Alexandra rested up in her room after her rescue from the secret room. Alone, she worried about her mother, and awaited news from David in Boston on her recovery. She also mourned the loss of her cousin Caleb, someone she looked up to and thought of as her brother.
As she sat at her window, veiled in all black to cover the horror that she had become due to Claudia's poisoned tea leaves, a knock came at her door. Alex, as quickly as she could, jumped from the chair at the her window and grabbed a pair of leather cloves that were on her dresser to cover her aged hands. She carefully walked over to the door and opened it. It was Christopher.
"Hi." He said softly. "I wanted to come and see if you needed anything."
"I'm fine thank you." Alex said in a muffled voice, dressed in all black, the veil set perfectly over her face like the bride at a funeral rather than a wedding.
"You know you don't have to wear that thing around me. I doesn't matter what ---" Chris said just before being interrupted.
"It does matter! You have no idea what she did to me Christopher. Every day it gets worse too. Whatever she did, whatever was in that tea is aging me at a rapid pace........ I don't know how far it will go." Alex said walking herself back to the window that over looked over the front of Collinwood manor.
"What should we do? Why You can't reverse this?" Chris asked.
"I don't know. I'm too scared to try. What if I can't? What if I will never be the same again?" Alex worried.
"We'll find away Alex." He responded.
"So much has happened, and my mother has been so strong through it all. I don't know how she'll react to whats been done to me. It might just push her over the edge. Maybe I shouldn't stay here...maybe I should go!" Alex wondered out loud.
"This is your home Alex, nothing would make anyone in your family abandon you, especially not this. We'll figure something out." Chris said rushing over and kneeling next to Alex at her chair.
He grabbed her hand and squeezed it, then looked deep into the dark mass of blackness that was the veils surrounding Alex's ravaged face. He saw just the outline of her face but could not make anything else out. It chilled him to the bone. But he knew somewhere in there was the real Alexandra. The one he fell in love with, the one who had been bewitched by the calculating Claudia Bouchard.
He released her hand and carefully grabbed the edges of the veil and began to lift, but Alex grabbed his wrists and stopped him doing so.
"No." She whispered.
"Alex you've seen me at my worst, I'm pretty sure there's nothing that can be as bad as that." he responded noting how he too has a tendency to morph into an ungodly thing every full moon, a transformation Alex herself witnessed on the door step of Collinwood.
Chris then continued to slowly lift the various dark veils Alex had over her face. One by one like sheer layers of a black onion, revealing a face withered by a curse that mimicked the hands of time. Alex had become a woman in her 90s in only a matter of days, but it wasn't the fact that she seemed aged that was so horrifying, it was the fact that someone had done this to her out of spite, out of malice. A last ditch effort of jealousy to keep two people who might mean something to each other apart.
Chris was indeed shocked at Alex's sate. The young beautiful woman he knew with the sparkling blue eyes and the golden hair was gone, what remained was a woman he didn't recognize. She was grey and pale. Old and haggard. Although his shock was real, he did not show that to Alex. He kept his composure and smiled a soft kind smile, because even though everything around her had changed, he could still see the same Alex deep in her eyes, just like she could see the same Chris during his moon lit transformations.
"See, that wasn't so hard was it?" He said sweetly.
"How am I going to explain this to my mother? I can't let her see me like this Chris, I don't know how she'll take it. First my father and Leopold, and now this? Not to mention everything that's happened in between. She just won't be able to handle it, I know it." Alex lamented as Chris paused to think.
"Well....there might be away...." Chris suggested.
"How?" Alex questioned.
"What about that book, the one you found in the attic a while back remember?" Christopher proposed.
"The spell book? I couldn't! I mean, I could, but....it was so powerful." Alex said also pausing to think. "I'm afraid of it's power. Opening that book brings in so much energy to this house. I don't know if I would be able to control it." Alex confessed..
"Alex, at this point I don't see what we have to lose. If it has anything in there that can help you reverse this and get you back to normal I think it's worth it. I'll be right here with you. You won't be alone. What do you say?" Chris said grabbing hold of Alex's gloved hands.
