproof and soon.


"Darling, what's wrong? I'm ok." Carolyn said noting Alexandra's strange facial expression.

"Oh! Nothing, nothing. I'm just glad you're ok." Claudia said in Alex's voice.

*     *     *      *

Morning came and the full moon that had brought some much chaos and danger to Collinsport was finally gone.  In the woods just behind the estate, laying in tattered clothes and on frozen grass lay Christopher who's life had been altered forever the night before.

His memory was cloudy and his head was pounding. All he could remember was that he had a scuffle with his father outside the coffee shop where he was supposed to meet Alex. But he didn't understand why there was a scuffle in the first place. The next memory he had was seeing a man in the forest, then waking up where he lay. In the cold alone with a horrible taste in his mouth.

He gathered himself and hoped to recognize where he was. As Christopher moved through the forest he recognized the Collinwood estate and knew exactly where he was. He dashed off to the road and tried to get home undetected, hopefully his father could explain what in the world was going on.

*    *     *      *

Kimberly stayed in the hospital over night. Her breathing was much better and the doctors were going to release her that afternoon. She quietly ate the mess of eggs the nurses had given her for breakfast as Victor walked in. He had received her voice mail and heard about the fire through his Police scanner. Kimberly's face lit up as soon as she saw him.

"Come here! Come here!" She said motioning for Victor to come to her bedside to hug her.

"Are you ok? What happened?" He asked.

"There was a fire. I don't know  how it started. I had a little breathing trouble and they brought me here. My god what happened to you?" Kimberly asked of Victor's injuries from the brawl with Christopher.

"It was Chris. He went off last night to find Alex right before he changed. I couldn't get him home in time. This is what he did to me, he escaped. " Victor said to a stunned Kimberly.

"He was out there alone like that? Have you heard from  him today?" Kimberly said whispering.

"No, not yet. But I'm sure he's out there completely confused. I'm going to go look for him as soon as I leave here." Victor assured.

Victor smiled and leaned in. He kissed Kimberly passionately. And whispered "I'll find our son."

"Your son? What is he talking about mom?" Caleb said as he stepped into Kimberly's hospital room. Caleb knew who Victor was from town, but had no idea Victor knew his mother, especially knew her this well.

  *   *    *   *

Back at Collinwood, Carolyn and Alexandra (who was still possessed by the witch Claudia) surveyed the damage from the mysterious fire.  All Carolyn knew was that the fire Marshall said it started in the Library. Possibly by a candle that had turned over lit the drapes on fire. But Carolyn swore there was no one in there.

"It's going to be quite expensive to get all this fixed, on top of all the regular repairs were already had planned for the house." Carolyn said inspecting the library with Alex and Leopold.

"Strange, when I left I didn't see anyone in the Library as I had to pass it to to leave. How do you suppose it happened?" Leopold said bringing in the undamaged painting of Barnabas Collins from the other room.

"I don't know. But, it happened! So we'll have to fix it. I refuse to continue to see all this as a negative. It's going to be a fresh start for Collinwood. My family has lived here for over 300 years, in both houses. And now it's time to really give this place the renovation it deserves! What do you say?" Carolyn said trying to make a depressing moment into a happy one. "We're together, and that's what matters!" She continued as she gave Alex a great big hug.

As Carolyn embraced her daughter Alexandra, Alex smiled a half smile and hugged her back. She stared into the mirror that was across the room. Only in the reflection was the face of Claudia Bauchard looking back; the witch set on revenge against the Ancestors of Barnabas Collins and had set the fire and tried to kill the family.

Even though that plan failed, she had many, many more plans in store. Her revenge on  Barnabas Collins for kidnapping her and taking her away from her family would be paid on his ancestors, one way or another.