After last night's raging storm (and vigorous, passionate sex), the sun rose, giving the morning a hazy look. Julia, in her slip, stood in the doorway of "Josette's balconey", smoking her morning cigarette. She had to sneak downstairs, unseen, to get her purse from the parlor to get her smokes. Thank goodness that she didn't run into Willie half-naked!
She loved what she did the night before, but was well aware of the consequences. Yet, Eliot said that she would find a way to get out from under Nicholas' thumb. Julia tried to remember some of the things Eliot told her about warlocks and witches, but didn't quite recall whether or not he said anything about how to destroy them. Even when they were forced by Nicholas to create "the creature", he never wracked his brain to find a way out. Perhaps he was scared to try for her sake.
Shaking her head in frustration, Julia tossed the cigarette over the ledge and went back inside, closing the doors behind her.
"Good morning, my dear," yawned Barnabas. He sat up in bed, the covers covering his bronze nudity from the waist down.
Julia smiled seductively at him, admiring his ruddy, mussed appearance. "Good morning, lover."
"I'm glad that you are still here. Adventurous sorts like you would had already snuck away from their conquests' beds before sunrise," he mused, gazing at her body. He was glad that her undergarments were no longer of use to her for the time being.
"Perhaps I'm the type who loves to lay with their conquests," she smirked, mounting him. They kissed again, playfully touching the tips of their tongues.
"I apologize for missing the sunrise," he said.
"Perhaps I shouldn't have kept you up," she smiled, mischievously.
Barnabas laughed. "You're so amazing, Julia."
Slowly, Julia's smiled faded.
Alarmed, Barnabas asked, "What's wrong, my dear?"
"Barnabas, I hope you don't think that...what we did will keep me at Collinwood."
"Julia, you are the most perplexing woman I've ever come across. What do you want from me?"
"A peace of mind," she replied.
Barnabas drew back. "You said that before when you offered me the treatments. Julia, does your being here goes beyond me and my cure?"
She climbed off of him and headed for the bathroom, adjacent to the room. Barnabas climbed out of bed, stark naked, and followed her.
"Julia, I want an answer," he demanded.
After turning on the faucet, she answered, "Yes. I never intended to fall in love with you and stay forever, Barnabas. Do you actually want a working woman as your lover? Perhaps...a wife?"
"Julia, you know how I feel about you."
She looked down at his anatomy. "I can tell, Barnabas, that you have...desire for me, but what about forever?"
"I want you with me...forever."
Something inside of Julia released itself as she was glad to hear that he wanted her forever.
"Barnabas," she said, seriously, "there are things that we have to discuss."
"Yes?" he answered, curious about what she is going to say.
"However, before we get into that," she said, looking over his body, "would you like to join me in the shower?"
Barnabas' smile grew along with the better part of him. "Delighted."
He stepped into the shower with Julia, closed the curtain, and discarded her slip over the shower rail.
"Is Barnabas cured now, Julia?" asked Willie, pouring the new couple orange juice.
"Yes, Willie," answered Julia. "I believe he was already cured for a while, but once Barnabas had faced the sunrise yesterday, we were sure that he has become an ordinary man, and an ordinary employer who pays his employee suitable wages," she declared, eyeing her new shower partner.
Barnabas nodded, although it took some "convincing" on Julia's part to get Barnabas to concede. "Yes, Willie, you will start receiving wages that befits a ser-, uh, employee of Collinwood. Starting today."
Willie was shocked to his system when Barnabas dug into his wallet, and put 300 dollars into his hands.
"Ba-Barnabas," he stuttered in disbelief, "I-I..."
"Just say 'thank you', Willie. Thanks to Julia, things will be different here for all of us," he said, staring into Julia's eyes while holding her hand.
"Thanks, Barnabas," said Willie, taking a final look at the baffling couple before leaving to dust the chandelier in the parlor.
"Julia, I know that you are concerned about balancing your profession with being here, but I feel that it can be done."
"You don't drive, Barnabas, and traveling 100 miles back and forth will be too much for me," replied Julia. "It was already harrowing for me when I lived in Orono."
"Perhaps you could...shorten your time at Wyndcliffe?" suggested Barnabas.
"As in cut my hours or days there?" she asked.
