Dark are the Shadows 12/10/2019

Dark are the Shadows
Ms Hunter Ash

a BTVS/Dark Shadows crossover
I don't own any of the canon characters in either universe - original characters are my creation, however - as is the storyline

rating: PG13
pairings: Buffy/Quentin, Willow/Tara, Xander/Anya, Giles/Angelique

Willow and Anya peered over the counter cautiously as Giles and Quentin raised the display case off of Buffy.

"Why was the big snake afraid of Dawn?" Willow asked.

"It knows!" Buffy whispered to Giles and ran out of the store.

"Come on!' Quentin urged Giles.

Buffy was outside of the Magic Box staring at the sight of a huge snake creature slithering down the middle of the street and people running out of its path. The three heroes winced as a car rounded a corner and screeched to a stop and people screamed in terror.

Buffy ran after the snake. Giles touched Quentin's arm. "Come on!" and led the other man in the opposite direction.

Buffy continued chasing the snake down an alley. She turned as Giles' convertible screeched to a halt next to her and she dived into the front seat. She glanced at Quentin sitting in the back of the convertible.

Giles took off as possible and rounded a corner only to have the creature use its tail to shove a dumpster into their way. Giles swerved into a pile of garbage bags and he shifted into reverse.

"I've gotta stop this monster before it gets back to Glory," Buffy told them.\

"Glory?"

"That's what this creepy little Jim Henson like dude called her. Giles, she'll know Dawn is the key. If we don't..."

"We will," he said firmly and took off after the snake again.

# # # #

"This mess!" Anya said with a sigh. "We need unbreakable glass."

"Plexiglass," Xander suggested. "We can work on that."

# # #

Buffy winced as the little car careened around a corner and nearly crashed head-on into another car and Giles twisted the wheel over and back again. Then the tires screeched in protest as Giles slammed on the brakes and reversed the car.

Buffy jumped out of the car and ran through a broken fence into the park, running past picnic tables across the grass.

Quentin decided to stay in the back seat as Giles took off again.

Buffy ran after the snake but it was obvious to herself that she was tiring. She grabbed a piece of chain from a downed section of fence as the snake headed for the woods. The Slayer lept onto a large boulder as the snake went around. Buffy jumped off the rock, landing on the snake's back. She flipped the chain around the creature's neck and twisted as the snake reared up and began thrashing in an attempt to dislodge the girl off its back. Buffy continued twisting the chain feeling a bit like Princess Leia choking Jabba the Hut.

After several moments the creature was still.

Buffy let go of the chain with a sigh.

The snake suddenly reared again and it threw Buffy off onto the grass. The snake turned as the Slayer jumped to her feet and punched the creature in the face. Buffy jumped on the snake and continued punching it over and over, long after the creature stopped moving.

The Slayer finally stopped and sat down on the grass next to the creature as it turned to a sickly green goo that began to be absorbed into the grass.

Quentin gently pulled Buffy to her feet. He and Giles walked her back to the car.

# # # #

Nicholas moved away from a mirror on the wall of his small but stylish house.

"Well, that was interesting," he commented and looked over a sullen vampire. "Oh stop brooding! Here's your chance to get your fangs wet with a challenge. You saw who you're after in the mirror. She's a witch and dangerous. Good luck."

Tom jumped to his feet with a grin. "Consider it done."

# # # #

Willow sighed as the small group closed the shop up after cleaning up the broken glass and moving things out of the display window that weren't broken.

"Want a ride, Will?" Buffy asked.

"Nah, I need to stop by our dorm room real quick," Willow responded. "I'll call for a cab from the dorm."

"We can drive you and wait in the car," Quentin offered.

"Okay, that works."

# # #

Quentin and Buffy watched the moon appear over the horizon and the Slayer sighed as she leaned against him with his arms wrapped around her.

"Thanks for sticking around, Quentin," she said as they waited for Willow.

"My pleasure," he said. "I just hope we stop Glory and Nicholas and get Barnabas back in one piece."

"Me too," Buffy agreed. "After that... you'll head back to Maine?"

"I don't know," Quentin said. "Probably not for awhile. I want to check out the fishing industry here and debate whether expanding the business would work here and Barnabas is going to need someone."

"You don't think he'll go back to Julia? That kinda surprises me."