"Why are you being so kind to me? After all I did to you." Alex asked as she looked into Chris' deep dark eyes.
Chris took a moment to think before speaking. Alex was right. She didn't necessarily deserve his kindness, especially after she destroyed the last vials of antidote that would have killed off the mutated werewolf DNA his body carried months ago, but they had something in common. But the fact of the matter was they had both been played by Claudia.
"Claudia took advantage of us, she used us. She took whatever good that was in us for herself. This whole time I believed she loved me but the truth is she used me to get to a part of her that she never had...she wanted to live life in a more human way, no matter what the cost was." Chris explained.
Alexandra then took a second to compose her own thoughts, then caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror and noticed how her face was now even older than she remembered. Her eyes began to water ... all because of Claudia's jealously. She made her choice.
"Let's find Angelique's spell book one last time." Alex said confidently.
"Sounds like a plan!" Chris said with a grin. "Where is it?"
Alexandra paused when she suddenly remembered who took the book when they last used it at the seance. Chris, wouldn't be too happy when he found out.
She turned to Christopher and took a breath before divulging the books whereabouts:
"At the old house. With Barnabas Collins."
Chris, the werewolf, stood silent realizing they had to trek into the layer of one of the most formidable vampires ever known, a man who manipulated him into using his transformation to kill Leopold in a forceful power grab that changed the landscape of Collinwood in one bloody battle.
A man that was capable of anything.
****
A small clock on the large fire place in the library ticked away the minutes of the night. Kat, who was using the library to send an email, had planned on going back to work the following week at the Collinsport Police Department after a long break, but just sent a painful message saying that she would have to stay off the force until further notice to due to the death of her boyfriend and now pregnancy. It was all so tragic. The life she held in her body appeared just as the life in Caleb's was vanquished. As she clicked SEND on her email, she couldn't help but feel hopeless. Everything, now, was so uncertain.
She slowly lifted herself over to a large window and peered out onto the sea. Her glazed look was a result of a flood of memories of Caleb. How she missed him. Her tear stained face glistened with the light of candles fluttering near her. She couldn't bare to turn on the actual lights. The darkness suited her mood now that Caleb was dead. Her emotions and pain were dark and gloomy, why should any part of her come into the light?
"Kat?....." A voice said from behind.
Kat turned and it was Kimberly, still without a single memory of the night before thanks to Barnabas' mind control at Windcliff.
She was dressed in mourners black, her face white as a ghost. The grief of a mother over her child was written all over her face and in her voice.
"..there's someone here to see you." Kimberly continued softy as she opened the door letting in the guest.
Kat wiped her face, clearing away any sign of tears as her brother Sebastian walked into the library, causally avoiding Kim who he knew to have recently defected The Origination they both secretly worked for. Their eyes met as they passed each other but, there was only a blankness in Kim's head.
Sebastian's tall frame and perfect smile brought a bit of light into the room, but Kat was still understandably upset.
"How are you holding up?" Sebastian asked as he gave his sister a hug.
"Kat?....." A voice said from behind.
Kat turned and it was Kimberly, still without a single memory of the night before thanks to Barnabas' mind control at Windcliff.
She was dressed in mourners black, her face white as a ghost. The grief of a mother over her child was written all over her face and in her voice.
"..there's someone here to see you." Kimberly continued softy as she opened the door letting in the guest.
Kat wiped her face, clearing away any sign of tears as her brother Sebastian walked into the library, causally avoiding Kim who he knew to have recently defected The Origination they both secretly worked for. Their eyes met as they passed each other but, there was only a blankness in Kim's head.
Sebastian's tall frame and perfect smile brought a bit of light into the room, but Kat was still understandably upset.
"How are you holding up?" Sebastian asked as he gave his sister a hug.
