Terry S. Bowers

November 20, 2000

Julia paced the close confines of the secret room behind the book case. Dusk was moments away and she was anxious to see Barnabas; to just be in the same room with him again after so long apart. She paused momentarily; she felt him awaken. It was a brief, feather-like touch on her mind, but she knew it was Barnabas. Hurrying around the end of his coffin, Julia could not contain her excitement as the lid rose. Her excitement turned to controlled panic and fear, Barnabas did not realize who she was. He thought her to be Hoffman, the enemy. She had to convince him otherwise. If she did not... she didn't want to think about it.

Rounding the end of the coffin quickly, keeping it between her and the angry vampire, Julia tried to explain who she was, why she was dressed as Hoffman. She reached for the stake and mallet, showing them to Barnabas, telling him what had nearly happened; what Hoffman had planned to do.

"She's dead now."

Barnabas stopped, his anger draining away. He stared at the woman in the room with him, hearing her tell him Hoffman meant to kill him. This was Julia. No one else would dare to be in the same room with him when he rose. No one else trusted him as she did... No one else would kill to protect him. This was Julia. But how? He raised his hand to touch his head, staring at Julia, beginning to believe it really was her as she told him she had stayed in the room, as he felt the distant touch of her mind through their ever weakening link. There was only one way he knew of to strengthen that link. He could take her blood - and that he would not do. Never. But the weak link confirmed for him this was Julia, for he had no such connection with Hoffman.

Barnabas moved along the length of his coffin and around the end, stepping close to Julia. His gaze met hers and he knew, beyond a doubt, this truly was Julia Hoffman.

"You did this for me?"

Julia's smile told Barnabas all he needed to know. He'd stepped slightly closer to her, his gaze capturing and holding hers.

"Thank you, Julia. I am grateful to you, again. Now we must find a way to get you back to your own time."

Barnabas heard Julia protest and insist that she was going to stay there and help him. He carried on a conversation with her, warning her, telling her of the dangers, but a part of his mind could not completely process that fact Julia had not just endangered her safety to come to him in parallel time, but had killed to protect him. And he was terrified that she wanted to continue posing as Hoffman. It was too dangerous, but... He really did not want her to leave either. It felt good to have her with him again. He could not send her away.

Julia had moved away from him, to the other end of the room, and Barnabas watched her carefully, incredulous that he could feel this strongly about keeping Julia not only safe, but near him. He had not realized how much he missed her until the barrier of parallel time separated them... Selfish as it was, he did want Julia to stay there with him. It wasn't their weak telepathic link that drew him to her; it hadn't been that for a long time. He had tried to convince himself that it was, ever since that night in the Old House when his blood lust caused him to graze Julia's neck with his teeth, to taste a drop of her blood - enough to create the link he'd told himself was the reason he needed Julia, but no, it was more than the link, much more.

Julia moved back toward him and he closed the distance between them. Barnabas placed his hands on her arms. Their gazes met and held, the love and devotion Julia had for Barnabas clearly evident. If he weren't such a damn fool and a coward, he would just kiss her and rid them both of this pretense that fooled neither. But he was a fool, and a coward, and Barnabas relied on what he knew was safe and comfortable; holding Julia at a distance and not allowing himself to get closer to her.

"You are a dear friend."

Julia smiled. Nothing about her expression changed, but Barnabas could feel her love intensifying.

"You would have done the same for me."

"Of course."

Julia nodded and glanced down. The moment was past, the opportunity lost, and their reunion almost over.

"I'd better get back to her. I just wanted to see you. I'll be back later."

Julia moved away and paused at the entrance, turning back to smile at him and to tell him to be careful. Then she was gone. He'd let her leave, to face the very real danger of Angelique alone. Barnabas stared at the wall of the secret room, sadness touching his expression. He really was a fool. If he had any sense at all, he would simply find Julia, take her to the parallel time room, return to their own time and make a life for them - together - as best he could there. But he just didn't have the courage. He knew Julia would go with him to the ends of the earth, and he didn't even have the gumption to kiss her.

Shaking his head, Barnabas turned and left the secret room. He had to help the people here before he could begin to think about himself. Why it had to be that way he did not know, but he had to do it.

Julia handed Barnabas the small knife she'd removed from her purse. They were in the back room of Timothy Stokes' home to destroy the body providing the life force that was keeping Angelique walking and talking. Technically it was murder, to destroy this body, but Julia could not face two murders in one day, and preferred to think of it as she would for a comatose, terminal patient; they were ceasing life support measures to allow the patient a peaceful death. Perhaps she could live with that.

Glancing at Barnabas, Julia raised the sheet covering the body. She saw Barnabas' expression change and knew, before he spoke, he would not carry out their plan. She saw his eyes go wide, then gentle and she glanced down at the woman on the table. Damn! Why couldn't Stokes have chosen a craggy old woman instead of the sweet young thing that lay on the table? Julia closed her eyes and swallowed back her anger and tears. She knew Barnabas' weaknesses when it came to women, even if he did not. She was not his weakness, this young woman was; she was exactly the physical type he always fell for. Earlier, in the secret room at Loomis House she thought she'd seen a spark of recognition in Barnabas' eyes, but it obviously hadn't caught.

Julia listened as Barnabas told her that in a world filled with such evil, he couldn't kill anyone so beautiful. She knew his reasons were more than that, but she had to try and talk him out of it, convince him to carry out their plan. He was insisting she could help this young woman. He was intent on whatever his feelings and emotions were directing him to do, and would not listen to reason. Julia tried, she told him she knew he was wrong this time, but as always she lost the argument. He ordered her to examine the young woman and, disgusted with him, Julia began to do just that, not because she believed him right, but because it was easier and for now, safer, than continuing this argument with him.

She tried to reach him through their weak mental link, but he did not respond. Again, Julia swallowed hard, forcing her anger and frustration away. Earlier Barnabas had wanted her to leave this time stream and escape the danger of Angelique. Now he wanted her to expose herself to more danger by trying to help the young woman and risk not only exposure, but the full force of Angelique's fury when she realized what was happening.

Julia closed her eyes in determined resignation. The brief happiness she'd felt at their reunion was gone. She would do as Barnabas asked - demanded - just as she always did. Barnabas would never change. And she loved him too much to leave him. Julia wondered what kind of fool that made her. She was certain she would find out before long.