"Why not? Julia, you have worked hard all your life there. Don't you think that the other doctors there could manage full time without you?"
Julia thought over what Barnabas said. She's been the director of Wyndcliffe since around the time her father died. His death gave her the excuse to accept the position to keep her mind off her grief. Julia never regretted her decision to take that position ever since.
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea, Barnabas. I'll consider it."
"Very good, Julia. Now let us toast to your-"
Barnabas was interrupted by incessant knocking on the doors and then the raging voice of Roger Collins.
"Where is she, Loomis?!" demanded Roger.
"Ya mean Julia?" asked the timid servant.
"Yes, Doctor Hoffman," said Roger, indignant at Willie's usage of Julia's given name. "She never returned to the main house last night. Did your employer run her off to her death this time?"
"His employer," intervened Barnabas, standing at the parlor's entrance, "invited Julia to stay the night since it was late and storming."
Julia stood next to Barnabas, to Roger's relief and annoyance.
"Oh, Julia! I'm so glad you are well!" exclaimed Roger, hugging Julia. Barnabas did not like this scenery at all.
"Liz, Vicki, and I were worried about you. I wish there was a phone here to notify us of your safety," he said, throwing a look at Barnabas. Barnabas threw one back to his twentieth-century cousin.
"Roger, there was nothing to worry about. Even in a storm, Barnabas would not be so callous to throw me out," assured Julia, breaking from his arms.
Unless it was Roger, thought Barnabas, pleased that Julia didn't remain in Roger's embrace.
"I'm glad for your sake. I'll give you a ride back."
"That's okay, Roger. I can drive back."
"Unfortunately, Julia, I noticed that you had a flat tire when I looked over your car. To be accurate, the tire has a gashing hole in it."
"What?! That's odd. Maybe I drove over something on my way here," guessed Julia.
Barnabas and Willie exchanged looks.
"Perhaps Willie can replace the tire for you, Julia," suggested Barnabas.
"Willie, will you do that for me? I'll pay you well," said Julia.
"No, Julia. Ya keep your money. I guess that this is also in my pay, Barnabas?" said Willie, looking at Barnabas.
"Of course," agreed Barnabas, not even irritated at the notion of paying Willie extra for changing his lover's tire. "Get right to it, Willie."
"Sure, Barnabas," answered Willie, who left to retrieve his tools.
Julia said, "Roger, I will return as soon as Willie has changed the tire."
"Are you sure, Julia?"
Barnabas certainly was not liking Roger's concern for his Julia .
"I'm positive," she beamed.
"Very well, my lady, I will see you later," smiled Roger, kissing her hand.
That is my hand, sir! raged Barnabas, inwardly.
As soon as Roger left, Barnabas turned to Julia. "Why was Roger so affectionate to you?"
"Well, Barnabas," she answered, avoiding his gaze, "Roger thinks that I'm considering being his wife,"
Barnabas narrowed his gaze at her. "Why would he think that?"
"Before I arrived yesterday evening, Roger asked me to marry him."
"And what did you say before you came to my bed. Or rather Josette's former bed?"
"I told him that I would consider it," she sighed.
"Really?" Barnabas was definitely not liking this situation.
"Not really. I didn't really know what I wanted at the time. Concerning you, that is. However, I don't want to be Roger's wife or mother to his son."
"It seems like an opportunity that you wouldn't pass, considering your late husband's infertility."
"When it comes to Eliot, I would prefer that you leave him out of our conversations, including his infertility."
"I apologize, Julia. So, you do not want to be Mrs. Roger Collins, or Doctor Roger Collins, per se?"
Julia shook her head. "No, Barnabas, and it would have been still Doctor Hoffman. It wouldn't be good for either of us. Especially when I will find myself here with you whenever I can get away."
Barnabas drew her into his arms. "Oh, the joys of having a vixen like you in my life! Just think: if you married Roger, you would have to come up with every excuse imaginable to be with me."
"My weeks would be harrowing," she said, making a face.
"Julia, I know that we are in the midst of your dilemma to stay here or to leave, but...if the question was ever brought up, would you consider me... for a husband?"
"Not if she wants to be a widow again!"