"I'm not even sure how to answer that, it doesn't even feel real yet. You know when someone dies people always say they keep expecting their loved one to walk in? It's true. I keep waiting for him to walk right through the door to be with me, to be with our baby."
Sebastian's face froze with the news of the new baby. He knew that Caleb and Kat were getting more serious but had no idea a baby was in the cards. And he knew what that would mean for The Organization...a baby Collins was a big, big turn of events.
Sebastian's face froze with the news of the new baby. He knew that Caleb and Kat were getting more serious but had no idea a baby was in the cards. And he knew what that would mean for The Organization...a baby Collins was a big, big turn of events.
"Wait .... Baby?" Sebastian said shaking his head as if there water in his ears.
"I'm pregnant Bash. Caleb and I are having a baby and I never got a chance to tell him." Kat said with more tears in her eyes.
"Oh my god, Kat! Congratulations." He said pulling his mourning sister in a bittersweet hug.
"Bash wait.... Wait wait!" Kat said to Sebastian pulling him off. "You have a lot of explaining to do. Just before David came back I found out something about you. Why were you working at Windcliff Sanitarium... David was there this whole time and you never mentioned him." Kat continued as her composure returned.
Sebastian was caught off guard. He came to Collinwood to comfort his mourning sister and had no idea she had discovered his secret job, now there was the question how much did she know and what was he going to have to do to his own sister to continue to protect The Organization? Especially the biggest secret of them all: Victoria Winters' plans.
"I had to keep it low, it's in my contract. The patients at Windcliff need everyone who works there to keep their discretion I was obligated to. I'm sorry. I know it seems shady. But really there's ntohing to it." Sebastian said lying through his perfect teeth.
Kat squinted at her brother noting something was off but she couldn't tell what. They were at time so close that the could read each other's minds, but something was definitely different about him.
"So you had to lie and say you worked somewhere totally different? How does that make any sense?" She answered.
"You know how all this legal stuff is, sis, it's just...look it's a good job, it pays well and I didn't want to mess anything up. If I had known David was there, I would have said something, but I wasn't that close to know patients by their last names. I had to keep my distance." Sebastian said keeping up the lie, knowing full well he knew the whole time who and why David Collins was locked away for so long.
Kat squinted at her brother noting something was off but she couldn't tell what. They were at time so close that the could read each other's minds, but something was definitely different about him.
"So you had to lie and say you worked somewhere totally different? How does that make any sense?" She answered.
"You know how all this legal stuff is, sis, it's just...look it's a good job, it pays well and I didn't want to mess anything up. If I had known David was there, I would have said something, but I wasn't that close to know patients by their last names. I had to keep my distance." Sebastian said keeping up the lie, knowing full well he knew the whole time who and why David Collins was locked away for so long.
Kat was too tired to continue questioning. She sighed and turned to the over-sized brown leather sofa and landed like a ton of bricks, snuggling up in a warm blanket as a frigid breeze strolled through the room, a constant reminder that the house itself seemed to breath.
Sebastian walked over and sat next to his sister and placed his hand on her head comfortingly.
Sebastian walked over and sat next to his sister and placed his hand on her head comfortingly.
"Are you mad?" He asked flashing his irresistible mega watt smile again at his emotionally vulnerable sister.
Kat was in no mood to mull things over with her brother. All the hurt and sadness were all too much for her. All she wanted to do was sleep and say nothing.
Kat was in no mood to mull things over with her brother. All the hurt and sadness were all too much for her. All she wanted to do was sleep and say nothing.
"At this point Bash all I want is Carolyn to come home, and everything at this house to go back to normal. So no... I'm not mad, I don't know what I am. Just .... From now on, no secrets between us ok?" Kat smiled and playfully gave her brother a little smack on the forehead.
"Ok ok! How about I run over to the kitchen grab us some hot chocolate and cookies and we start thinking of names for that new Baby Banning growing that stomach!" Sebastian said smiling as he went towards the library door.
"Collins.... Baby Collins." Kat corrected.
"Oh. Right." Sebastian answered uncomfortably.
