Dark are the Shadows
by Ms. Hunter Ash
a BTVS/Dark Shadows crossover
Rating: PG-13
pairings: Willow/Tara, Giles/Angelique, Buffy/Quentin (?), Xander/Anya, Barnabas/Roxanne, Julia/Thomas
# # #
Buffy
parked her Jeep near where Giles had told her the small group was and
quickly trotted up to join them as Roxanne walked slowly down a sidewalk
with Barnabas Collins’ cane.
“How goes?” Buffy whispered to Giles.
“She thinks we’re getting close,” he whispered in turn. “Nicholas’ shields are making it difficult but we’re close.”
“Willow!”
Tara exclaimed and rushed up onto the porch of a house as the
red-haired witch stumbled out of the house and fell to her hands and
knees.
The others quickly followed.
“Xander,
you and Anya get Will into my Jeep and get her out of here,” Buffy
urged and tossed the young man her keys. “She’s been bitten by Tom, he
might be able to control her. Get her to Oz’ cell.”
“You got it,” Xander said and lifted Willow into his arms.
“Barnabas… hunger madness,” Willow whispered.
“Come on, Tara,” Xander urged.
The vampire hesitated.
“Go on, we’ll handle Barnabas,” Angelique assured her.
“We should move quickly,” Giles urged.
Roxanne walked into the house and straight to the door that opened to stairs leading down into a basement.
Buffy, Angelique, Quentin and Giles followed her down into the damp lower level.
“Where?” Buffy asked. “There’s no coffin down here.”
Roxanne held the cane in front of her and slowly turned to a brick enclosed area in the wall. “Here.”
Quentin
moved past her and felt the mortar between the bricks and looked around
the room. “This wall is new. There’s left over bricks over there. My
God, they bricked him up. Just like he did Trask.”
“Trask? I know that name…” Roxanne said softly.
“There’s
been several of them,” Quentin explained. “Barnabas bricked up the same
one twice in the same time line and another was bricked up in a
different time band. Willie told me that Trask’s ghost bricked Barnabas
up in the wall of his own basement when Barnabas was human. We’ve got to
get him out of here.”
“A chisel will take too long,” Giles said. “We don’t know how long Nicholas will be gone.”
“Quentin, grab that shovel,” Buffy said as she picked up a sledgehammer. “I smash and then you then me.”
The immortal nodded and Buffy hit the wall with the sledgehammer and then he hit it with the shovel.
In moments the bricks and mortar began to give way.
The two anxiously began smashing and pulling bricks aside.
“Oh my God,” Giles whispered.
Barnabas
was hanging by his wrists, his fangs cutting into his lips as the rope
cut into the skin. His skin was almost translucent in its paleness and
it was stretched tight over his bones.
“Rupert, you and the others get out after you pull that….that cross from his neck,” Angelique said.
“What? Why?”
“When
we cut him down… if we can get him coherent, he is going to be in a
frenzy for blood,” Angelique explained. “We’ll try and keep him calm
enough to get out of here.”
“But…” Buffy began to protest.
“No,
come on,” Quentin urged. “He’s bitten family and friends when the
hunger got too much and he was nowhere near this starved.”
Buffy followed Giles reluctantly.
“Let’s get him out of there,” Angelique said and picked up a pair of gardening shears.
Roxanne
nodded and grabbed Barnabas and held him up as Angelique cut the ropes.
Together the vampire women got the unconscious Barnabas out of the
enclosure and laid him on the floor.
“He needs blood,” Roxanne said softly as she touched his cheek. “Wait upstairs. I’ll try and get him level.”
“What? How?” Angelique demanded.
Roxanne reached up to her neck and used a fingernail to cut through the skin with a wince. “Go upstairs!”
Angelique turned and trotted up the stairs.
“Come
here, my love,” Roxanne said softly and lifted Barnabas into her arms,
his lips at her throat. “Come on, Barnabas, take it!”
After
a few seconds Roxanne’s body jerked as fangs sank roughly into her neck
around the wound and she smiled as she held the vampire close.
# # # #
“We
should move away from the house,” Giles suggested. “If Nicholas
returns, we can see that and ambush him instead of being caught in his
house unaware.”