"I hope he does, he's going to be extremely lost without her. She's been in his life since 1967 or so," Quentin said. "He's relied on her for so long it'll be very devastating if he doesn't try and get back with her."

"Why wouldn't he go back?" Buffy asked.

"He can be a bit prideful and arrogant and he's hurt," Quentin said. "He didn't jump at a chance to be with Roxanne and Julia still left."

"I can see all of that," Buffy commented.

# # # #

Willow started down the stairs in the dorm and saw a young man struggling with a backpack and pair of crutches on the stairs. The young witch stood aside to give him room. The young man looked up and shrugged.

"Thanks," he said. "It's an exercise in...well, hopefully not in futility."

"Would you like me to open the door for you?" she offered.

"That would be a blessing, thank you," he said. "Those doors can be heavy."

Willow went back up the stairs to the door and waited for him to join her on the landing and turned to open it.

"Oh damnit!" he exclaimed as his backpack slipped from his arm and down to the floor.

"I've got it," Willow offered and squatted down to grab the bag.

She managed to squeak in surprise as strong hands grabbed her and pulled her to his chest and fangs sank into her neck. The witch managed to reach up for the necklace inside her shirt but her wrist was grabbed and held tightly.

Willow whimpered as she grew weak and clung to his arms. She moaned when his fangs left her neck and shuddered when he played them over the other side of her neck.

"When I call, you will come," he whispered. "You won't tell a soul about me. You will come to me."

"Yes," Willow said softly. "The others will know."

"Tell them you're tired from the constant research and magic," the vampire suggested. "You need rest. Grab your things and go to them. I will call you later."

"Yes, who are you?"

"Tom Jennings, you know my nephew."

# # # #

Barnabas let his head hang after tying once again to contact Julia, Willow and Tara.

He wasn’t sure which was worse, being locked away forever and going mad from the craving for blood or dying of thirst as a human.

As a human he had nearly died after being bricked up in the basement of his own house. That had only taken days…

It had only been two nights and he could feel his fangs refusing to retract.

// Tara! Willow! //

// Oh, Julia, I did try to be a good husband. Perhaps Angelique’s curse did destroy something in me. I could be hard but I was never intentionally cruel until I made the mistake of being with her. You saved me so many times and gave your life for me. I hope you can be happy, my love. I know you can’t hear me but I hope you don’t blame yourself for this. //

// Tara! Someone hear me!//

# # # #

Tara walked down to the main area of the mansion with a frown.

"Tare, you okay?" Xander asked.

"Will might be coming down with something," she told the others.

"Given the fact that no one is sleeping and she's expending too much energy magically, I'm not surprised," Giles said.

"I'd talk, Rupert," Angelique commented.

"I won't deny it," Giles said. "Chasing demon snakes, trying to find Barnabas and find answers about Glory... it's taking a toll on all of us."

"Dinner's ready," Buffy called from the dining area. "Don't worry, Mom supervised."

"Thank God," Giles muttered. He held out a hand to Angelique. "Sit with me, luv?"

"Always."

Everyone settled in at the table and tried to smile as Buffy and Dawn brought out dinner for everyone, including blood for the vampires.

"I think I should call Julia tonight," Quentin said. "We're going on another night without Barnabas. If we wait too long..."

"She'll be extremely upset," Tara ventured and Quentin nodded.

"Should we call Willow down?" Dawn asked.

"Let her sleep," Buffy suggested. "She can grab a snack if she wakes up later."

"We all need some rest," Giles muttered.

# # #

Buffy winced as she switched an ice pack from her cheek to her shoulder. Angelique was in the den with the door closed and Tara was sitting with a bowl at the dining room table attempting to scry and locate Barnabas.

Giles was asleep in a chair and her mother was yawning.

"I'm going to step outside to call," Quentin said softly. "Want to go out with me?"

"Sure," Buffy said and led the way out onto the patio.

Quentin sighed and dialed a number from memory. "Good thing they keep vampire hours. Julia, it's Quentin, let me put this on speaker. I'm sorry for calling so late."

"You know I stay up late," Julia said. "What's wrong?"

"Barnabas is missing, we're certain Nicholas Blair has him and that he's still alive," Quentin said.

"We can get there by tomorrow evening," Julia said.

"Stay there for now," Quentin said. "This might be just what Nicholas wants by keeping Barnabas alive. We've got three witches, two vampires with a connection to him, a Watcher, Slayer and heroes here. Oh yes, and a psychic on speed dial."

