1970RT

1970 STORYLINE

Barnabas and Julia successfully return to their own time of 1970 after having fought the ghost of the evil Gerard in 1995. Together, they seek to unravel the clues that Carolyn had given them in the future in an effort to prevent the oncoming disaster. Gerard’s influence, however, proves too strong for them to overcome, and despite their efforts, the Collins family falls under his spell, one by one. Their lives are further complicated by the existence of an unknown vampire who claims Maggie as a victim. Barnabas and Julia’s relationship undergoes a momentary strain when Julia believes that Barnabas is lying to her about his involvement in the attacks. Trust is soon restored, however, and they share several tender moments although the existence of a Roxanne Drew in this time period also causes friction between them. Barnabas and Julia watch helplessly as Collinwood is eventually destroyed, just as they found it in 1995. As the mansion lies in ruins, they try to escape using the stairway through time that they had first discovered in the future.

At Collinwood, Julia answers the phone. The caller is Roxanne Drew - and Julia is astonished. Roxanne asks her to give Barnabas the message that she cannot have supper with him tonight. Julia hangs up the phone looking confused and concerned. Barnabas arrives, and smiling, he begins to tell Julia about Roxanne. “Julia, the most incredible thing has happened. Roxanne-” “I know,” Julia says dryly as the camera zooms in on the expression in her eyes. She goes on to relay Roxanne’s message to Barnabas’ disappointment. He tells Julia that this woman is exactly the same as the other Roxanne. Julia’s tone is very impersonal as she says, “I assume she is. But she’s not the same person.” “Julia, from the few times I’ve been with her, I know that’s Roxanne,” Barnabas answers obstinately. Exasperated with him, Julia asks, “Why do I always have to be the one to talk sense, to repeat what you have said to me.” She shakes her head. “Barnabas, do you remember me in parallel time? I am not the same person as that Julia Hoffman.” “That has nothing to do with it.” “It does,” she insists. “You do not know this Roxanne.” “Julia, I haven’t been wrong very often when it comes to judgment of people.” “No, you haven’t,” she agrees. “I know this is Roxanne. I know it.” “All right, Barnabas, we’ll just have to wait and find out,” Julia answers, her voice cool as she characteristically pushes out her lower lip. Barnabas has no response as he looks at her in an almost fearful way. 

Barnabas is holding a distraught Maggie in the drawing room at Collinwood. Just as he leans forward toward her neck, Julia’s stern voice cuts through the silence. “Barnabas!” The startled couple draw apart as Julia continues, “Excuse me, I’d like to talk to you.” She manages to get Maggie out of the room before telling Barnabas, “I have a feeling that I arrived in the doorway just in time.” “Just in time for what?” he asks. “I saw you looking at Maggie’s neck. Remember, she almost became your victim once before,” she says turning from him with arms crossed and jaw clenched tightly. “Julia, I am in complete control of myself.,” he insists. “Now if at any time, I feel that I’m losing that control, you can be assured that I will stay away from Maggie. Believe me, she’s perfectly safe.” This once again looks like a scene between a married couple. 

Later, Barnabas and Julia discuss Maggie’s date with Sebastian Shaw. Barnabas is unhappy that Maggie has gone out with Shaw. “I don’t understand why something like this upsets you so,” Julia says laconically, toying with her broach. “What does she know about him?” Barnabas wonders worriedly. “What do any of us know about him?” Julia counters. “Maggie is seeing a man who can’t be trusted; now that’s what troubles me.” Julia cocks her head and drawls, “Are you sure that’s all, Barnabas?” as she walks up to face him. “I am positive, Julia,” he says tensely, turning to her. 

Maggie returns after leaving the house with Barnabas and collapses on the stairs. Julia helps her into the drawing room and notices that she has the marks of the vampire on her neck. “I should have know it would happen,” Julia says despairingly.