Buffy nodded. “What is Roxanne doing, Angelique? Won’t she need help getting him up the stairs?”
“I think she’s giving him blood,” Angelique said.
“Oh this can’t get any more complicated,” Buffy muttered.
“Don’t challenge the universe like that,” Giles suggested as they stepped outside of the house.
# # # #
Roxanne felt her head falling back as Barnabas wrapped her in his arms.
“Roxanne? Roxanne!”
“Shhh, I’ll be all right, my love,” Roxanne whispered as she opened her eyes.
She thought Barnabas still looked too pale, somewhat ill and older than he normally did but he was awake and appeared coherent.
“How?” he asked.
“We
need to leave, Nicholas may come back,” Roxanne said. “The others can
explain at the crypt. They’re afraid Willow is controlled by the other
vampire.”
“I can’t carry you, Roxanne,” Barnabas whispered. “Oh thank god you found me.”
“Help me up and we’ll get out of here,” Roxanne suggested.
Buffy
relaxed slightly when Barnabas and Roxanne exited the house, both
almost falling down the steps. She and Angelique rushed forward to help
the them away from Blair’s place.
“Willow isn’t controlled,” Barnabas told Buffy. “He couldn’t break my influence on the girl.”
“Giles, have them meet us at the mansion,” Buffy suggested.
“Barnabas, oh thankfully you’re out of there,” Angelique said as she and Roxanne helped him towards Quentin’s car.
“My hands… everything hurts,” Barnabas whispered.
Quentin
pulled his cellphone out and answered it as it chirped at him. “Hello?
Carolyn! Yes, we have him. We’re about to get him somewhere safe. Yes,
please tell Julia he’ll be safe. It’ll take a couple of nights for him
to get his strength back. I’ll have him call her tomorrow night. I’ll
tell him. Get some rest. We’ll be home as soon as we can. Talk to you
tomorrow.”
Quentin opened the back door to his car and helped Barnabas inside as Buffy helped Roxanne in on the other side.
“Giles,
you and Quentin get them back to the mansion, I’m going to drop by
where Mom and Dawnie are and check on them,” Buffy suggested.
Her stepfather nodded and squeezed her shoulder. “Call if you’re going to stay wherever they are.”
“I will,” Buffy promised.
Giles
climbed in next to Roxanne as she dropped her head onto Barnabas’
shoulder. “Will they be all right?” he asked Angelique as she got into
the passenger seat. He pulled off his button down shirt and pressed it
against Roxanne’s throat wounds.
“With enough blood, yes,” the vampire witch said. “I don’t think his marriage will be.”
“I doubt it,” Giles said softly.
# # # #
Buffy
‘s eyebrows rose when she found her mother and Spike binge watching
Passions from VHS tapes he had recorded. Also the fact that Dawn was
practicing shuffling cards with an occasional direction from Spike.
“What are you playing?” Buffy asked her younger sister.
“Spike is going to teach me how to cheat at poker,” Dawn said and smirked.
“I
don’t believe this,” Buffy muttered and started to add to the sentiment
when her phone began ringing. “This is Buffy. Oh yes, Mr. Travers.”
Spike turned down the volume on the tv.
“Yeah,
we’ll be home in a bit,” Buffy replied to something Travers said. “Me,
Mom and Dawn will probably get there first. Giles wanted to pick up
something from his condo. We haven’t moved everything yet. Why am I out
with my mother and sister after dark? Really? Well, we were just about
to have a great dinner. After all, it is my birthday. Right, we’ll be
there in a few.”
The
Slayer ended the call and looked at her Mom and sister. “Travers wants
to talk to me about something. I need to call Giles. He’s helping
Quentin get Barnabas and Roxanne back to the mansion. We found Barnabas
and Willow, both are in pretty rough shape.”
“Oh dear,” Joyce said softly.
“Giles,
Travers wants to see us, I said mom, Dawn and me were going to meet you
for a nice dinner because it’s my birthday and you were dropping by
your place because you hadn’t moved all your stuff yet,” Buffy
explained. “He wants to meet at my house asap.”