"Psychic... why can't Angelique or Tara find him?" Julia asked.

"They're being blocked by magic," Quentin answered.

"Magic...Quentin, can you find Roxanne?" Julia asked.

"I don't know, we haven't seen her since Barnabas said he wouldn't leave you," Quentin responded.

Buffy flinched, whether he meant it or not, that was definitely a slam at Julia.

"Try," Julia urged. "Roxanne is psychic, she found me when I was locked in a hidden room at Collinwood. We were so distracted with clearing the Quentin of that time-band of murder that I didn't catch how she did it. Then Barnabas and I were tossed into a horrible future and he didn't discuss Roxanne at all after losing her."

“We’ll try.”

"Maybe if you have something of Barnabas' that's personal?" Julia asked. "Not just clothes although that might work if it's his cloak."

"Uh, we have his cane," Quentin answered.

"Oh god, it is serious," Julia said softly. "We should be there."

"Not yet, we're tripping over each other here as it is," Quentin said.

"What does Carolyn say?" Julia asked.

"That Barnabas is alive and in darkness."

"He's probably locked in a coffin like Nicholas did to Angelique," Julia suggested.

"Yes, most likely," Quentin agreed. "We will find him, Julia."

"Just... keep me informed. If I'm not awake Thomas will be."

"All right, I'll call you later today and we'll start looking for Roxanne," Quentin promised.

"Find him, Quentin, please."

"One way or another," Quentin said. "Goodbye, Julia."

Before Julia could respond he ended the call. "I knew she'd want to rush here. She went traveling through time and universes when she felt Barnabas was in trouble. She got there just in time to save his life. Another Julia Hoffman had a stake at his heart and a hammer raised to strike."

"What happened?" Buffy asked.

"Julia killed her other universe self," Quentin said.

"I wonder why she didn't know he's in trouble now?" Buffy pondered.

# # # #

Tom Jennings smiled as he leaned against a car near the mansion and glanced at Nicholas who was behind the wheel.

"You think you can grab the girl before that nutcase you told me about?" he asked the sorcerer.

"Of course," Nicholas said with a small laugh. "It'll be all about the timing. If we grab her too quick that insane hell-god, the knights or the Slayer will grab her away from us. Normally I wouldn't worry about any of them except for Glory but there's too many unknowns and erratic with all that power being tossed around."

"Knights?" Tom asked.

"I'll tell you later," Nicholas said. "The Slayer and that bunch are going to be very surprised to find themselves besieged from all sides once those fanatics hit town. With Barnabas missing and then the witch, they'll be off balance until it's all over."

"What if Glory grabs the kid?"

"Well, we know the timing she's under, we can snatch the kid away from her or ride her coat-tails that night and use her energy," Nicholas said.

"Good," Tom commented. "And the Old Ones will destroy the heroes and the Collins family?"

"Definitely," Nicholas said with a smile. "My master probably will before the Old Ones even make the crossing. If he's pleased with us, that is. Speaking of... call her to us, Tom."

Tom nodded and smiled. "Willow! Willow, you will come to me. You know where to come and you will avoid letting anyone know. Come to me, Willow! I need you."

Tom's smile widened when Willow slipped out of the side gate and walked over to the vampire and let him pull her close. Tom's canines elongated and he bit her again, reopening the wounds he had left earlier.

Nicholas stepped out of the car and watched with apparent fascination as the vampire fed and Willow clung to him until her arms fell away from his body and her head dropped.

The vampire pulled back and lifted her into his arms.

"Excellent," Nicholas said. "Let's go."

"Are you going to let me change her?" Tom asked as he placed Willow in the back seat.

"Yes, nice and slow, however," Nicholas said as he started the car and Tom go into the passenger seat. "They'll be able to see her begging for your bite and slowly dying but not where she is. They're going to have so much stress that someone will snap."

"Nice," Tom agreed.

# # # #

Buffy looked up as Tara appeared on the landing on the 2nd floor and the vampire looked puzzled.

"Is Will d-down there?" she called down to Buffy.

"No, she hasn't been down," Buffy replied.

"She's not up here," Tara said.

Buffy jumped up. "I'll check down here, maybe she did come down when I was in the kitchen.

Quentin stepped in from the patio. "What's wrong?"

"Willow's not upstairs. I'm checking down here," Buffy responded.

