Back to the beginning

  
   Standing there, thinking what to do next, Angelique finally realized the terrifying truth about herself.
 Yes, she had destroyed nearly everything Barnabas loved, she had tortured him over two centuries, she had destroyed all chances for happiness to him. All she did, she did in the name of love.
  After that all, Barnabas was ready to give up on everything he loved and marry her if she just saved one person he most loved, only so he could see her happy with someone else.
How different they were after all. Barnabas was proud for sure, he was raised to be that way, but he was also a gentleman who deep down cared very much of everyone around him. Of course he had his weakness's, especially years ago when he was always busy and tried so hard to please his parents, naturally he fell easily for Angelique who was then innocent and kind woman, gifted with great dose of beauty.
 Angelique sighed and looked over her shoulder to storming ocean.
Difference was like day and night between them now. Centuries ago they were so same. Both charming and kind, always willing to try their best to help. Now, she had lost that all within her heartbreak and hate.
 She heard Barnabas's worried voice little farter away, obviously trying to wake Victoria up. For while as she listened his broken voice, she closed her eyes, tear falling her face. She took deep breath, wipe the tear away and followed Barnabas's voice.
 "Let her go Barnabas."
Barnabas who held Victoria's badly burned, seemingly lifeless body, looked up to her, bloody tears running down his cheeks.
"I can't... My sweet Victoria.."
Angelique kneel down, placing her hand to his cheek and wipe his tears away.
"You have to lay her back down to the ground. I can't help her if you're all over her."
Barnabas looked at her slightly shocked, surprised and in disbelief.
"You.. You will safe her?"
Angelique looked away for while before nodded shortly, "Yes, I safe her."
Barnabas lay Victoria carefully back to the ground and kissed Angeliques forehead. "Thank you."
Angelique watched Victoria's burned body, refusing to look at Barnabas.
"Yeah..." She cleared her throat and looked around. "I need fire."
Barnabas stand up to search for something.
"My car is near by, I have something in there."
Barnabas nodded and left quickly look for Angeliques car. His own damages didn't slow him down when Victoria's life was in danger. He soon found Angeliques red car and searched for anything to make fire. As he was her handbag, he took that with him as well and go quickly back to Angelique.
"Here is all I found, that might possibly help." He said giving everything to Angelique.
Angelique nodded and took candle from her handbag, "That's good, I never leave anywhere without proper weapons. Never know when they come handy."
She light up the candle and gave it to Barnabas. "You hold this."
Barnabas nodded, holding the candle carefully. "Can I do anything else to help?"
"Not now. Just be quiet and let me cast the spell."
Barnabas nodded again his understandment. He was willing to do anything Angelique ordered now, Victoria's life was in her hands.
 Angelique placed her hands on Victoria's shoulders, closing her eyes and said something in very low voice. Barnabas tried to hear her words but he couldn't, and right now he didn't dare to ask.
 Soon she stood up, holding her hands open.
Barnabas got vivid memory of the moment when he was turned into Vampire and he saw Angelique a top of Widow's Hill.
 When Angelique opened her eyes, Victoria opened hers.
Barnabas looked impressed and overwhelmingly happy.
Angelique took the candle from him. "She's human. We take her to the hospital, and within few weeks she will be perfectly healed. With few burning scars maybe but alive and healthy anyway."
Barnabas helped Victoria to her feet and looked at Angelique.
"Angelique.. Angelique I don't know how to than-"
"We don't have time for that." Angelique said coldly and turned around to go to her car. "You better bring her to my car now. I take her to hospital."
Barnabas nodded, helping Victoria to walk to Angeliques car.
They settle Victoria to back seat and Barnabas sit down next to Angelique in front.
 "How long will it take to get there?" Barnabas asked.
"Around five minutes."
Barnabas noticed Angeliques coldness and that she refused to look at him. It reminded him of the time when they were together and he had made her angry. It was her way to express her anger, refusing to look at him and speak very business like voice.