She
listened for a moment. “Giles, I know you guys didn’t forget my
birthday, I saw the streamers you and Xander planned on putting up
tonight while I was on patrol. It’s cool. Let’s just get this meeting
with Travers over with and then we’ll celebrate my birthday and getting
Will back. See you in a few.”
Buffy closed her phone. ‘Thanks, Spike, I appreciate you keeping these two busy.”
“Any time, Slayer,” Spike said without a trace of sarcasm.
# # #
Giles
stepped into the kitchen where a very groggy Barnabas and Roxanne sat
at a breakfast table as Quentin bandaged Roxanne’s neck while Angelique
warmed blood for the vampires.
“I
need to go over to Buffy’s,” the Watcher told the others. “Travers
wants to talk about something. The others should be here soon.”
“Go ahead,” Quentin said. “We’ve plenty of weapons and, if the spells worked, Nicholas can’t see in here.”
Angelique walked over and kissed Giles and hugged him.
“We’ll be fine here,” she told him. “We’ll keep giving them blood until nearly sunrise. He’ll be much better by tomorrow night.”
Giles nodded. “I’ll be back eventually.”
“Stay the night,” Angelique said. “They may be watching the Summers house. We’ll be fine, I promise.”
“I’ll be here at sunset, my love.”
“I look forward to that,” Angelique said. “Now go.”
Quentin placed a mug of blood in front of Roxanne. “Try and drink.”
Barnabas
raised his head from the table and blinked. He took the mug Quentin sat
in front of him next and began to drink. “How did you find us?”
“I hear the others, hold that thought,” Quentin said. “Let me make sure it’s them.”
Quentin
frowned as the rest of the Scooby gang entered the mansion with Tara
and Xander helping keep Willow steady. “Should she be at the hospital?”
“Probably,”
Xander agreed as they entered the kitchen. “But Tom Jennings can get to
her there. He doesn’t control her but he has been biting her on the
steady like.”
Willow sat down across from Roxanne and reached out and squeezed Barnabas’ hand.
He smiled when she placed his ring in his hand. “I wondered where that had gotten to.”
“Are you all right?” she asked softly.
“We will be,” Barnabas replied. “With plenty of blood tonight, we will be. Thank you for helping keep me focused.”
“Thank you for staying,” Willow said softly.
“What do you mean?” Barnabas asked.
“Let me tell everyone,” Willow said.
Soon
everyone except for Giles and the Summers family were in the kitchen
with Xander making snacks for everyone and Angelique continuing to warm
blood for Barnabas and Roxanne.
“How did you find us?” Barnabas repeated.
“We
couldn’t find either of you,” Angelique said. “We could see Willow but
not where she was. I sent out… psychic vibes for Roxanne, I suppose
you’d say. She came here earlier tonight and asked if we had anything of
yours.”
“We had your cane where you dropped it,” Tara explained. “We followed her.”
Barnabas looked at the redhead and smiled. “Julia’s brooch.”
Roxanne
nodded. “Touch-know is what psychic journals call us. Sometimes we can
see things about someone by touching something that belongs to them.
Your cane is… so you.”
“We found the house when Will fell out of the door,” Xander added.
“You got loose?” Barnabas asked the witch and she nodded.
“I picked the lock,” Willow answered. “I had to get help for both of us, we were losing you.”
Barnabas nodded. “It was harder and harder to focus. What did you mean a moment ago about me staying?”
“I saw… your dream or something,” Willow said. “The strange man and woman that gave you choices.”
Barnabas looked stunned. “It wasn’t a dream…you saw…”
“Yes,” Willow said softly as everyone grew quiet.
“What happened?” Anya asked.
“Go ahead,” Barnabas said as Xander placed a turkey sandwich with potato chips and grapes in front of Willow.
“These
weird man and woman in an all white room or place or something,” Willow
began. “It reminded me of an old early 80s video where the lights were
kicked up until everything burned out white. Anyway, they asked Barnabas
if he wanted a peaceful rest, to be sent home to Julia or to stay here
and….”
“And
lose Julia and continue preying on others while being alone and
probably dying a painful death if I stood with the heroes here,”
Barnabas continued.
“If it wasn’t a dream then I can guess what your choice was by the fact you’re here,” Quentin ventured and Barnabas nodded.