Barnabas and Julia was startled and horrified to see Nicholas Blair standing by the staircase, a look of rage upon his face. Julia paled and her eyes bulged. She knew that he knew about her and Barnabas just by the look on his face. She knew that her existence as a free woman will end momentarily after he destroys Barnabas.
Unlike Julia, Barnabas was angry to see this son of a bitch again in his parlor. He was shocked to see him alive (and unfortunately well), but his anger boiled because of what Nicholas had done to his family and Josette. And to him.
"Blair!" shouted Barnabas.
Nicholas laughed. "It's both fortunate, and unfortunate, to see you alive...and human again, Barnabas Collins. But what is not fortunate is the fact that now you've stolen Doctor Hoffman from me."
"From you?" questioned Barnabas, looking from Nicholas to Julia, and reverse.
Julia took a seat in one of the armchairs, bracing for Nicholas to expose her as Barnabas' would-be murderer.
Nicholas glistening teeth shone as he relished in Barnabas' confusion. "I own her, Collins. She and her skills are mine because of her husband's failure to get me what I want." He looked over at Julia, whose head was buried in her hands as she quietly sobbed. "And she failed in preventing his death...amongst other things."
Julia felt Nicholas' condemnation weighing heavily upon her as he continued.
"She comes with me, Collins. Get up, Julia. It's time to go."
Barnabas stood between Julia and Nicholas, his head held high in indignation, and locking glares with his ancient nemesis. "Julia stays with me, Blair."
"Oh? I see now," taunted Nicholas. "The Widow Hoffman has found you to warm her bed now, has she?"
"How dare you, you son of a bitch! You destroyed my family, ruined my life, and done the same to Julia. Get out of my house!"
Nicholas outstretched his hands towards Barnabas, and Barnabas began clutching his throat. He coudn't breathe! Julia's head snapped up as she saw Barnabas collapsed on the floor. She quickly attend to him.
"Nicholas, please!" she begged. "He's suffered enough! Stop it, please. I'll come with you, just please leave him alone!"
"I've warned you, Julia, about him. Our deal is null and void. He will die, and yes, you will come with me!"
Suddenly, an apparition of a heavy-set, gray-haired man appeared, standing between the warlock and the couple, holding up a golden amulet up to Nicholas' face. He warlock recoiled in horror, and Barnabas recovered immediately.
"Stokes!" called out Nicholas.
"Get away from them, warlock, or so help me, you will literally burn in Hell!" ordered Eliot.
If Eliot didn't have that amulet, Nicholas would had easily sent the late professor away. For good.
Nicholas glared at the couple on the floor. "This isn't over, you two. I will be back for her, Collins...and your life!"
The warlock disappeared. Eliot tossed the amulet to Julia, who caught it.
"Eliot...," she said, sadly.
"Julia, that amulet could only do so much. You and Mr. Collins must destroy Blair. Once and for all..."
He looked at Barnabas for a moment and nodded to him. Barnabas nodded back in awe over this man's likeness to his long-ago servant. Eliot began to disappear.
"Wait! How?" shouted Julia.
But the apparition faded away, leaving Barnabas and Julia alone in the parlor. Willie came through the front doors after the event was over, dropped his tools, and rushed to Barnabas and Julia's aid.
"Julia, what happened?" he asked, alarmed.
"I'll explain everything once we get him upstairs to his room. Help me to get him on his feet, Willie," she said.
Once Willie and Julia were able to get Barnabas in bed, Julia explained to the servant what happened outside of Barnabas' room.
"I thought he was turned into a vampire by his wife," said Willie, confused by Nicholas' role in this situation.
"Angelique did turn him, Willie, but Nicholas made it worse by making sure that Barnabas suffered," explained Julia.
"But what do he got to do with ya?"
"Willie, you asked once why I wanted to help Barnabas become human, remember?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Nicholas sent me here to help him...and to kill him."
Willie gasped. Despite the fact that he still held a grudge against Barnabas for his mistreatment of him, Willie was shocked to discover that the woman who cured him, and slept with him, had actually come to end his life.
"What? Why didn't ya do it instead of curin' him?"
"Nicholas is like a cat with a mouse, Willie: he wants to play with his victim before destroying him. I was to cure Barnabas, then allow for him to woo Vicki on equal playing field with Burke, and then to take Vicki from him and kill him. With Nicholas' help, of course."