 .... "Angelique, my parents are leaving again tomorrow, we will be in peace for week." Barnabas say while washing his face in his bathroom.
"Oh, where are they going?" Angelique asked, waiting for him in his bed.
Barnabas dry his face in small towel and looked at himself from mirror before throw the towel away and go to his bedroom.
"They go visit their old friends in Liverpool." He answered, laying down.
Angelique blinked few times and lay down as well, gently running her hand up and down his arm, "But going to Liverpool will take at least couple days, depending on weather. Maybe it gives us few extra days.."
"Hm.. Maybe." Barnabas said, taking hold of her hand to stop her and turned his back to her. "Good night."
Angelique looked slightly shocked of his sudden unwillingness to be near her.
"Good night Master Barnabas." She said coldly and got up.
Barnabas sit up, "Where are you going?"
"To my room. Just to be little more proper maid, your highness." Angelique answered and left.
Barnabas sighed and lay back down, watching the ceiling. It didn't really go as he thought. He didn't want her to leave. She was tickling him and he wasn't in mood for that, but he was hoping for her to hold him instead. Usually she was happy to do that.
"I talk to her in the morning." He settle down comfortably and soon fell asleep.
     In the morning when breakfast was served and Barnabas's parents were leaving, Barnabas saw Angelique on her way to clean the dining room.
"Good morning Miss Bouchard, how are you today?"
Angelique didn't bother to look at him, she stopped to nod for him, "Good morning Master Barnabas. Excuse me." She left right away to take care of her duties.
As his parents were left and he came back home after work that evening, he go to find Angelique from her room but she wasn't there. After walking around the manor for while, he found Angelique cleaning the fireplace.
"Angelique, what in world are you doing here at this time. It's late. You're not supposed to work so hard."
"Do excuse me Master Barnabas, if someone doesn't sometimes take all these old ashes from this fireplace it will soon smell awful. And no one will, so I do it. And I do it now, beacuse I have cold like everyone else, and I need to get fire in here soon."
Barnabas sit down to nearest chair. "You haven't eat all. No one has seen you in kitchen all day."
"I'm busy, I'm sure you know that Master Barnabas. Now excuse me, I have to go get new wood so I can make fire." Angelique said, got up and left to get wood.
Barnabas sigh and run his hand through his hair. It was getting diffucult to understand Angelique sometimes.
 When she finally came back, her hands full of wood, he stand up. "Let me help you with those."
"No thank you." Angelique said, dropping wood to the floor and put some of them to fireplace, making fire before she gathered rest wood next to the fireplace and stood up.
 Barnabas looked at her carefully. He dress was dirty with ash and dust as were her hands, with few bruises here and there caused of hard work. She was obviously exhausted.
 "Angelique."
"Yes?"
"Would you mind taking bath ready?"
Angelique sighed and nodded, "Of course Master Barnabas" She left right away to bathroom to make bath ready for him.
Barnabas followed her shortly and locked the door behind him.
Angelique looked down and kept her hands behind her back. "Why did you lock the door? I must leave."
"No you don't. You stay here."
Angelique blinked few times, keeping her head down. "I don't understand."
Barnabas came to her, placed his finger under chin and make her look at him.
"You do. You will bathe with me."
"That's not proper for a maid."
"You are more than that."
"I'm not."
"Why you think so?"
"You made quite clear.."
"Angelique... You silly woman. I didn't want you to leave last night."
"You did."
"No. I was tired. I wasn't in mood to play with you... But I wished you would have hold me. Just be there with me."
"Why you didn't say so?"
"Maybe I was fool to think you could have see through me so easily... Now, stop this silly play and come bathe with me. Relax. You have worked so hard today."
Angelique smiled, "So are you. You look tired."
"I'm not tired actually. I was troubled of what was bothering you."
Angelique laughed softly, "I didn't know you think about me so much."
Barnabas hugged her, burying his face in her hair. "Of course I do" ....

  When Angelique stopped the car, Barnabas woke up from his memories.
"Are we at the hospital?"
"We are. And you stay here. It would just bring chaos if half burned Vampire walks in human hospital." Angelique said and get out, soon opening the back seat door to get Victoria out.
 Barnabas watched as Angelique walked Victoria to hospital.
When she soon returned, he took hold of her wrist before she could start the car.
"What you're doing?" Angelique asked sharply.
"I want to thank you."
"You have thank me already, now get over that overly noble attitude of yours and move on." Angelique said, pulling her hand free and started the car. "I take you back to Collinwood. You need alot of blood and sleep, you recover in couple days."
"What about you?" Barnabas asked.
"I'm not burned."
"I think you are." Barnabas sighed and looked out of the window. "Maybe you've been burning all the time."
"What you mean?"
"You made yourself to become this cruel witch... Even you was so kind woman. Maybe you made yourself cold hearted, because it was much easier than admit you're still hurt."
"It's none of your business."
"It is if I am going to marry you."
"You're not."
Barnabas looked at her in shock, "Are you saying you do not love me now anymore."
"No. I'm saying that you don't love me. And I don't want a man who doesn't love me." Angelique said bitterly and stopped the car front of Collinwood.
"Farewell Barnabas."
Barnabas kept looking at her in shock. "Angelique... This is not farewell."
"It is." Angelique said looking out of window coldly, obviously fighting back tears.
Barnabas looked down. "When can I see you again?"
"You will not see me anymore Barnabas."
"Why? Where do you go?"
"You don't need to know that."
"Yes I do."
Angelique got out of the car, wipe a tear from her cheek and walked away from Collinwood.
 Barnabas looked at her go eyes wide and soon left after her.
"Angelique! Angelique, your car."
"Keep it."
"But Angelique, where do you go? I must know."
"No you don't."
"Are you leaving me only to make me feel the way you felt when I left you?"
Angelique stopped. "No. You could never feel what I felt."
"I can, if you leave now."
"You don't love me Barnabas. I'm not that woman you once knew."
"You can be if you want."
"You have your beloved Vicky."
"She's human now. She could have normal life... She is young, she still as a chance." Barnabas said, coming to her and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"We're both monsters, as you said it yoursef. Maybe it is meant to be so."
Angelique thinked for while. "You need to take care of yourself now. I need to do some paperwork..."
"When will I see you again?" Barnabas asked.
"You find me from my office when you're healed."
"Promise me that?"
"I promise."
Barnabas smiled gently, kissing her lips lightly and left back to Collinwood.
Angelique touched her lips and sob, closing her eyes, tears falling to her cheeks.
It wasn't easy to go back to past either. And now she feared that classic note:
History repeats itself.