# # #
Dark are the Shadows
by Ms Hunter Ash
a BTVS/Dark Shadows crossover soap opera
rating: PG13
pairings: Buffy/Quentin; Xander/Anya; Willow/Tara; Giles/Angelique
# ## #
Buffy frowned when she and Joyce walked
back into the mansion and saw Giles pacing with a scowl on his face
and everyone except Tara and Angelique watched the Watcher.
“What’s going on?” Buffy asked.
“He got a call and he’s been all
growly ever since,” Anya answered.
“Giles?”
The Englishman stopped and looked at
his Slayer. “The Council wants to come here, a delegation as
Quentin put it.”
“Why?” Buffy asked.
“To conduct a review of us,” Giles
said. “Of you and me, in particular, and the store. They have
answers about Glory and won’t give us the information unless we
pass their tests and reviews.”
“Why?” Joyce asked.
“Because Glory is so powerful and we,
apparently, are just bumbling along and have been lucky thus far and
they aren’t sure if they should trust the information to us,”
Giles answered.
“Tell them to go to hell,” Xander
said loudly.
“There were… threats,” Giles
said.
“What kind of threats?” Joyce
demanded.
Giles glanced away. “My green card,”
he responded. “They can have me deported by the end of a day.”
“And from what you’ve said about
your Council they aren’t going to look favorably on vampires being
around,” Quentin ventured and Giles shook his head.
“I don’t want them here, Giles!”
Buffy protested. “They nearly got me and Mom killed on my birthday
and they almost killed me after Faith woke up!”
“Then Interpol and MI-6 will have me
out of the country in days with enough criminal charges to ensure I
can never return,” Giles said.
“What do we do?” Anya asked.
“Jump through their hoops,” Giles
suggested. “We don’t let them near this place and tell them that
Anya is on a buying trip, she can stay here as a day guard for
Angelique and Tara. Willow and Tara are out of town together doing
research for a paper for university… Joyce is not up to interviews
due to her treatments.”
“That eliminates most everyone from
their interviews,” Quentin noted. “I’ll stay here with Xander
and Anya. I don’t need them prying into my history.”
“You are quick on your feet, Rupert,”
Joyce said with a smile. “I don’t like this, however. You two
shouldn’t have to jump through hoops so that they can have control
over the Slayer again.”
“No, we shouldn’t,” Buffy said
thoughtfully.
“If they find out Rupert was a
vampire and isn’t recovered yet…” Quentin said.
“I’ve recovered,” Giles
protested.
“No, you haven’t,” Buffy said
with a shake of her head. “You’re too thin, too pale, can’t see
in bright sunlight and the wounds on your neck haven’t healed
totally yet.”
“They can’t find out about what
happened with the Leviathans,” Tara said as she stood up. “I need
to stop for a moment.”
“We can’t keep them from Giles,”
Buffy said. “They’ll know we’re keeping everyone out of their
hands as it is.”
“She’s right,” Angelique agreed.
“I need a moment as well. What about getting Rupert a tan and trim
his beard a bit. The wounds are easily explained, he is a hunter, a
vampire got too close and bit him before Buffy killed the vampire.”
“That would help,” Anya agreed. “He
can touch holy objects and casts a reflection so they may not realize
he’s kind of part vampire.”
Giles blinked. “What? I…I know I’m
connected to Angelique but… what?”
“What?” Anya repeated. “You’re
not totally human anymore. That other werewolf said so.”
“Quentin?” Buffy turned to her
potential boyfriend and the tall man rammed his hands into his jeans
and shrugged.
“I get the same thing as Thomas did,”
he said a moment later.
Giles sat down heavily into a chair.
“If they have magic users with them… they’ll see my life-line
is connected with someone magically and might be able to tell who and
what Angelique is.”
Angelique knelt down on the floor and
looked up at the Watcher. “Rupert, I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry for, luv,” he
said softly. “If you hadn’t done the spell I’d be a vampire now
or dead.”
“But when you die, won’t you become
a vampire?” Dawn asked and bit her lip.
“Yes, nothing is going to stop that
unless I’m staked before I rise,” Giles said.
“And that is NOT going to happen!”
Angelique said firmly.
“When will they get here?” Buffy
asked.
“Day after tomorrow,” Giles
replied.
