Do you hear something calling you....

  Barnabas walked fast towards Collinwood. Knowing Angelique, he was sure she would use the most cruel and painful ways to take her revenge.
 He hurry back inside and met Victoria herself in hallway.
"My dear Victoria, what on earth you are doing awake at this time?" Barnabas asked.
"Where have you been?" Victoria asked. She was pale and serious.
Barnabas sighed and watched her carefully, "Are you alright?"
"Answer my question Barnabas, I will answer yours."
Barnabas narrowed his eyes slightly, Victoria has never given him orders, and she seemed much colder than he could recall her to ever been before.
"I went to talk to-"
"Angelique" Victoria finished.
"You knew it?"
"I did."
"May I ask, how?"
"I can feel it."
Barnabas looked at her eyes wide, "What do you feel?"
"That I'm running out of time."
"No, I shall not allow it." Barnabas said and took hold of her wrist, walking towards his room.
"Barnabas what is it?" Victoria asked, confused of his sudden actions.
"I will make sure you are safe, and for now I know only one way how Angelique will not be able to touch you anyhow."
Victoria tried to pull her hand free, "Barnabas, aren't you over reacting? There's two of us, Angelique is alone. We can fight back."
"There is two of us, that she can easily kill by throwing us out in sunlight. Trust me my dear, you are not safe."
"None of us is safe, but you cannot lock me to my room and make me sit the and wait as she destroys everything you have left."
"I am not locking you into your room."
Victorias eyes got wide, "What you mean?"
Barnabas opened the door of his room and pulled her in.
"I am very, deeply sorry my dear." He said.
"Barnabas?"
"Please understand I have no other way to keep you safe."
"Barnabas?! What is this? What are you-"
Barnabas opened the coffin he usually slept in, and pushed her in it.
"Please forgive me." He said heavily before locking the door.
He do find something to tie the coffin so she won't break free, blood tears falling down his pale cheeks and he heard Victoria screaming help and begging him not to do this to her.
 Once he was done, he looked at the coffin sadly before he wipe his tears and walked away.
Now he had to find Angelique again. He was sure that whatever she was planning to do for Victoria, she wouldn't be able to hurt her as long as she was locked away.
 He had no idea where she lived, but he had seen which direction she drive her car when she's going back home. He was almost sure he would know which house is hers if he just sees it.
 While he was lockng Victoria away, it had stopped raining. Now he won't soon find Angeliques house, sun would rise and he himself would be in danger to die.
  Desperation hit him when he was able to see the light of sun in the horizon.
That was when he saw Angeliques red sport car.
"Aha, that must be her house."
Trees offered him some protection from sunlight, but the way a to other side of the street to her house had no shadows.
Barnabas took deep breath and looked at the house.
He didn't expect Angelique to come out anytime soon, and trees won't cover him all day.
 After few minutes of considering, he run a cross the street until he was standing front of her door.
His face had got tiny burning marks, as well as his hands, but he would feel himself healing. Slowly but surely.
 He knocked the door and waited. After for while when nothing had happened, he knocked again.
 "I'm coming!" He heard her soft voice, and he could imagine he had just awaken her.
He stand straight and waited as door opened and Angelique stand front of him, wearing seemingly nothing more but bath robe. "Barnabas? What you're doing here? I thought I made myself quite clear last time."
Barnabas cleared his throat, "I want to talk to you."
"Again? Do I have to explode whole damn Collinwood before you believe that I'm serious?"
"Do no such thing! I want you to hear me out. And do not say a word until I am done."
Angelique looked angry already.
"You come to my house and expect me to take orders from you?"
Barnabas sighed, it was indeed difficult to have any kind of conversation with Angelique. He couldn't believe she was same woman he used to know centuries ago, who was so sweet and kind, easy to talk to.
 "It was not order. Request."
"And if I refuse?"
Barnabas thought about that. He couldn't take a risk and make her any more angry before he was safely inside where sunlight would not touch him.
Right now Angelique wouldn't need to do anything else but push him back two or three steps and he would burn to death.
 He had nothing to give that Angelique would want, but he wanted to trust on that he still had ability to charm her.
"Well?" Angelique asked.
"I... I will.. "
Angelique raised eye brow, but before she was able to say anything, he kissed her.
Blinking few times in surprise, she kissed him back.
"Well, that would work." Angelique smiled.
Barnabas closed his eyes for few seconds, already regretting it.
 Angelique stepped aside to let him come in.
As he stepped into her house, he was surprised how nice it was.
Well cleaned and beautiful house had few artistic paintings here and there. The painting of Angelique herself above of fireplace catched his attention.
"When is this done?" He asked curoiusly.
 Angelique watched him carefully. "1845"
"Hm.." Barnabas nodded, still looking at the painting. "Your beauty surely has not disappeared in time."
Angelique smiled, "It never will."
Barnabas looked at her, "If wouldn't know better, I might want to try argue about it. But that would be really foolish after all I have seen."
Angelique looked pleased with that and just nodded.
Barnabas decided it was time to get into the point before he would do anything else he will surely regret.
He stand straight, "Angelique. I am willing to offer you my services at business. Under your command, me and perhaps also Elizabeth, would do whatever job you have to offer."
Angelique raised eyebrow. "Do you think I need your services with my business? That was my offer for you Barnabas, and you turned it down."
