As they used to be

  Victoria had taken care of Elizabeth and Carolyn by the time Barnabas was opening his eyes.
He looked around, trying to say something Victoria couldn't exactly understand.
She kneel down next to him, studying his eyes.
"Barnabas? Barnabas, can you hear me? Do you see me?"
"Josette?"
Victoria smiled a little, "Close enough." She helped Barnabas to sit.
Barnabas covered his eyes with his hand, suddenly falling back to lay down.
"Barnabas!" Victoria looked around, trying to figure out something to help him.
"Barnabas, listen.. You need blood, right? You haven't had any for too long time." She held her wrist for him to bite but he pushed her hand away, "No.. No.. I might- " He shake his head and looked around the room dizzily.
Victoria sighed and looked around. Angelique was laying on the floor, still unconscious.
She smiled then, reaching out to touch Angelique's hand.
"Perfect.." She whispered to herself, using Angelique's nails to make bleeding wound to her wrist before she pulled back and held her hand out for Barnabas.
"You need blood Barnabas. You won't harm me. You don't. I know it."
Barnabas winced and pulled back, "No! No! Get it away from me!"
"No! Barnabas you have to feed!" Victoria said stubbornly, pressing her wrist against his lips.
Barnabas wasn't able fight against his thirst for long. He bared his fangs, sinking them deep into Victoria's wrist, causing her cry out in pain.
Obviously Victoria haven't thought of that he was in not condition to fight against his Vampire-nature even if he didn't want to hurt her. He held her arm too tightly for her to even try to pull back, feeding from her blood, soon making her dizzy with blood loss.
 Victoria tried to call his name, ask him to stop, but he didn't seem to hear her.
She watched him feeding hungrily and smiled a bit, before she fell unconscious against his shoulder.
Barnabas felt her falling against him and he stopped for while, soon pulling his fangs from her wrist.
"Victoria! Victoria!" He shake her gently, trying to wake her up, pulling her into his arms.
"Victoria.. Sweet Victoria.. " He run his finger against her cheek,  remembering the night when she had turned into a Vampire. They were meant to be together forever.
 He blinked his eyes and looked around for Angelique.
The Witch was still dead to the world.
He lay Victoria down to the floor gently, going to Angelique and shake her a bit.
"Angelique.. Angelique.. I need your help. Awaken Angelique!"
"Hm... It hurts.."
Barnabas lean down closer to her, "What?"
"Hurts.." Angelique said and opened her eyes for while, soon closing them again.
"What hurts? Angelique, you must help. Victoria- she, she needs your help! She.. She offered her blood.. I- I couldn't.. Stop, in time."
"You killed her?"
"No! No.. Her heart beats still. You must help her."
"Barnabas I can't bring her back from the dead. She'd be zombie. She wouldn't be Victoria you knew."
"She is not dead yet! Help her!"
Elizabeth stepped closer, "I will take her to the hospital. They can give her more blood in her system there."
Barnabas looked up to her, "Thank you."
"Look after Carolyn, she is sleeping now." Elizabeth said and go to pull Victoria with her to the car.
Barnabas nodded, looking at Carolyn who was sleeping on comfortable chair until he looked back to Angelique.
 "You must be healed Angelique."
"Must be?... Then I'm not living up to your rules Barnabas.."
Barnabas pulled her to sit up, seeing that the hole in her chest wasn't got any better. In fact, her usual hollow body was now as ordinary human body, and the wound in her chest was bleeding.
"How-? Angelique, what happened?"
Angelique looked down at her chest, "Perfect... She took my ability to heal myself."
"She took your powers?"
"No.. Just my ability to heal myself."
"How?"
"Distracting my powers! That's how. I have my powers.. Otherwise I would be dead by now. They are just not.. Not working as they used to be... It's like memory loss. You have to start learning again, then you remember a little and a little more, in the end you get the memory back. Now my powers has lost its memory how to heal me."
Barnabas didn't seem to listen, his fangs were bared and he watched carefully the bleeding wound on her chest.