“I need to think about this. We can’t
waste time jumping through their hoops with Blair and Glory out there
and Barnabas and Willow missing,” Buffy said.
“How do we keep them from having
Rupert deported?” Joyce asked.
“Even with criminal charges pending
its hard to deport someone who is married to a U.S. citizen,”
Quentin suggested.
“Well, I am a citizen but I’m also
a vampire,” Angelique said. “One mirror or cross would give me
away.”
“Angelique, can I talk to you for a
moment?” Joyce asked. “Outside?”
“Of course,” the witch said and
kissed Giles after she stood up.
“Mom?” Buffy asked.
“Girl talk,” Joyce said. “We
won’t be long.”
“Even for a hellmouth this just gets
weirder every night,” Xander complained.
# ## #
//Barnabas! Barnabas! Can you hear me?
Please! I’m scared and alone!//
Willow turned and began to cry into her
pillow.
# # # #
“Buffy, Dawn, could you join us,
please?” Joyce called from the patio door.
“What on earth?” Giles mumbled.
“No one does conspiracy like women,”
Xander declared.
It was ten minutes before Angelique
appeared at the door. “Join us, Rupert.”
“I expected that was coming,” Giles
muttered as he stepped out of the mansion. “What’s going on?”
“Its probably not hard to figure
out,” Angelique said as she interlocked her arm with his.
“Probably not,” Giles agreed. “It
would be risky for Angelique to meet with Watchers, especially well
trained ones. We know one way to slow down a potential deportation is
for me to be married and it shouldn’t be Angelique given the
circumstances.”
“Go on,” Angelique urged.
“Joyce has suggested what? That I
marry her or Buffy?”
“Oh, I don’t think so!” Buffy
said quickly. “No offense, Giles, but… you’re more dad material
than boyfriend material.”
“Good, I agree,” Giles said.
“Besides, after that candy thing…”
Buffy began.
“Do not finish that sentence, young
lady!”
“Rupert, will you marry me?” Joyce
asked before Buffy could respond. “A green card marriage. You and
I say all the right things to immigration if they ask. The Council
probably won’t approve but they won’t see it as impossible given
how close you are to Buffy.”
“And?” Giles asked as Buffy and
Dawn looked at each other with concerned expressions.
“If something happens to me you and
Buffy will take good care of Dawn,” Joyce added. “And their
father won’t be able to force Dawn to live with him.”
“Girls, you approve?” the Watcher
asked.
“Yeah, it’ll help keep you with
us,” Dawn said. “And…it works.”
“Angelique?” Giles asked softly.
The vampire turned and kissed him
firmly.
“It does make sense,” she said
softly. “And we both know I can’t live here. I will see you
often, don’t worry about that. Besides, maybe she can get you to
eat.”
Giles kissed Angelique and then looked
at Joyce.
“I accept and will be honored to be
an official part of the family on whatever level the three of you
wish,” he said.
“Great, let’s get you married
tomorrow then,” Buffy said.
Giles nodded and kissed Joyce’s
cheek. “Thank you.”
“We’ll have to move some of your
things in,” Dawn said. “So it looks like he lives with us.”
“Good idea,” Buffy said. “Come
on, runt, let’s give these three some space.”
“Okay,” Dawn said and then rushed
over and hugged Giles tightly. “You’ll be a great dad.”
“Thank you, I shall try.”
# # # #
“Why can’t I turn her now?” Tom
demanded from Nicholas as the sorcerer watched Glory in a far-seeing
mirror.
“Oh shut up,” Nicholas snapped.
“Now, lets see if we can find a weakness in this petty hellgod…”
“A god with weaknesses?” Tom asked.
“Most of them have weakness, go read
Greek mythology,” Nicholas said. “Some are very powerful but they
all have weaknesses. The key is finding what it is. See, look at
this, she’s on the floor sweating and weak like a junkie going
through withdrawals.”
“Okay, that’s weird, what’s
causing it?” Tom asked as he moved closer.
“That is the question, isn’t it?”
Nicholas said with a slight smile. “Ah, her minions.”
“A postman? What the hell?”
Sorcerer and vampire watched as the
troll-like creatures pulled, dragged and bullied a postal worker over
to the woman lying on the floor.