"I'll check out front. Who is where?" he asked.

"Xander and Anya in one room upstairs, Angelique and Giles in another," Buffy said. "Mom and Dawn in another. Tara and Willow moved upstairs leaving the master open down here for whoever was keeping the vamps safe during the day."

"I'll be right back," Quentin said and headed for the front door.

Five minutes later Buffy, Tara and Quentin met at the bottom of the steps.

"She's not here! Where could she be? Why would she leave?" Tara asked anxiously.

"Easy," Quentin urged. "Can you find her with your magic?"

"I can try," Tara said and bit her lip. "If Barnabas was here..."

"What's going on?"

Everyone looked up and saw Giles pulling on a shirt with Angelique beside him.

"Willow's not in the mansion and she's not out back or front," Buffy said.

"Bollocks, I'll get my shoes on."

"I can help Tara with a locator spell, maybe the mirror will work," Angelique suggested.

Buffy nodded as the vampire witch rushed down the stairs.

"Come on, Tara," Angelique said. "At the table, I'll get the mirror."

Buffy and Quentin moved behind Angelique and the mirror that was propped up on the dining room table as vampire witches looked into's silvered surface. Giles joined them moments later.

"Help me, I ask of you," Angelique began intoning. "I must find Willow, Willow Rosenberg. Cast your reflection away from this room. Show me another room or place, wherever Willow is. Wherever Willow is... wherever Willow is..."

Tara gasped as the mirror changed from reflecting the three standing behind them to a basement room. Buffy frowned and Giles growled when Nicholas entered the frame of sight leading a young man who was carrying an unconscious Willow.

"Put her there on the cot," Nicholas ordered. "See that chain locked around the pillar and the shackle? Use them. The shackle is bespelled, she won't be able to get out of it even if she has the strength to stand up at any point and she won't be able to call for help with her mind."

"Sounds good to me," the vampire said. "She can yell at Barnabas and keep him company."

"No," Tara whispered as he laid Willow down on a camp cot and everyone could see fang wounds that had been bleeding.

"Come along, we should start the next phase," Nichols said and vampire and sorcerer left the frame, presumably going upstairs.

"Can you find where that is?" Giles whispered to Angelique.

"It's Nicholas Blair that is behind this, he'll shield the entire area to keep us from finding her but I'll try," Angelique promised. "Go get some coffee or something, this might take a few. Tara, stay here, I'll try and use your connection to both Willow and Barnabas."

"I'll make some coffee," Buffy offered.

Quentin followed her into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her when Buffy turned and cried softly.

"I'm going to check on the others," Giles said. "Nicholas and Glory are both after Dawn and it appears Nicholas is picking us off one by one."

Angelique nodded as she concentrated on the mirror.

# # #

Giles gently closed Xander and Anya's door and glanced at Quentin as the other man walked into the hall. "Xander, Anya, Joyce and Dawn are asleep."

"Good, let them sleep until we can actually do something," Quentin said. "Rupert... how do we get on top of this? Buffy can't fight against whatever that woman is and Nicholas has Barnabas and Willow."

"I don't know," the Watcher admitted. "I'm tempted to tell Angelique that whatever she wants to do to Nicholas is fine with me."

"It wouldn't hurt my feelings if it means we can find Barnabas and Willow," Quentin said.

# # # #

Willow moaned and tried to sit up but it took three tries before she could lean back against a cinderblock wall and looked around.

Where was she? How did she get there? Wait, the vampire! Maybe he would come back... he had to come back, right? She'd see him again!

Willow blinked. What the hell was she thinking?

She frowned and pulled her foot up and looked at the shackle around her ankle. "What the hell? I've got to get out of here!"

The witch closed her eyes and focused for several minutes and then opened her eyes and pulled on the chain. "That should have worked!"

Willow looked down and raised a new necklace up to look at it.

"Barnabas' ring? How did that get here? Barnabas!"

The witch jumped up with a new surge of energy. Was he in here? He had to be, right?

"Where are you? Nicholas wouldn't kill you, right?"

Barnabas frowned and raised his head. Willow?

"Willow?" he called.

"Barnabas? Where are you?"

"Behind a wall of bricks, get me out of here!" he yelled.

"I can't, I'm chained up down here!" Willow yelled back.

"And you can't use magic, right?"

"Yeah," Willow called and they both grew quiet.

# # # #