"Barnabas?" Angelique looked up to him, seeing him ready to attack on her. She knew it was useless to try to talk to him, he was still poisoned by werewolf and his need for blood was strong enough to make him forget who he was.
 She pulled back slowly, not breaking eye contact with him until she was few steps away from him.
She stand up and stepped to the hallway, slamming the door closed just in time to feel Barnabas hit himself against the door.
 "This is like those pathetic action movies... Trying to escape from Vampire.. "Angelique sighed and tried to keep the door closed.
 She looked around, trying to find anything to help her. The wound was making her weaker and she wouldn't be able to keep Barnabas away for long.
"Bats... Vampires are- bats... Well, in a way" She took bright flashlight and tested that it works.
When Barnabas break down the door, she pointed bright light to his face.
 He stepped back few steps, covering his face. Obviously fearing it was sunlight.
 "Barnabas?"
He looked at her carefully, "What is that thing?!"
Angelique shut down flashlight and came to him. "It's just light.. "
 "I highly dislike it." Barnabas said.
"Back to your own self again."
"I.. I couldn't help it.. I.." He looked down, obviously shamed of himself.
"You are a Vampire. Poisoned by Werewolf. You need more blood... You should go. Go out and slaughter half of the town."
"No.. I must not. You are wounded."
"And you are compelled to slaughter me. It will not help me"
He sighed. Angelique knew that his nature was fighting against his own desire to kill.
 "Barnabas, go. You get enough blood, then you will be able to help me. I will be fine.. In time"
He looked at her for while and nodded, "Very well.." He left quickly, leaving Angelique leaning against the wall in her weakened state.
 She looked after him, remembering how he always had been so dedicated to help others.
He had always put other before himself. Just like she had done before everything had gone wrong.
 She fell to sit down to the floor and covered her wound with her hand. Her heart was beating slower now.
She sighed and closed her eyes, sinking into her own memories.

  ... "Mrs.Collins, I'm sure he will come back before- Before The time." Angelique said, trying to make Mrs.Collins stop her hysterical crying.
 "No, he doesn't! Work, always work! He doesn't care!"
Angelique sighed. She knew how hard it was to lose a child, but she didn't understand why Mrs.Collins hadn't told her husband. She would have tell Barnabas about their lost child if she could, but it would have bring even more problems. Mrs.Collins on the other hand, was perfectly able to tell her husband and get his support.
 Then again, he might blame Mrs.Collins just more. She had drunk way too much while carrying the child. Now it was dead.
 Little baby girl had stayed alive two and half hours after she was born. Then it stopped breathing, eventually dying.
 Angelique was only maid Mrs.Collins had told about it. Only because Angelique had been with her when the child was going to born. How Mrs.Collins has kept her pregnancy a secret, that Angelique didn't know, but she was quite sure that Mrs.Collins had been aware that too much drinking would make baby sick, just like it made Mrs.Collins herself sick.
 "Have you paid doctor visits Mrs.Collins?"
"Few times... He said it is not growing strong enough. That I should eat more. But somehow it didn't help!"
Angelique rubbed her forehead. "Perhaps... You have vomit all out too soon."
Mrs.Collins looked at her hurt look in her eyes.
"I mean- Carrying a baby makes you feel sick in mornings- sometimes whole day, am I right?"
"Oh, yes.. Yes, yes.. It does." Mrs.Collins nodded, "Maybe I should have try to eat more even if I felt bad."
 "Maybe." Angelique nodded thoughtfully. "But there's no way of knowing now. It's too late."
Mrs.Collins started to cry again, "All too late!"
Angelique sighed, she had no idea what to do.
"Angelique, you must bury her to the forest."
 "What, me?" Angelique shocked. "No, Mrs.Collins... We should let priest keep her funeral. I mean.. It is your child, still. Even in death, it is your child. You should allow her to be blessed and sent her to her final journey safely."
 "Then come, you carry her. We go to the priest now." Mrs.Collins said.
