Temporary Solution

September 29, 2000

Certain that Barnabas was unharmed in parallel time, Julia Hoffman found herself able to relax more easily, the anxiety she'd felt regarding Barnabas easing a bit. She was still concerned by his continued absence from the parallel time room, but Julia was more easily satisfied he was not in any immediate danger.

Her knowledge of Barnabas' relative safety allowed her to turn her attentions to other matters. She found herself more able to concentrate and began a careful analysis of the serum that should have helped Barnabas, that should have cured him. So far she had found no reason or cause for the serum to have failed, but Julia was determined to dissect and analyze each component of the serum until she understood the problem and found a way to solve it.

In truth, Julia was grateful for the diversion, for it gave her mind something on which to focus and prevented her imagination from inventing all sorts of less than desirable scenarios to explain Barnabas' lack of contact from parallel time. Julia knew if he were at all able, Barnabas would have found some way to physically let her know he was all right; he would have made his presence in the parallel time room known so that she could see and hear him. Julia could only presume Barnabas was in some way hindered or prevented from doing so, and until she had learned the vampiric link their minds shared worked both way, she had been unable to do much of anything but fret and worry. Now at least she could get on with some work, could focus on finding the answers both she and Barnabas needed.

Julia still made her nightly journey to the parallel time room, to send Barnabas her message, to tell him to come home. When she'd touched his mind through their link and heard his answering reply, Julia began to tell Barnabas of the progress - or lack thereof - she'd made that day. While she did not speak aloud, in her mind Julia addressed Barnabas as if he were in the same room with her, as if he were standing beside her, anxious for news, rather than further away than he'd ever been before. Julia knew that most of what she shared with Barnabas, most of the thoughts she sent to him did not reach him. The link was very limited in its ability to allow them to communicate, but she had to try. If even one additional thought reached him, she would be content.

Julia tried to be honest with herself. If she looked at her actions logically, from a psychological stand point, she would not have been pleased with her diagnosis. However, she also knew this to be her way of coping with Barnabas' separation from her. She knew it to be a temporary solution. Until she understood what Barnabas' situation in parallel time was, she was helpless to find a more permanent answer.

Smiling sadly to herself, Julia turned to leave, but paused when she heard voices behind her. The room had changed, the veil had been dropped and Julia was able to watch as the inhabitants of parallel time lived their lives. She'd long since ceased being startled or astonished by the phenomenon, and now only listened for some mention of Barnabas, some indication that he was a participant in the events of that other great house. Once again no one spoke of him, there was no mention of his presence there. Then Alexis closed the doors to the room, wishing to speak privately with Quentin. Julia knew when she opened the doors, the room would be empty.

To prove it to herself, Julia pushed the doors open to find the empty, darkened room she knew so well. Smiling sadly, Julia shook her head. I will find the answers - to so many things - we both need, Barnabas. I will not be content or complacent with a temporary solution... Come home, Barnabas. I miss you too.

Turning away, Julia walked the extremely familiar hallway back to the main part of the house.

In the cellar of Loomis House, his hands resting on the closed lid of his coffin prison, Barnabas Collins paused in his narrative to Will Loomis as Julia's thoughts touched his mind. He turned away from the crazed writer, unwilling to share even a hint of his ability to communicate with Julia in such a limited way with his jailer. Barnabas would not allow Loomis to exploit and corrupt it as he was doing to him, to his life. It was something Barnabas would share with no one but Julia, and he was prepared to protect it at all costs.

Resuming his account of Joshua's disapproval of his marriage to Angelique, Barnabas smiled to himself, comforted by Julia's distant but intimate presence. He knew her determination to find something other than a temporary solution would ultimately be successful.

While he verbally told Loomis the events of his wedding night, Barnabas mentally answered Julia's message. I trust you will succeed, Julia. Somehow we will be re-united. I will come home.