“What’s going on?” the man
demanded. “Look, I don’t have a lot of money and I don’t know
where to get drugs! I won’t say a word, just let me go.”
One of the minions helped Glory sit up
and the woman looked at the postman with glazed eyes.
Tom drew closer as Glory placed her
hands on the man’s temples and she smiled.
“Whoa!” the vampire exclaimed as
Glory’s fingers sank into the man’s skull.
Instead of brain matter and blood
bright light began radiating from where the fingers had pierced the
man’s body and it surrounded deity and victim. After a few moments
Glory pulled her fingers back and the man collapsed to the floor
blinking.
“That’s better,” Glory said. “Try
not to cut it so close next time, guys, or you won’t live another
day!”
“Yes, your greatness!”
The postman sat up and looked at the
three with panicked eyes. “You’re watching me! I can feel you
watching me! The train is going to be late! I won’t get off in
time!”
Glory chuckled as the man jumped to his
feet and ran out of the room.
Nicholas’ eyes narrowed.
“Now, I need to freshen up,” Glory
said. “This mental brain sucking…. Well, sucks.”
“Yes, your worshipfulness,” one of
the trolls agreed. “It is something we must ensure doesn’t
happen to you again. We are lowly toads and unworthy to be in your
presence. We will do better at obtaining humans for you to drain to
keep your wonderful and exceptional brain in working order!”
“You’d better!” Glory said.
Nicholas waved his hand and the mirror
began reflecting the room he and Tom were in again. The sorcerer
touched his lips with a finger. “What does all of that mean?”
“The guy was nuts after she was done
with him,” Tom Jennings observed.
“Yes, I wonder how many others she’s
drained and why,” Nicholas said thoughtfully. “He was sane when
he went in. Or relatively sane and insane when he left. She
needs…donors to maintain her mental stability. Why, though? I’ll
far-see more in a few. As for Willow Rosenberg, leave her for
tonight. Barnabas has stopped trying to reach anyone from the outside
and her playmates can see her but not where she is. Let them observe
how depressed and hopeless she feels right now.”
“What about the others? Shouldn’t
we pick the rest of them off?”
“No, they’re fragmented and
desperate with Barnabas and the girl missing,” Nicholas said. “And
they don’t know what we’re up to. We will start watching them
very closely, the timing must be getting close for that insane bitch
god. The knights should show up very soon.”
“The knights?” Tom asked.
“Come, I’ll explain while we get
some dinner,” Nicholas said. “I shall eat and you can prey on the
waitress.”
“Deal.”
# # # #
Tara pulled back from the scrying
mirror with a frown. Where was Willow? They couldn’t trace
vampires easily but she should be able to find Willow!
She had seen interesting things while
spying on Nicholas though!
“Guys, I may have information,” she
called to the room.
“I’ll get Giles, Joyce and
Angelique,” Xander offered as he jumped up from the table.
In moments everyone was crowding around
the table and Tara relayed what she had seen and heard.
“So Nicholas is right, she does have
weaknesses,” Giles said thoughtfully. “This explains the increase
in the mentally unstable. What is she pulling from people?”
“Brain sucker,” Xander said.
“Oh don’t be ridiculous, they still
have their brains,” Giles grumbled.
“Yeah, but not their smarts and
whatever makes someone stable,” Xander pointed out.
“Something about her winds down and
she needs a boost,” Buffy suggested.
Giles nodded. “Yes, that may be a
weakness we can use. I’m not sure how yet.”
“Lets keep looking for Willow,”
Angelique suggested. “It would be better if we could eliminate
either Nicholas or this Glory before dealing with the other.”
Buffy nodded. “I agree.”
“So, uh, Giles, you gonna marry Mrs.
S?” Xander asked.
“She has asked me to, yes,” Giles
said. “As a means to stay in the country.”
“And I am fine with it,” Angelique
added. “Our relationship will continue without the Council being
aware of it.”
“Are we really rejoining with the
Council?” Xander asked.
“I don’t know. They’re insisting
that we do before they’ll turn over information to us,” Giles
said.
“So they’re dangling important
information about someone that could probably destroy the world and
they won’t give it to us unless we say Please and ask to join their
little club again?” Buffy asked.
“I wouldn’t put it that way… no,
actually I would,” Giles said.