“I chose to stand with the heroes,” Barnabas said.
“But… your marriage,” Tara protested.
Barnabas
shook his head. “The right thing is to fight against Blair and that
woman attacking Buffy. My marriage was damaged night before Julia left.”
“You
should go home to your wife,” Quentin suggested as Xander continued to
fix sandwiches for everyone. “Julia suggested Roxanne could find you,
she wants you back.”
“I’m
not the one that left,” Barnabas said as a jaw muscle tightened. “Even
if she suggested Roxanne help, Julia won’t get around the fact it was
Roxanne that found me and gave her blood to get me somewhat stable. I
did nothing to warrant the suspicion.”
“And now?” Tara asked as Willow dived into the sandwich and fruit.
“I’m here,” Barnabas said. “My focus is on breaking Blair’s neck and putting him where I was and staking Tom Jennings.”
“By the way, where’s Giles and Buff?” Xander asked.
“Travers
wants to talk to them about something so they’re all headed to the
Summers home,” Quentin informed the Scooby gang. “Now, we need to keep
our two vampires here safe and Willow. We can’t use crosses because of
Tara…”
“Put
a cross in the window,” Angelique suggested. “With the curtains closed
it won’t bother Tara but it will keep Blair and Jennings from coming in
the window.”
“The shop is closed, I can stay here tomorrow,” Anya offered.
“And I can help her keep an eye on things,” Quentin also volunteered.
“To help Willow, lots of orange juice, good meat and rest,” Angelique suggested.
Quentin
looked Barnabas, Willow and Roxanne over and their drooping eyelids and
heads and sighed. “We got them back, thank god. Let’s get Barnabas and
Roxanne upstairs. Anya, can you help Tara get Willow into their bed?”
“Of course,” Anya said.
“Why not leave Roxanne down here in the coffin in the den?” Xander asked.
“She stays with me,” Barnabas muttered as Quentin helped him stand up.
“Barnabas….’
“No, Quentin, no arguments,” Barnabas said. “Please.”
“Will your hands be better tomorrow night?” Tara asked anxiously.
“I hope so,” Barnabas replied as Xander wrapped one of the vampire’s arms over his shoulders.
“Can you walk?” Quentin asked. “I’ll bring Roxanne up if you can.”
“I can make it that far,” Barnabas responded.
“I wonder how pissed Blair is by now?” Xander questioned with a smirk.
# # #
“You must have left the shackle open!” Nicholas yelled.
“I didn’t even know where the key is!” Tom yelled back. “She couldn’t have broken that wall down either!”
“Damnit!
And we don’t know what Glory’s timeline is either!” Nicholas grumbled.
“Call her back and go get her. I’ll start packing here. We need a new
place.”
# # # #
Giles smiled and kissed Joyce as he stepped into the Summers house. “Sorry I’m late, luv.”
“No problem,” Joyce said and hugged him tightly. “Mr. Travers is here.”
Buffy smiled sat down on the stairs with Dawn a little higher up.
Giles glanced over at Quentin Travers and nodded. “Hullo, what brings you out tonight?”
“I
thought we could discuss any insights you have about… that problem we
were discussing,” Travers said. “Do you have that one book handy?”
“It’s at the shop, locked up behind the counter,” Giles said.
“Well,
I suppose we won’t need it,” Travers said. “I’ve practically have the
pertinent parts memorized and I know you have with that photographic
memory of yours. Uh, shall we?”
“Yes, Dawn, time to head upstairs. We’ll open Buffy’s presents after Mr. Travers leaves,” Joyce said.
“Why can’t I stay?” Dawn asked. “I know about Buffy being the Slayer and the occult and stuff.”
“Not tonight, runt,” Buffy said as she stood up.
“Fine!”
Dawn snapped. “I'm just gonna go to bed. That way I won't accidentally
get exposed to, like, words. Happy birthday, Buffy.”
Buffy shook her head.
“Shall
we get to it?” Travers suggested. “Now, we haven’t discussed what you
actually know about Glory and what she’s searching for. She’s demanding a
key, do you know what it is?”
“Yes,” Buffy said. “I’m not telling you, however.”
