A Daughter's Love

A/N: As always, I do not own Dark Shadows, and this is NOT my story – this belongs to a friend of mine who’s far too shy to get an account, but she does value your opinions and would like to know what you think. Thanks!

A Daughter’s Love: Chapter One


Carolyn crossed her legs as she continued to leaf through her latest fashion magazine, her soft features contorting along with her tremendous concentration as she inwardly scrutinized each article of clothing.

‘Too dull…too gaudy…too-’

“Ah, good morning, Carolyn!”

‘Revolting’ her mind irritably finished, her eyes narrowing as she took in the repulsive sight of none other than Jason McGuire.

Haughtily closing her magazine, Carolyn uncrossed her legs and rose from her perch, her tone cold and frigidly clipped as she returned, “Excuse me, Mr. McGuire, but I believe that I’ll be leaving now.”

Jason gave her a mocking pout. “Now, now, my dear Carolyn, is there really any need for regarding me with such scorn? I’d very much like it if we could just become friends.”

“Friends?” Carolyn reiterated, now releasing a derisive laugh. “Oh, Mr. McGuire, you are delusional! The day that I consider you to be a friend is the day that all hell freezes over!”

Jason clicked his tongue with tremendous displeasure at her frankness, yet he somehow managed to conceal it by revealing, “I came down here with the hopes of finding your mother…you don’t happen to know where she is, do you?”

“If I were to have seen her, Mr. McGuire, do you honestly believe that I would tell you?” Carolyn demanded hotly in response, now trying her best to sidestep him, but to no avail.

Placing an arm firmly in between them so that her only means of escape was blocked, Jason forced a winning smile to come to his lips before replying, “Not so fast, missy. I thought we could have a little chat.”

Absolutely astonished by this, Carolyn glanced up at him with malice before hissing in her typical stern manner, “Let me go.”

“Not until I’ve said my piece” Jason promptly fired back, a sudden wave of satisfaction rushing through his veins at the look of utter astonishment etched out across the blonde’s features. When she failed to contradict him he continued, “You have been meddling in my affairs for long enough now, Carolyn, and I say that it’s about damn time that you start allowing your mother and I to settle our own business.”

Carolyn balked. “My mother’s business is my business, Mr. McGuire! If you so much as look at her the wrong way, it automatically becomes a part of my concern!”

"There would be no need for such concerns if you would just stop interfering with what so happens to be none of your business!" Jason growled angrily in return. "You see, it’s not myself who’s become the problem to your dear mother, Carolyn, but you. YOU are the one constantly harassing her to get rid of me when I happen to be one of her dearest and closest friends! I think it’s high time that you started realizing that nothing you can do or say will influence your mother into getting rid of me, so why don’t you just busy your dizzy little head with more important matters such as slumber parties and schoolboys?”

Stiffening, Carolyn flipped her hair out of her line of vision with an ireful toss of the head, her tone curt and malignant as she ventured, "That may very well be, Mr. Maguire, but can you honestly tell me that you care about my mother? Something tells me that you're here with some hidden agenda, and I'd very much like to know what that despicable plan is."

Jason smirked down at the 18-year-old brat as she looked up at him with expectance, her eyes daring him to contradict the fact that she was right. He suddenly became painfully aware of the fact that his mild threats and invectives were not swaying Carolyn in the direction that he had hoped. He knew that he would inevitably have to try another tactic – one so sneaky and true to its nature that even the Queen of Ice, herself would not be able to deny him.

Feigning disappointment and injured pride, Jason spun about on the heels of his expensive Italian leather shoes and sighed. Now completely positive that he was giving off the aura of the vulnerable victim he wearily began, "My dear Carolyn, I could tell you a thousand times over how much I love and respect your mother, yet would you honestly believe me?” He sighed again for added measure before continuing, "Since you are so hard-set in your ways, I suppose that it really would be foolish of me to try to convince you of the fact, but I cannot deny that I do, indeed care a great deal for your mother. Seeing you right now really makes me realize what a pity it is that we can't be friends – you quite often remind me of a more spirited and hostile version of myself.”

Noting Jason's purposely dejected stature, Carolyn couldn’t help but scoff, her brows furrowing as she shrugged her slender shoulders and shook her head. "You know, for a second there you actually had me going, Mr. McGuire. You almost seemed believable until you brought the whole ‘we should be friends because you’re so much like myself’ issue into it, and for that I congratulate you. For failing openly, that is. You are far too sneaky and, unfortunately, very clever as well, so I can honestly say that what you just said was complete and utter nonsense."

His insides roiling with anger, Jason dared to step closer to the girl before growling, “Your opinions of me are of no consequence since I know for a God-given fact that you make up enough stories to create an entire book of fables! You are nothing but a selfish and manipulative twit, Carolyn Stoddard – a disrespectful blemish on the face of this earth that deserves nothing short of pain! You can say all the nasty and despiteful things about me that you wish, but mark my words, you will regret them!”