“I’m not happy with that,” Buffy
said thoughtfully.
“None of us will be,” Giles agreed.
# # # #
Angelique touched Giles’ hands as he
began to rub her shoulders. “That feels good.”
“It’s about an hour before sunrise,
why don’t you quit for the night?” he suggested.
“I should be able to find him,
Rupert,” Angelique said as she covered the mirror. “Even when he
went traveling through time, I could find him and find out what he
was up to.”
“For some reason it’s impossible to
track vampires through magic here,” Giles said as she stood up and
he wrapped his arms around her. “The Hellmouth protects itself.”
“Where is everyone?”
“Tara is taking some time to herself,
most likely to cry until sunrise,” Giles said. “Buffy, Dawn and
Quentin went over to her house to pick up some homework Dawn forgot.
Joyce, Xander and Anya are asleep.”
“And you, my dark knight? Feeling
sleepy?” Angelique asked and kissed him.
“Not at the moment,” he said
softly.
“Then let’s work on that.”
# # #
Buffy trotted down the stairs and into
the kitchen to grab her Mom’s favorite specialty coffee that she’d
make occasionally while Quentin helped Dawn grab a few things from
her room.
“Hey are you….”
Buffy stared at a smiling Glory who was
obviously waiting for her in the living room.
“Long night, sweetie?”
# # # #
Barnabas opened his eyes and frowned.
He sat up slowly and looked around with a puzzled expression. Hadn’t
he been… Where was he?
The vampire found his cane lying over
his arm and his ring returned to his finger and he was dressed much
in the manner he had in the late ‘60s in a suit, tie and his
Inverness cloak.
His surroundings were also puzzling.
Everything was white, as if he were trapped in a fog or… the inside
of a ping pong ball.
Barnabas stood up and almost drew his
cane up defensively when he could make out figures approaching in the
fog but something held his hand. He tried not to show any fear when
a man and woman came into focus and they were most unusual in the
golden sheen of their skin, bright blue eyes and ancient Greek
tunics.
He also resisted demanding to know who
and what they were.
“You show restraint,” the man
commented. “That is unusual for a vampire.”
“I assume you will tell me as much as
you wish me to know in your good time,” Barnabas replied.
“No demands or arrogance?” the
woman asked.
“Wherever I am it is almost certain
that you have brought me here,” Barnabas said. “That means you
have more powers than I, especially at the moment.”
“Are you afraid, vampire?”
“Of course,” Barnabas admitted.
“And curious.”
“Tell me something, if you were given
a peaceful rest, one that you would have always imagined, would death
frighten you?” the woman asked.
“No, why would it?” Barnabas asked.
“I’m not sure what I actually believe but peace is something I’ve
longed for ever since being cursed.”
“Without hesitation?” the man
asked.
“No, with hesitation,” Barnabas
replied. “Others rely on me, heroes that may save the world.”
“If you are at peace what does it
matter what happens to the world?” the man demanded.
“It matters,” Barnabas said firmly.
“Then you would continue your
existence to protect some while preying on others,” the woman
commented.
“Reluctantly preying on most of those
I’ve attacked and killed,” Barnabas said slowly. “I have been
striving for decades to keep that in check. Perhaps helping keep my
family and the heroes alive I make up for some of the terror I’ve
caused at times.”
“If given the choice which would you
choose between returning to your wife and life in the shadows or to
continue to help the heroes in the light where you will likely lose
your life to an uncertain after-life and definitely lose your wife?”
the man asked.
“And if I leave the heroes, will they
prevail?” Barnabas asked.
“Sometimes the future isn’t set
when dealing with humans,” the woman said.
“Or you have the choice to accept a
peaceful afterlife,” the man added. “The choice is yours.”
“To stand with the heroes,”
Barnabas said without hesitation.
“Why that choice?” the woman asked.
“It’s the right thing to do,”
Barnabas replied.
“May you be happy with your choice,
vampire,” the man said. “You also face blinding hunger and pain
and will likely die a painful end. Your body is starved and poisoned,
you may not recover in time to help them.”
“I know that,” Barnabas said and
winced when the world turned upside down and he closed his eyes
against the maelstrom only to find himself hanging from his wrists
again and screamed from the pain and hunger.
# # #
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