Julia confronts Barnabas with her suspicions at the Old House. “What is it, Julia?” he asks, looking up from his book. “You know very well what it is,” she says coldly. He asks if something has happened to the children. “Oh Barnabas, why did you do it? We have been trying so desperately to save Hallie and David from Gerard and now to do this to Maggie.” He is confused, but she continues, “Barnabas, you cannot get away with it. You cannot possibly…” “Can’t get away with what? Julia, tell me, what’s happened to Maggie?” he demands. “You know as well as I do, Barnabas. You cannot possibly get away with your attack on her tonight!” He asks if she is absolutely sure Maggie was attacked by a vampire, and she says she saw the marks on her neck. “Marks that only you could have made.” “Julia, I swear that I didn’t-” “Barnabas, stop it,” she says, walking away from him. “You attacked Maggie when she was walking through the woods. How can you deny it?” “I can deny it, Julia,” he says sincerely, “because I didn’t do it.” “What you have done is terrible enough, Barnabas, but to lie to me, the one person you can trust…” “Julia, the sun will be up soon. I must convince you,” he says desperately, coming to her. “I tell you that I never lie to you.” “Oh, I want to believe that, Barnabas, but it’s so incredible.” He insists that someone else must have the same curse as he does, and he lights upon Sebastian Shaw, but Julia reminds him that she has seen Sebastian during the day. “Oh, Barnabas, I want so much to believe you,” she says, walking away from him again just as the rooster crows. He comes to her again, and standing very close to her, says earnestly, “Julia, I beg of you to believe me.” He tells her to go to Maggie and to see if she can learn something of who attacked her. “Barnabas…” Julia says sadly. He tells her that Maggie will need her, and he pledges to find out who has done this. Julia watches him as he leaves for his coffin, both her love for him and her confusion evident on her face. 

Barnabas and Julia talk later in the drawing room at Collinwood. They sit on the sofa together as Julia tells him that all the signs of the vampire attack are there. “Julia, did you at any time imply to her that I might have done it?” he asks. “I almost did when it first happened, but then I realized that I couldn’t say anything that would implicate you.” “Isn’t it possible that deep, deep down you knew that I didn’t do it?” he asks hopefully. “No, Barnabas, I was certain that you had done it.” She pauses and leans toward him, saying regretfully, “I’m sorry, but I don’t want to lie.” “You still have doubts, don’t you?” She tells him that she doesn’t know, and he asks her to take him to Maggie so that she can see for herself that he didn’t do it. Julia leads him upstairs, her own doubts warring in her mind. 

Barnabas speaks to an antagonistic Maggie as Julia looks on. Julia calls Barnabas into the hallway and tells him that she knows now that he didn’t have anything to do with it. He reflects on the agony he has inflicted on others. “Did you see how hopeless she is, how lost, to herself and to others…Julia,” he says turning to her. “Oh, Barnabas, don’t, please.” The wolves begin to howl. Julia steps closer, and says that they have to guard Maggie. Barnabas asks her to watch Maggie while he searches the grounds. He listens to the plaintive cries of the wolves and says how well he knows those cries. Now someone else is calling to Maggie. “I hereby swear, with all solemnity, on the graves of all my ancestors, that when I find who has done this to her, I will drive the stake myself,” he declares. Julia watches him go, a sad little smile on her face. 

Barnabas comes across Julia alone in the woods following Maggie. He is upset that she is out there by herself. “You might have been killed!” He tells her to go back to the house but Julia protests that she’ll be all right; she has a cross. Barnabas insists that she go back saying that many crosses have been gotten rid of, and he leads her back to Collinwood.  

Barnabas finds a weakened Maggie in the woods and brings her back to Collinwood. He and Julia talk at Maggie’s bedside about the vampire who has attacked her. “It’s a battle between me, Julia, and whoever it is who has control over her,” Barnabas says. Julia takes his arm and leads him away from the bed. “Barnabas, be careful about what you say. She’s asleep now, but she could awaken.” “How well you look after me, Julia,” he says tenderly. She shyly looks away, saying, “Habit, I suppose.” They discuss what they will tell the family and worry about what will happen if Elizabeth should call the police. Julia points out that they might link this attack to the other cases. “There’ve been none recently,” he says. “No, but they’re still there in their files,” she answers. Barnabas looks away as if wounded, and Julia quickly says, “Barnabas, I’m sorry.” They talk about who the vampire might be, and Julia asks if Barnabas could concentrate and summon the vampire here. He walks to the window to try to do that when Julia calls out his name. She comes up to him and links her hands firmly around his arm. “No, I’m sorry, Barnabas, I’m sorry, I can’t let you do it because then that person will know about you. We can’t take that chance.” “I would be willing to sacrifice myself, Julia.” She shakes her head and renews her hold on his arm. “No, I won’t let you. We’ve got to think of some better way, Barnabas.” 

