Curse of the Dark Shadows: R2-P3
By: Demi-X

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    Fox swallowed the last of his luke-warm tea and then settled in for an afternoon of reading. He gave one last glance at his lover, who had now stripped off his sweat-soaked T-shirt. The Russian would be busy all day with the leaky roof, leaving him the whole afternoon to read the journal. Virginia was out in the gardens paying some TLC to the tomato plants and Cristoff was no where to be seen. As he stared at his shirtless lover Mulder was caressed with a sense of Deja´vous.

Smiling, because he loved such mysterious feelings, he bent his head to the antique tome.

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....June 12, 1797.

After the gossiping seamstress left, I still continued to bemoan the fact that we had to invite the Du Pres family to dinner to my father; but he was not listening to me in the least. I knew what was going on. Father was grooming me for the Du Pres girl, I knew it with out ever being told. Susannah is her name. I am only eighteen years old, what do I want with a wife yet? I´ve still a lot of living to do, even if I´ve only Collinsport to do it in. The seamstress had babbled on about a Du Pres ‘boy´. All father had said about him however, was that he was the same age as me. Hardly a boy then! Angelique will be attending tonight´s festivities, as well as some other snobbish folk who live on the ‘hill´. She´s just one more reason why I don´t want to go. She works for us, yet, father and mother insist on inviting her as a guest to all of their parties. I get tired of being cornered by her. One day, I´ll forget that I´m a gentleman and push her away all together. But as it is, mother is very fond of her, so I´ll continue to put up with her unwanted attentions. Personally, I´d rather be out riding my new stallion and shooting rabbits in the gardens. But since I can hardly to that at night, there is no way to escape the dinner. Well, father is calling, the butler is greeting our first guest´s to arrive coaches.....

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Fox flipped the page, engrossed in the young man´s woes. If only life were that simple again.

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Virginia straightened up and her back groaned in complaint. She was getting far too old to be stooped over in a country garden pulling weeds. Soon though, her mistress will once again arise from the other world and then she will be rewarded for her century of devotion. Virginia turned to watch the lovely young Alex work. The old woman wondered what Angelique would think of Alex and Fox. They were together again, as was their destiny. Angelique and Cristoff had broken them up once before, the entire tale ended terribly. Would this time be different; would Angelique finally have her ‘Spencer´? And would Cristoff have his ‘Jamison´? Only time and patience would give the answers to those questions. Virginia turned her head away from Alex and back to her work. Her mistress would arrive soon, until then, there was much to do at the mansion, preparing it for her arrival.

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Tonight I met the Du´Pres ‘boy´. I think I am still grinning from the evening. I was standing in my customary place at the end of the receiving line when the Du´pres entered. The senior Du´Pres presented his invitation to the butler, who then announced him. I smiled as each of the family members entered into the grand hall, but it soon fell when Jamison followed Susannah in. I just stared at Jamison, he was so...beautiful. I felt the butterflies start fluttering in my stomach. And though I desperately wanted to deny it, I was instantly attracted to Jamison. He was introduced to me and we shook hands. I can still hear his voice echoing inside of my head. He smiled and greeted me like the man that I am. His eyes sparkled and were a very beautiful mixture of green and honey brown. His lips were full and delightfully red. I swallowed hard and returned his greeting, hoping beyond hope that the hall was dim enough not to show him the blush that now stained my neck, ears and throat. He held my hand in a firm grip as we shook, I was enthralled by his beauty. He stared at me back for a minute longer than a man ought to stare at another, he felt the same stirrings I did, I´m sure of it. Finally, he smiled and we parted, I only hoped that father did not see the look of disappointment on my face when he released my hand. Finally, I found my voice and offered Jamison a cordial, which he accepted. It was as easy as that. After pouring, I escorted him to a table and then we spent the entire evening sitting close and talking. Jamison loves horses too and game hunting. This thrilled me beyond believe. I invited him back to the estate the day after tomorrow. I am going to take him for a long ride over our lands. I´m sure our cook Virginia will make me a nice picnic lunch. I want our day to be just right. Just thinking of Jamison gives me a giddy feeling inside my stomach. I´m sure he feels the same. All the same, I guess I will find out when we are alone in the forest.....

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“Hmmm.” Murmured Mulder, flipping the page. He stopped reading and looked up and out the window. The deja´vous was back again. For some reason, the party, drinking cordials and horseback riding over the acreage seemed familiar to him. But he had never been on the estate before, so how could that be? Mulder turned his gaze out the window toward Alex who was busy pounding cedar shakes back into place. Maybe he and Alex should take a break in the next couple of days and take the horses for a leisurely ride. Maybe Virginia could build them a lunch too. It struck Mulder as odd that the cook from over two hundred years ago was named Virginia too.

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Ann H is next!