“What?” Travers stammered. “Why ever not?”
“Too many people know but they’re people I trust,” Buffy said. “We may work together, that doesn’t mean I trust you. Sorry.”
Travers frowned and pondered and then he nodded. “I accept that. Now, what about the description….”
Dawn
leaned against her door with a sullen expression. With a determination
in her eyes she climbed out her window onto a trellis and climbed down
until she reached the back porch. She was watching the back door and
windows when she stepped off the porch and when she turned Dawn yelped
in surprise to find Spike standing right in front of her.
“Geez! Lurk much?!” she demanded.
“I wasn’t lurking!” Spike protested. “I was standing about. It’s a whole different vibe.”
“What’s
under your arm?” she questioned and then smirked. “Are you giving Buffy
a birthday present? Oh my God, weird! And chocolates? Lame and the box
is bent! You know she’d never touch anything from you!”
“Shouldn’t
you be tucked away in your beddy-bye?” Spike asked as he tried to look
menacing. “All warm and safe where nothing can eat you?”
Dawn giggled. “Is that supposed to scare me?”
Spike sighed and pulled back slightly. “A little tremble wouldn’t hurt.”
“Sorry, it’s just… come on!” Dawn exclaimed “I’m badder than you.”
“Are not!” Spike protested.
“Am too!” Dawn countered. “You’re standing in the bushes hugging a bent box of chocolates and I’m…”
“What? Sneaking out to braid hair and watch Teletubbies with your mates?”
Dawn glanced over her shoulder and then back to the vampire. “No, I’m breaking into the magic shop to steal things.”
“Magic shop, eh?” Spike said thoughtfully. “All number of beasties between here and there.”
Dawn began to look nervous.
“Bet
they’d really go for a Little Red Riding Hood like you, bet that
wouldn’t sit too well with big sister!” Spike said with a slight smirk.
“I can take care of myself,” Dawn said but with a slight tremor to her voice.
Spike didn’t say anything.
“You want to come with me and steal stuff?” Dawn asked.
“Sure, why not?”
# # #
Barnabas
leaned his head against a wall in the shower and let the water dance
over his skin. It hurt like hell where Quentin and Giles had removed a
wooden crossbow shaft from his shoulder. It felt like his shoulder was
on fire along with his wrists.
//Julia! Julia!// he called mentally.
//Barnabas? Oh thank God! Are you all right? Where are you?//
//At the mansion. I was rescued. I will recover.//
//I’ve been so worried, Quentin said not to come out. Barnabas… Come home, we’ll work on things.//
//The danger here remains. You have someone there you’re working on things with.// Barnabas sent.
//How can you know that?//
//I had some… insight given to me while I was bricked up in a wall.//
All
right, that last part was a bit of a stab, Barnabas acknowledged to
himself. She and Willie had been the ones to save him when the ghost of
Trask had bricked him up and then when Lamar Trask had bricked him up, a
time when Barnabas had been human again. Aided by someone he had lost
as well. Two of the rare times Barnabas had been human. Julia, Willie,
Josette, and another, all had looked out for him after he had began
changing. Now…
//Barnabas, I…come home.// Julia responded.
//I
can help here once I heal, it could mean saving the world.// he sent
after a moment. //I also owe Blair several times over.//
//Barnabas…//
//You
won’t be waiting for me except as someone who has loved me for decades
but who needs…more freedom for now, I know. You dedicated your life to
me for so long, before I even recognized how I felt about you. Now, you
need to find yourself apart from me. I understand. It hurts but I
understand. We will talk again, Julia. I do love you but…//
//There’s Roxanne, I know.//
//She helped find me. We haven’t talked. I have no idea if anything would develop.// Barnabas explained.
//I love you, Barnabas…be safe and happy.//
//I’ll be back at Collinwood eventually.// Barnabas said. //Goodbye for now, Julia.//
The vampire cut the contact and felt tears stinging his eyes.
“Maybe the real curse is that I’m to be alone,” he said softly.
“What was that?” Quentin asked as he began helping Barnabas dry off.
“Nothing, just…thoughts.”
Minutes later Quentin pulled a large t-shirt over Barnabas’ head and towel dried the vampire’s hair.