Later, Barnabas watches Maggie then comes to Julia who is sitting at a desk reading a book. “Don’t you think you ought to get some rest?” he asks her. She says she can’t sleep, but he points out that she has to stay with Maggie all day tomorrow. “I’ll be all right,” she assures him, giving him a smile. 

Willie and Julia prepare to stake the vampire who has been preying on Maggie. Julia gasps when she opens the coffin. She tells Willie that the vampire is Roxanne Drew. “That girl? The girl Barnabas….” Willie’s voice trails off. “The girl Barnabas thinks he loves,” Julia finishes brokenly. As Willie prepares to drive the stake home, Julia stops him. “No, no Willie, no!” He insists that they must go through with this, but she says not now, that Barnabas never suspected who the vampire was. “But the Roxanne he loved was in another time. She was no vampire; this one is. He don’t even know who this one is!” “He thinks he does. No, Willie, we can’t do it. Not without his knowing.” Willie pleads that they must do it for Maggie. “Julia, he won’t blame us.” Julia clutches the hammer and stake close to her chest. “She’s what he always wanted,” she says, wistfully, closing her eyes. “Someone with whom he could share eternity.” Her face twists into a sad little smile. Willie insists that even Barnabas said this vampire was vicious and says that he will take the blame. He offers to destroy Roxanne if Julia wants to leave. She starts to hand him the instruments before hastily changing her mind. “I can’t, Willie, I can’t. There’s got to be a better way. Close the coffin, Willie,” she decides. “Close it.” Willie tells her he doesn’t’ understand her - they both know they’ll never get this chance again, but he does as she asks. 

Unwilling to destroy the woman Barnabas thinks he loves, Julia has Quentin and Willie move Roxanne’s coffin to the secret room of the Old House. Standing guard over the chained coffin, Willie asks Julia how they are going to tell Barnabas about Roxanne. “I’ve been through too much with him.” “As have I,” she reminds him. They wait in the drawing room for Barnabas. When he comes in, he wants to know if it is done, but Willie and Julia hem and haw. “Who was it, Julia?” Barnabas asks, alarmed. She tells him that the coffin is in the secret room. “You can see for yourself.” “Who is it?” he repeats. “Barnabas, it’s Roxanne.” Barnabas is wild at this news; he insists that Willie unchain the coffin. “Were we wrong to do what we did or would it have been better for you if we’d done what you’d asked us to?” a worried Julia asks an unresponsive Barnabas. He insists that they leave him alone while he opens the coffin. But when he does, Roxanne reaches for him, fangs bared. “No! No!” he screams. Julia enters with a cross, forcing Roxanne back into her coffin while Willie works quickly to replace the chains. 

Barnabas refuses to blame Roxanne, citing his own possible reaction if he found his coffin in a strange place at the mercy of someone he barely knew. “That is the truth. She is someone you barely know,” Julia points out. Barnabas wants to talk to Roxanne, but Julia angrily tells him that is impossible. Roxanne is too vicious. “If she realizes that we’re the same-” Barnabas insists. “You’re mad.” “No!” “To give away your secret to someone like that,” Julia says, exasperated. “I won’t let you do it,” she declares. “I might be able to control her,” he says. “Or she might control you.” “No.” Julia insists that they don’t know anything about her, but he counters that Roxanne did save their lives in Rose Cottage. “Are you serious about trusting your secret to her? A secret that almost cost Willie and me our lives?” Barnabas still wants to help Roxanne and is desperate to know what curse changed her. “We cannot undo what has happened, Barnabas,” Julia says, shaking her head. “It’s dangerous to think that way.” She holds out the stake to him. “Here is the solution, Barnabas, for you and for Maggie.” Barnabas throws the stake into the fire, raging, “Never!” “Barnabas, Barnabas, it’s dangerous for you!” Julia wails, but he says he has feelings he cannot ignore and that he wants to see Roxanne alone. 

Barnabas and Julia try to escape from the destruction of Collinwood. Barnabas is grabbed by the zombies when Julia opens the playroom door and finds the stairway through time. “Barnabas, Barnabas, the stairway has re-appeared!” she shouts. He urges her to go as he continues to struggle with Gerard’s henchmen. “Julia, go! I’ll follow you!” She disappears up the staircase. Finally breaking free of his captors, Barnabas rushes to the door. “Julia, the staircase is gone!” he screams after her, but she cannot hear him.

Julia opens the door to the corridor and finds herself alone - in the year 1840.