Carolyn’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Don't you dare threaten me, Jason McGuire! You may be able to trick my mother into your mind games with your treachery, but I will not be so easily swayed! You could threaten and kill me for all your sick pleasures right now and I wouldn't care, but if you even think for one moment that I’ll let be with my mother, you've damn well got another think coming!"

Jason stared at the seething blonde in stunned silence. As his fists curled subconsciously at his sides he whispered in warning, "Do not tempt me, Carolyn Stoddard, or else you may get what you so sorely deserve. If you continue to meddle in my affairs, I may be forced to do something that I regret.”

"Then do it" Carolyn challenged, her eyes sparkling defiantly back up at him as folded her arms proudly beneath her breasts. "I’ve always known that you were some sort of sick bastard, but I guess I never really knew just how sick. If you so much as touch a hair on my head, Mother will-"


“Your mother will do nothing, Carolyn, for I’ll…” Jason paused, now realizing the gravity of the blunder that he was about to make. Slowly straightening his stance he tried again, “I am very sorry that you actually believed that I would wish to harm you, Carolyn, for there is nothing that I value more in this life than your safety. Whatever Liz deems worthy, I follow not too far behind opinion-wise…would you ever consider forgiving such as despicable man as myself?”

Carolyn eyed him strangely, truly not knowing what to make of the current situation. Had Jason McGuire actually just apologized? It most definitely sounded like a fluke, yet she still decided to hear him out. Now tuning her voice so that it was calm and almost pleasant, she ventured, "You want something from me, don't you, Mr. McGuire? Money? A private island? Something else of the materialistic nature?"

Carolyn honestly had no idea how far she was willing to go to protect her mother, but she did know that whatever Jason wanted from her couldn't possibly go beyond the realms of propriety; he was far too smart for that.

Now crossing the gap in between them, Carolyn jutted her chin upward in an innocent look of expectance, urging, "Go on, Mr. McGuire...tell me what you want."

Smirking, Jason rubbed his chin before coming to the realization that she was toying with him. He would have to be careful with his answer…

Pivoting about on his heel, Jason feigned deep concentration before returning, "Now Carolyn, I can understand your suspicions of me since they’re completely merited, but please don’t think me materialistic when I say that I’ve been having some financial troubles as of late. Yes, I do know that Liz is wealthy, but that is not at all the reason as to why I sought her out. You see, we were very good friends once upon a time, so I figured she could just give me a little boost to get back on my feet.”

Carolyn looked Jason up and down while trying to assess the situation, her arms folding neatly across her petite bosom as she finally ventured, "And that's all you want? A little financial assistance? If that was the case, why didn’t you just come to me in the first place? If you leave Collinsport by nightfall, I'd be more than willing to give you my entire inheritance."

Biting her lower lip, Carolyn then pivoted about on her heel so that she didn't have to gaze into Jason's mocking eyes, her body careful to maintain its rigid standpoint as she awaited his response. She was very frightened at the thought of losing everything, yes, but by this point she was more than willing to give him anything of hers that he desired if it meant saving her mother.

Jason was still recovering from the initial shock over hearing such a wondrous prospect, so it was truly no surprise when he found that he was at a complete loss for words. "That's...very generous of you, Carolyn. I’m not quite sure what to say, but…yes" Jason finally decided, "I'm sorry, Carolyn, but I cannot take your money. You know very well that your mother would never forgive me, and no matter what you might think, I am not that desperate for cash. My high status would be forever ruined!"

Carolyn couldn’t help but laugh at that last remark. “Mr. McGuire, no one in their right mind even remotely holds you in high esteem, so there should be no problem with taking my money. Your greed has never stopped you before.”

“I already told you, Carolyn, I am not-”

“Well what about me, then?” the blonde hurriedly interjected, barely having time to realize what she had just uttered as she looked to the older man with desperation shining in her eyes. “If you take my inheritance, I’ll also give you myself.”

Jason raised a dark brow in confusion. “My dear Carolyn, I’m not quite sure that I understand-”

“You know exactly what I mean” the petite blonde abruptly cut in, her gaze now firm and completely hard-set. “If you spare my mother of your ridiculous demands, I will more than willingly sleep with you.”

In normal case scenarios Jason would have laughed to high Heaven at such a preposterous display of daughterly devotion, yet once he locked eyes with the girl he knew that she was perfectly serious. Carolyn was by no means a stupid young woman, but what she was offering was a terribly grave and potentially life-altering sacrifice.

‘All the more reason for you to take advantage of her innocence’ Jason’s subconscious reasoned, thus causing him to now sport a cruel smirk. ‘Just rub her face in her sins and bring her down to your level…she will no longer be able to treat you with her godlier than thou act when she’s just as despicable as yourself.’

Now turning to Carolyn with a newfound glint in his eye, Jason finally agreed, “Very well, my dear…how can I possibly refuse such a kind and generous proposal?”


A/N: My friend’s already working on Chapter Two, so if you’d like to see more, please review! I’ve read some of it and it won’t disappoint – very dramatic and intense and...lemony. lol ;-)