Sebastian quietly and quickly made his way to a small side room just off the hallway from the library. He carefully pushed the door open, and noticed the lights were on. He pushed the door fully and looked around in the room but no one was inside. He pulled out his cell phone and frantically died Victoria.
"Vicky, it's Sebastian. .... Yes I'm at Collinwood and I have some news." Sebastian said. "You're not going to believe this. It's my sister. She's having Caleb's baby........That's right a new blood born Collins." He added coldly of his sister's unborn.
What Sebastian had yet to learn about Collinwood was that every empty room was never really empty. There were eyes and ears located in every corner. Some are painted on portraits, some are deep within the spiritual realm that roam the halls, but others, others are a live and well dwelling in the shadows waiting for their moment to strike.
In the edges of the room, in darkened corner listening to it all was Barnabas hidden from view doing what he did best: plotting his next move with this new bit of information. What he would do with it proved wold be the biggest coup of them all, and essential to protecting a future Collinwood and the Collins family--every member: alive, dead and unborn.
As Sebastian dashed back out into the hallway and towards the massive kitchen Barnabas slithered his way too out of his shadowy corner and into the hallway. He slowly crept his way through the hall and saw that Sebastian had left the library door slightly open. Barnabas took a peek through the open door and saw Kat standing in the room reading over various books as she awaited Sebastian's return. Barnabas had to find out for himself if it was true. Was Kat really pregnant?
"Time goes on and ticks away like the hands of a clock. Time goes on until I tell it to stop...sleep now, sleep away this night. Sleep now and keep my out of sight." Barnabas said whispering a hypnotic chant.
Barnabas' whisper then left his lips and flowed into the room like smoke from a freshly lit cigarette. It crept in stealthily and curled around Kat, without her even noticing then stopping her dead in her tracks. Her eyes began to blink slowly and become heavy. She dropped the book to the floor. The drowsiness from the Barnabas' smoke like whisper caused her to drift into a quick sleep. Kat curled up on the large leather sofa and nodded off.
The perfect moment for Barnabas to slip in undetected.
The moment he noticed her asleep he walked in, quiet as a mouse, and stood over the beautiful sleeping Kat. He could feel the power of two heartbeats beating stronger and stronger. It was true, she was indeed carrying a child, and the baby was very strong.
In the edges of the room, in darkened corner listening to it all was Barnabas hidden from view doing what he did best: plotting his next move with this new bit of information. What he would do with it proved wold be the biggest coup of them all, and essential to protecting a future Collinwood and the Collins family--every member: alive, dead and unborn.
As Sebastian dashed back out into the hallway and towards the massive kitchen Barnabas slithered his way too out of his shadowy corner and into the hallway. He slowly crept his way through the hall and saw that Sebastian had left the library door slightly open. Barnabas took a peek through the open door and saw Kat standing in the room reading over various books as she awaited Sebastian's return. Barnabas had to find out for himself if it was true. Was Kat really pregnant?
"Time goes on and ticks away like the hands of a clock. Time goes on until I tell it to stop...sleep now, sleep away this night. Sleep now and keep my out of sight." Barnabas said whispering a hypnotic chant.
Barnabas' whisper then left his lips and flowed into the room like smoke from a freshly lit cigarette. It crept in stealthily and curled around Kat, without her even noticing then stopping her dead in her tracks. Her eyes began to blink slowly and become heavy. She dropped the book to the floor. The drowsiness from the Barnabas' smoke like whisper caused her to drift into a quick sleep. Kat curled up on the large leather sofa and nodded off.
The perfect moment for Barnabas to slip in undetected.
The moment he noticed her asleep he walked in, quiet as a mouse, and stood over the beautiful sleeping Kat. He could feel the power of two heartbeats beating stronger and stronger. It was true, she was indeed carrying a child, and the baby was very strong.
"A new generation to carry on our history feels so solid and secure yet in these times feels so fragile and delicate." Barnabas thought as the beating of Kat and her baby's hearts ran deep in his ears.