Quentin
hesitated and pulled Barnabas into his arms as he broke down for
several moments. When Barnabas pulled back Quentin smiled and ran the
towel over Barnabas' hair again, ruffling the normally tightly
controlled hair.
“I didn’t get to tend to my children, think this is good practice?”
“Very funny,” Barnabas said with a chuckle. “I can barely feel my hands.”
“Well, we’ll get you feeling better,” Quentin promised.
“A shower was a damned good start,” the vampire responded.
“Let’s get you into bed,” Quentin suggested.
“You aren’t going to lecture me about Roxanne first, are you?” Barnabas asked.
“No, not tonight,’ Quentin said. “You seem resigned to losing Julia after all these years.”
“I didn’t ask her to leave,” Barnabas said wearily. “In the modern vernacular, she needs her space. I talked with her.”
“I know you still love Roxanne,” Quentin said.
“And Julia, Josette and Vicki,” Barnabas added. “How many women have stolen your heart, Quentin?”
“Touché. A few,” the immortal admitted. “No matter what happens I’ll stand with you.”
“Thank
you, that means…very much to me,” Barnabas said and glanced down at his
pajama bottoms. “Better than being dressed for a funeral every day.”
“Har,
har, har,” Quentin mumbled and held the door open for his cousin and
then moved around Barnabas to open the bedroom door after knocking. “Ah,
Roxanne must be cleaning up as well. Let’s get you into bed.”
“Thank you,” Barnabas said as Quentin pulled the covers back and then over the vampire. “How long was I gone?”
“Tonight is the 6th
night,” Quentin said. “Blair and Glory are still out there. I’ll fill
you in as to what’s developed tomorrow night. Get some rest now. I’ll
leave some blood outside the door at sunset tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Quentin,” Barnabas said. “I am very grateful.”
The werewolf turned as the door opened and smiled as Roxanne hesitated.
“We got the brick dust off,” Quentin said. “Sleep well.”
“Thank you,” Roxanne said softly and closed the door behind him. She looked at Barnabas and stayed by the door.
“Come here, Roxanne,” Barnabas said softly. “Please.”
Roxanne walked over and sat down on the bed facing him. “Will you be all right?”
“Yes, thanks to you,” Barnabas said.
“Willow had just escaped, she would have gotten you help,” Roxanne said.
“Perhaps,” Barnabas said. “Roxanne…”
“Please don’t send me away again,” Roxanne whispered. “Please don’t say No.”
“What do you remember about us?” Barnabas asked as he struggled to sit up in the bed.
“Everything,” Roxanne said softly. “In both lives in the other time bands.”
“I’ve loved several in my life time,” Barnabas said after a moment. “Including Julia.”
“And you’re committed to her, I know,” Roxanne said softly.
“She
left and doesn’t appear to trust me despite me telling you no. She’s
not waiting for me,” Barnabas said. “I am love with both of you and I still
love Josette and Vicki and even Angelique in some ways.”
“What are you saying, Barnabas?” Roxanne asked.
“I
knew when I stayed, I would lose Julia and didn’t know if I’d see you
again,” Barnabas said. “Can you accept me knowing how much I care for
others?”
“If Julia wants you back will I get shoved to the side?” the girl asked.
“No,”
Barnabas said. “Trust works both ways. I didn’t earn the distrust.
Let’s see where things lie when we’re a bit more coherent tomorrow
night.”
“Yes,” Roxanne said and touched his cheek. “I love you; I have for many life times.”
Barnabas touched Roxanne’s face gently and smiled. “I’ve missed you. We had so little time.”
Roxanne leaned forward and kissed Barnabas gently. She felt his hand behind her head and moved closer and deepened the kiss.
She
pulled back and smiled. “I remember being amazed when we kissed before.
It felt like I knew everything about you in your kiss when I really
didn’t know anything about you except your kindness.”
“You knew me,” Barnabas said softly. “You just didn’t know my secret and the price it would mean for both of us.”
“I didn’t care then and never have,” Roxanne said and kissed him again.
“Stay with me tonight,” Barnabas whispered. “Let me hold you as best I can.”
“Yes.”
# # #