"Ya gonna tell him?"
"I have to eventually, but not now. I have to explain Nicholas' role in my late husband's death first. Then, I will tell him the rest, and hopefully, Barnabas would not hate me as much."
"Julia," said Wllie, "are ya really in love with Barnabas? I mean, is it the real thing, or was it just...ya know?"
"I know what you are saying, Wilie, and for me...it is real. But it's complicated because of the real reason why I came here. I never expected to fall in love with Barnabas, but..."
She paused. "I'm so stressed, Willie, and...I don't know."
"Julia, if ya love him, really love him, then do all ya can for him. Life is too short to let some crazy warlock separate ya."
Julia smiled. "Thanks, Willie. I'll try my best."
"Julia...Julia!" called Barnabas from his room.
Willie and Julia entered the room, alarmed, but were relieved when they found Barnabas alone, clutching the amulet.
"Are you alright, Barnabas?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. Willie stood next to her.
"Yes, I'm fine," replied Barnabas. "I wanted to make sure that you were still here, that Blair didn't snatch you up while I rested."
"I'm here and Willie is here," she assured, brushing his bangs aside.
Barnabas looked at Willie. "Willie, leave us. I must speak to Julia alone."
"Actually," intervened Julia, "I want to speak to both of you of what happened in the parlor. I need for the two of you to know my connections to Nicholas. That's what you wanted to talk to me about, right Barnabas?"
"Of course," he nodded.
"Alright, then," she said. "As you know, Barnabas, Eliot was terribly fascinated with the occult. During the fall semester last year at the university, Nicholas Blair sat in on Eliot's lectures. Eventually, he introduced himself as an expert in the field, and Eliot became quite taken with him. Eliot often recounted to me on the many conversations they had out of class on campus, and during lunches. Out of curiosity, I had Eliot to invite him over for dinner one weekend. It was...an invitation that I regret extending."
"When did Blair show his true colors, Julia?" asked Barnabas.
"It took a few weeks, but the subject of...resurrecting the dead came up in conversation...and...the next thing I knew, Eliot revealed our most terrible secret to him. A secret that we both swore to take to our own graves."
"What was it?" inquired Willie, drawn into the mystery.
Julia paused before answering. "Eliot and I...brought a dead child back to life...to be... our... son."
Barnabas and Willie gasped in shock and horror. Barnabas knew that Julia wanted a child of her own, but to go through such unholy methods to get her desire?
"I know it was wrong and unethical," admitted Julia, sensing the men's abhorrence, "but...after we discovered that we would not be able to have children on our own, Eliot distanced himself from our marital bed...and from me. Yet, seeing what it was doing to me, Eliot came up with the idea and I agreed out of desperation to save my marriage. We conducted the experiment in secret in our cellar. Being a doctor at Wyndcliffe, I had access to the morgue, and, with Eliot's assistance, picked one of the children who died in Wyndcliffe's care and brought...him home."
Julia wanted to stop, but she had to explain everything before eventually revealing her reason for coming to Collinwood.
"We did our work in the evenings, spent our weekends tending to that child who could bring us fulfillment in our lives."
"Did it...work?" asked a hesitant Barnabas.
"Our son lived for two months," she smiled, wistfully. "His name was... Adam Hoffman-Stokes."
"How did you plan to explain...'the child' to your peers and family?" Barnabas further inquired.
"Eliot and I talked about it. We agreed to tell people that he was adopted, and we knew people who could arrange documentation to our claim. But as I said, Adam only lived for two months."
"Why two months?" wondered Willie.
"Well, Willie...we learned that when humans try to play God, it usually leads to atrocious consequences. I took a sabbatical from Wyndcliffe in order to orientate Adam into thinking of us as his family. Adam was receptive to that notion, and it greatly pleased us. When he started calling us "Mama" and "Papa," we were overjoyed that our lives would finally be complete."
Julia's reminiscent joy slowly faded to abject disappointment. "Then something went wrong. I don't know whether it was the chemicals used to bringing him back to life, or a dysfunction in his re-animated brain, but one evening...Adam, sweet and precious Adam, attacked Eliot with one of the pots from the kitchen. To save my husband, I had to...I had to..."
Tears began flowing freely down her distraught face.