For a few moments he watched her sleep peacefully. A beautiful specimen of a woman that he would have found himself enamored with had this been a different time. Her dark raven hair strewn across the sofa like waves of mocha. Her perfect skin was almost glowing in the candle light.
Caleb had chosen a gorgeous partner to carry on the Collins legacy.
The truth at hand however, was staring him dead in the face: Sebastian's phone call. Just what did Vickie want with the baby? And how was she going to use it in her revenge plot? It was a dangerous mystery that had to be unraveled by Barnabas himself.
Barnabas knelt down next to Kat's sleeping body and hovered his hand above her stomach. His oval ring sparkled in the candle light. He felt a sense of pride almost, that finally a new Collins family member would be born and in the wake of Caleb's death. The family would continue on stronger.
"There's nothing alive or dead that would keep me from protecting you, young Collins. Victoria will not succeed with her devious plan, so long as their is life in my own body. I will not allow it. Mark my words. May you grown strong and fast. A child of exceptional beauty and power to reach your destiny here in this world of mortals." Barnabas whispered over the sleeping Kat.
He then got to his feet, and fastened his coat around his neck and slithered off through a secret passage in the Library walls leaving Kat alone. As soon as Barnabas was gone she suddenly awakened.
Kat sat up in on the sofa and looked around. She couldn't remember going over to the sofa and laying down. She looked around again, feeling an odd sense that she was being watched when Sebastian came in bursting through the door startling Kat.
"Are you ok?" Sebastian asked with his hands tied up in two mugs of hot chocolate.
"I'm fine, just a little woozy. It's nothing." Kat said feeling something grumble in her stomach. She smiled a nervous smile then motioned for Sebastian to bring over the hot chocolate.
The feeling never left her that night. She constantly felt eyes on her no matter where she was in the entire house. And she wasn't wrong. Undetected, dwelling among the shadows two piercing eyes continued to float in the darkness watching over Kat. It was Barnabas acting like a guard at her side without her even ever seeing his face.
For a few moments he watched her sleep peacefully. A beautiful specimen of a woman that he would have found himself enamored with had this been a different time. Her dark raven hair strewn across the sofa like waves of mocha. Her perfect skin was almost glowing in the candle light.
Caleb had chosen a gorgeous partner to carry on the Collins legacy.
The truth at hand however, was staring him dead in the face: Sebastian's phone call. Just what did Vickie want with the baby? And how was she going to use it in her revenge plot? It was a dangerous mystery that had to be unraveled by Barnabas himself.
Barnabas knelt down next to Kat's sleeping body and hovered his hand above her stomach. His oval ring sparkled in the candle light. He felt a sense of pride almost, that finally a new Collins family member would be born and in the wake of Caleb's death. The family would continue on stronger.
"There's nothing alive or dead that would keep me from protecting you, young Collins. Victoria will not succeed with her devious plan, so long as their is life in my own body. I will not allow it. Mark my words. May you grown strong and fast. A child of exceptional beauty and power to reach your destiny here in this world of mortals." Barnabas whispered over the sleeping Kat.
He then got to his feet, and fastened his coat around his neck and slithered off through a secret passage in the Library walls leaving Kat alone. As soon as Barnabas was gone she suddenly awakened.
Kat sat up in on the sofa and looked around. She couldn't remember going over to the sofa and laying down. She looked around again, feeling an odd sense that she was being watched when Sebastian came in bursting through the door startling Kat.
"Are you ok?" Sebastian asked with his hands tied up in two mugs of hot chocolate.
"I'm fine, just a little woozy. It's nothing." Kat said feeling something grumble in her stomach. She smiled a nervous smile then motioned for Sebastian to bring over the hot chocolate.
The feeling never left her that night. She constantly felt eyes on her no matter where she was in the entire house. And she wasn't wrong. Undetected, dwelling among the shadows two piercing eyes continued to float in the darkness watching over Kat. It was Barnabas acting like a guard at her side without her even ever seeing his face.