Who would you have liked to have seen Barnabas wind up with?

[Alondra]

Cool to see these old topics resurrected so that we who are relatively new to the board can reply to them.

If Barnabas and Josette had had their life the way it should have been without the interferance of Angelique, Barnabas would not have lived to the 20th century and wouldn't have met Julia. I always think of his life as the past 1795 and the present 1967-71 separately, it's like two separate lives. So in the past I would rather see him with Josette, living out their lives together as it was planned. The 1795 storyline has so many tragedies. [spoiler]It begins with the planned wedding of Barnabas and Josette. All he is thinking of is marrying her, living at the Old House and having children with her. Had this happened, he would have died sometime in the 1800's.[/spoiler]

This did not happen, he survived to the present day, so he met Julia Hoffman. [spoiler]He also meets two women who he wants to recreate Josette in, first Maggie, then Vicki. When things don't work out with Maggie, he settles on Vicki. If Vicki had loved him I wouldn't have minded them being together, but Vicki had very bad taste in men, first the elderly (compared to her) Burke who treated her more like a daughter than a lover. Then there is the gakky Jeff Clark. I would ten times rather see her with Barnabas than either of them. But since she did not love him, she couldn't be his best choice.[/spoiler]

Julia laid her neck on the line for him over and over. She did whatever he wanted, and put up with so much from him. She was loyal to the end. Though to him the chemistry wasn't there, she was the one who stuck with him through thick and thin. She is my choice for him in the present time.

If Vicki had loved Barnabas I think it could have worked out and in that case, I would have liked to see Julia with the Professor. I do not like seeing Julia out in the cold, if Barnabas is not going to love her, let's at least give her someone. I think the Professor secretly carried a torch for her. They were both intelligent people and they would have had many discussions. I like the Professor and though I'm not attracted to him I would love to spend time learning from him, he is so knowledgable on many things.

I don't think Angelique is worthy of him or anyone, because of her continual jealousy, and her mean actions of the past. How he could forget all the evil things she had done to his family and loved ones over the years and decide at the last that he loved her is beyond me.

Roxanne (parallel time) was too young for him. It's a fantasy of the middle aged male writers that she fell for him too. I don't think in real life that would have happened. As it was, it was just one more dagger to stick in Julia's heart.

So my answer is Josette in the past, and Julia in the present.

Alondra

[Jackie]

It's hard to see Barnabas with any woman for a long time as he is written in the series.  I agree with someone who said he had the attention span of a 2 year old.  He was in and out of love more times than a yo-yo at a tournament.  He loved them all while he was with them and then forgot about his "love" when he moved through time, regular or parallel.

The only woman he kept in constant communications with, work with and feelings never wavered was Julia Hoffman. He never said he loved her as a man loves a wife but he did indicate he was totally devoted to her.  They have saved each other's lives numerous times, Julia did whatever he asked and in time he was completed devoted to her too.

Barnabas could make love to any of those other SYT that had his attention but in time, after he had nothing more to say to them or their commonality wavered, he would leave them.  Julia knew him the best, his deepest darkest secret and still stuck by him.  Other than Angelique who cursed him for eternity, no other woman would understand what he went through or forgive his atrocities.

I can't pick Angelique because there is no reason why he would love the one person who made his life a living hell. Yeah, she was like the others, beautiful, great in bed but beyond that, what's their attraction?  They can't talk to each other without threats all the time, she's so jealous he can't even talk to another woman without her threatening her.  What sort of life would he lead with Angelique?  Very secluded.

The only other woman that came close to relating to Barnabas in any way, other than kissing/physical attraction, was Vicki.  They shared certain interests but she didn't love him as a "partner".  Of course this is similar to his relationship with Julia.  But Barnabas would never ask Vicki to do the things he's asked Julia to do for him.  And I don't know if Vicki could handle the truth about Barnabas, what he did in his earlier years, to Maggie, David, Carolyn or Dr. Woodard!  Should he keep those secrets from his wife?  They are bound to come out and then what?

My choice if one hasn't already figured it out, is Julia Hoffman, his protector and best friend.  And as Barnabas matured, he'd learn to love her as much as she loves him.  But maturity is necessary for Barnabas to find everlasting love.