"I had to shoot down my own child!"
Julia burst out crying, hiding her face in her hands. Willie, feeling bad for Julia, handed her a clean handkerchief from his pocket, and comforted her. Although Barnabas' initial reaction was shock and disgust, he couldn't hold Julia's actions against her, especially when he's done monstrous things in the past and the present. He took her hand and kissed it, soothing her.
"I'm so sorry, Julia," he said quietly.
"I was sorry as well for playing God," she nodded. "Who knew that our sin would come back to haunt us in the form of Nicholas Blair?"
Willie and Barnabas were so wrapped up in Julia's story that they forgot about Nicholas.
"So how'd..how'd this Nicholas get involved," asked Willie.
"Once Eliot revealed our secret to him, Nicholas owned us. He came to us one evening, demanding that we build him "a creature," a man to be resurrected like Adam, who would be the prototype for his legion of Hell. We refused, but he threatened to ruin our reputations and...threatened death. So we agreed, and made plans to conduct the experiment in Martinique, where he wanted his army to be based."
"Since Professor Stokes died," said Barnabas, cringing at being reminded of Martinique, "then you must had failed."
"We didn't know how it happened," explained Julia, sniffing. "I mean, the body that Nicholas provided was healthy, fully functional, and it breathed! But after twelve minutes, it dropped dead. Nicholas accused us of failing on purpose, and he caused Eliot to have a massive heart attack in front of me."
"How did ya get away?" queried Willie, as though he was a child listening to a good adventure story.
"I didn't. Nicholas spared my life for his services," she said, careful to not elaborate. "I thought that after all of these months that he'd forgotten about me. Apparently, he didn't."
Barnabas took the reigns in this situation. "Julia, from this day forward, we will plan to destroy Nicholas Blair, once and for all, as your husband said in the parlor this afternoon when he saved our lives. Because we only have one amulet, we will need to acquire another one since you plan to return to Wyndcliffe. Anything could happen to you while you are driving. And I would need one to avoid him here."
"Yes," agreed Julia. Willie nodded as well.
"We also need Professor Stokes' research on warlocks and witches," stated Barnabas. "He had to had made notations somewhere on how to destroy them."
"All of his research was collected by his colleagues, but I could gain access to the university's archives as an alumnus," suggested Julia.
"Good. Willie?"
"Yeah, Barnabas?" said the newly-titled employee, ready for battle.
"I want you to ask around Collinsport, even farther if necessary, if someone may own an amulet or any charm that could ward off witches and warlocks. I will pay whatever the cost to acquire the object."
Willie nodded vigorously. "Okay, Barnabas."
Barnabas continued. "We'll have to move quickly. Blair could come back to wreck havoc at any time. But for now," he handed the amulet to a bewildered Julia, "Julia will take it."
"No, Barnabas. You are in more danger than I am. You must take it," she said, pushing back his hand.
But Barnabas closed her hand over the object. "You take it. I don't care what happens to me, my love, but if anything should happen to you, then I would most assuredly rather be back to what I was, chained in my coffin for another 172 years, than to live without you for a second."
Julia's heart leapt as she took in his words. Willie's doubts about his employer's feelings for Julia melted away as he noted the seriousness in his tone.
Barnabas looked up at Willie. "Willie, leave us alone."
"Sure," said Willie, leaving with an assuring smile that things in the Old House were changing for the good.
Then remembering something, he turned around. "Oh, Julia! I fixed ya tire for ya. it's ready whenever ya are."
"Thanks, Willie," she said, her voice a little shaky.
"Anytime," he said, still leaving with his comforting assurance.
Once Willie shut the door behind him, Barnabas turned back the covers next to him. "Come, Julia."
Without hesitation, the doctor kicked off her shoes, and slid in bed next to her lover. He wrapped his arm around her as she leaned into his chest.
"Everything will be alright, Julia. I will try to make you as happy as possible," he assured her, hoping that he could heal her hurt over "Adam."
Julia silently cried, causing him to hold her tighter. She wondered if he would feel the same once he discovers that she was supposed to kill him on Nicholas' order.
Once again, readers, I appreciate your support for this fan fiction. And a little spoiler, some people will be getting what they truly, deeply, madly, want ;) Until next time!