"Regretably so. Now I ask you to reopen this deal."
"No."
"Angelique, if you have any love left for me, I beg you. Do this kindness to me."
"Will you leave Victoria?"
Barnabas closed his eyes for while, "No." He said surely but still gently, looking into her eyes. "I will not leave my one, true love."
"Then I kill her." Angelique said simply.
"No, do not." Barnabas said quickly and stepped towards her, "I have underestimated you Angelique, I admit it. Your tricks and charms upon me has their effect, and it is terribly difficult to deny them. But I will not lose the woman I love. Not again. Name your terms Witch, but leave Victoria and my family out of it."
 "I named my terms long ago, you refused. I'm not going to make same offer twice." Angelique said, looking coldly into his eyes.
"You will never have my love this way!" Barnabas said angrily, trying to stay calm and business like.
"Then no one else will either." Angelique said and walked out of the room.
Barnabas followed her, "Enough of your tricks Witch, now stop this madness!"
"Careful my love." Angelique hissed. She turned to face him and showed him something.
"What is this?" Barnabas asked.
"Don't you notice?"
Barnabas looked closer. "That was Josette's!"
"And still is, as she seemingly came back." Angelique said, holding few golden hair in her hand.
"What are you doing with those?" Barnabas asked worriedly.
Angelique light up a candle. "Now listen carefully my love." She took one of Josette's hair and burned it before looking at Barnabas.
He stepped closer, "What have you done?"
"Can't you hear? Lets try again." Angelique said and burned another hair.
Now Barnabas heared it, screaming, like someone screamed somewhere very far away. A young woman, in pain... Not just any young woman, his beloved Victoria.
He took hold of Angeliques wrist, "Stop this!"
"Let go Barnabas, I'm warning you."
Barnabas knew that ice cold look in her eyes way too well. He slowly let go of her hand and stepped back a little. "Please Angelique. Torture me if you have to torture someone, but do not hurt Victoria."
"Maybe I don't want to torture you."
Barnabas sighed, "Please, anything you want, I will do. I will work for you, I will give you anything you want."
"Anything?"
Barnabas nodded, even he knew he would surely regret this one as well.
"Well." Angelique smiled sweetly and stepped closer, "I could live with it that you're not with me if I can command you every day and... Have your child."
Barnabas looked at her eyes wide, "Anything else, but that."
Angelique narrowed her eyes, "I don't want anything else. I want you. And if I can't have you, I will destroy everything you love... I just offered you chance to escape that fate, and again you turned my offer down."
Barnabas stepped back, "I will not betray my dear Victoria so."
"Then she will die."
"She is a Vampire, do not be fool Angelique!"
"And she is just a pathetic doll, afraid of the sun!"
"You cannot burn her Angelique, she is safe from that."
"Is she?" Angelique smiled.
Barnabas got pale, "What have you done?"
"Listen Barnabas." Angelique said and burned another hair. "She is on fire. Or that is, what she feels. The wooden coffin around her is not enough to stop her from looking for water to tame that fire... And you know there is beautiful place, where you can see far away to ocean..."
Barnabas shake his head, "No.."
"Yes, Barnabas, ocean in enough to tame that fire."
"No!"
Angelique smiled and burned rest of Josettes hairs. "Can you hear something calling you? That's what Widow's Hill often do..."
Barnabas saw the flame flash pure red and he knew what had just happened.
"You devil!" He growled and run towards door.
"Think twice Barnabas." Angelique warned, "You will burn in sunlight before she is even fully out of Collinwood."
Barnabas stopped, "Release her from your curse!"
"No."
Barnabas turned around, walking to her, still looking angry. "And what if I accept your latest offer? Will you release her?"
"What offer?" Angelique smiled sweetly, looking up to his eyes.
"If I... If I agree to.." Barnabas sighed, trying to control his anger, and desperation to save Victoria. "Give you a child."
"A child?" Angelique repeated, pretending confused.
"My child." Barnabas said, obviously very unfomfortable with situation.
Angelique smiled, "And you would leave your very first own child without father?"
"I.. I would not admit it is mine."
"How cruel.."
Barnabas looked away, "You are enjoying this, are you not?"
"Very much my love."
Barnabas closed his eyes for while. "I would visit the child, only sometimes... And when it grows older I would spent.. Weekends with it. Or.. Something."
 "And what would you tell your child, who asks why you left its mother?"
Barnabas cleared his throat, "I would.. I would tell my child that  our love was not enough to keep us together. Yet I would never stop loving an innocent child of my own."
Angelique placed her hand to his chest, over his heart and looked into his eyes,
"Say it.. Say you still love me."
"Regretably so... " Barnabas answered, "But I love Victoria more."
"Or you just keep telling that to yourself..." Angelique said, leaning closer and kissed him.
 As hard as it was from Barnabas to try fight back his desire to kiss her back, he failed to resist it.
 "You... Must promise... Lift.. the curse.." Barnabas said between their passionate kisses.
"Later." Angelique said, pulling him closer.
Barnabas lost track of time for while but before he totally was lost in his own desire he pulled back and shake his head, "No.. No more until you have released her from your curse."
Angelique laughed, "Too late my darling."
Barnabas got pale and quickly took umbrella from her hallway and run towards Widow's Hill.
Angelique looked out of window and watched him go.
"Run my love, run... Her life is like a setting sun."