Angelique looked at the dead baby and wrap blankets around it before lifting it into her arms, fighting back her tears or the memory of her own child loss.
   "Mother? Miss Bouchard? What is going on?" Barnabas asked as he saw two women in hallway.
Mrs.Collins looked at Angelique, clearly sending message to younger woman to make up a lie to satisfy Barnabas' curiosity.
"We... We are taking this gift to the priest, in town. Mrs.Collins has told me there has come new priest little time ago, and we are going to wish him welcome."
"May I join you?" Barnabas asked.
"Not now darling." Mrs.Collins said, pulling Angelique with her.
 Angelique looked down all the way to the town. She have never thought she'd have to lie to Barnabas. She could lie to everyone else, just to protect Barnabas, but she never thought she'd lie to him. She was going to tell him everything in time. Her Witchcraft, the child they lost.. Everything. But now how could she tell him everything? She still had to lie to him about his own mother.
 After small funeral, Mrs.Collins took bottle of wine and drink it down on their way back to Collinwood.
"I think that is enough Mrs.Collins" Angelique said carefully, taking Mrs.Collins' arm around her neck to help her walk back to Collinwood.
  "What is the meaning of this?!" They heard voice calling.
"Perfect..." Angelique sighed, turning to look at Barnabas' father.
"Mrs.Collins is very tired, I will take her to sleep."
"Mrs.Collins is tired and smells like Women of the Night! Where has she been all day?"
"You don't care" Mrs.Collins said and go to her room, leaving Angelique to make explanations.
Mr.Collins looked at Angelique and she sigh, not knowing what to do.
"Why is my wife drunk, again!"
"She... I.." Angelique rubbed her forehead, knowing she couldn't possibly make believable explanation for that.
 "You what?"
"I.. I go to the town with her.. She.. she met some friends there.. And.. they offered her a glass.. Or two.."
"What friends my wife would have? She never goes to the town without my permission!"
Angelique swallowed and looked down. This was not going to end up well.
 "Look at me!" Mr.Collins ordered.
Angelique winced and looked up to him. He was obviously going to make her suffer.
 She thought carefully about telling the truth, but then she thought about Barnabas. He would be so hurt for knowing such thing about his mother. And even more hurt about not knowing about her problems at all. That she had not trusted these things to him, but their maid.
 "Father? What is happening?" Barnabas asked behind her.
Angelique's heart skipped a beat when she heard his voice. He had yet again come to save her.
 "Nothing son.. nothing." Mr.Collins said. "You may go, Miss Bouchard."
Angelique nodded and left, avoiding to look at Barnabas even she knew he was watching her, with most questioning look in his eyes. She wished with all her heard she could tell him everything, but she wasn't able to face that how sad and hurt he would be. She rather saw him happy. And of course, she would break Mrs.Collins' trust for her by telling the truth to her son.
 "Father? I know something is the matter. First mother, now you. What is going on?"
"I said nothing!"
Barnabas looked hurt, but left back to his room anyway...

"Angelique.. Awaken, Angelique.."
"Hm.. "Angelique opened her eyes tiredly, seeing Barnabas knelt down next to her, watching her worriedly.
"Did you get enough?" She asked.
"I am alright." Barnabas nodded, "Are you-? Are you getting better?"
"I'll be fine. Don't worry." She smiled a bit and placed her hand to his cheek. "I'm sorry.."
Barnabas looked confused, "About what?"
"I hurt you so much.."
He smiled, running his long finger on her cheek, "Now, you are Angelique I love."
She nodded a bit tiredly to show her understanding and closed her eyes again.
Barnabas watched her for while and sit down next to her, letting her lean against him.
 "You will be alright... We will be alright."
Angelique made soft sound, getting more comfortable, falling into deep sleep against him.
Barnabas watched over her, thinking of those old time they were happy together. But somehow he still couldn't help but feeling strange need to have Victoria near as well..
He sighed. This was getting very complicated indeed.