Dark are the Shadows - 05/13/2020

Dark Are the Shadows
Ms. Hunter Ash

a BTVS/Dark Shadows crossover
ripperbard7@...
frost29@...

Rating: PG13
pairings: Buffy/Quentin, Barnabas/Roxanne, Julia/Thomas, Xander/Anya, Willow/Tara, Giles/Angelique, Maggie/Joe


# # # #

Spike hung by his wrists in the middle of Glory's apartment. His face was bloody, his shirt was in tatters and he was glaring at Glory.

“I have a riddle for you, Precious,” Glory said. “How is a vampire that won't talk... like an apple?”

The hell-god grabbed Spike's hair and pulled his head back. He yelled when she began cutting his chest. “I wonder if I can peel you like an apple?”

“Stop, I'll tell you,” Spike whispered.

# # # #

Buffy looked up at the expensive apartment building with a frown.

“You think she lives around here?” Willow asked.

“Glory's snake thingy was about here when I killed it and it was on its way back to her,” Buffy explained.

“That's not a lot to go on,” Xander commented.

“It's all we've got,” Buffy said. “Let's split up, me and Xander, Willow with Anya, Quentin with Giles.”

# # # #

Spike drank eagerly as Glory held a glass of water to his lips.

“Better?” she asked. “Think you can talk now? I'm tired of the games!”

The hell-god suddenly smashed the glass into Spike's face, shattering it. “Start talking.”

“Okay, the key,” Spike said as he struggled in the chains. “Here's the thing... It's the key on tv.... what's his name?”

“Guy on tv?” Glory repeated.

“That show... the prize show... where they guess what stuff costs?”

“The Price is Right?” Murk asked.

“Oh, Bob Barker!” Jinx said.

“We will bring you Bob Barker! We will bring you the limp and beaten body of Bob Bark...”

“It is not Bob Barker,” Glory yelled as she jumped up. “Scabby morons! The key is new to this world and Bob Barker is as old as grit. The vampire.... is lying to me.”

Spike chuckled. “Yeah, but it was fun. And guess what, bitch, I'm not telling you jack. You're never gonna get your sodding key. 'Cause you might be strong, but in our world, you're an idiot.”

“I am a god.”

“God of what?” Spike demanded. “Of bad home perms?”

“Shut up! I command you, shut up!” Glory yelled.

“Yeah, okay, sorry,” Spike said. “But I just had no idea that gods were such prancing lightweights. Mark my words, the Slayer is going to kick your skanky, lopsided ass back to whatever place would take a cheap, whorish, fashion victim ex-god like you!”

Glory spun and kicked Spike in the chest, snapping the chain. The vampire hit the door to the apartment and ended up on the hallway floor.

“Good plan, Spike,” he muttered.

“Bring him back,” Glory demanded.

Spike stumbled to the elevators.

“Here!” one of the demons yelled.

“Oh god,” Spike muttered and forced the doors open. The vampire leaned over and let himself fall down the elevator shaft, landing on top of the elevator. He watched the demons turn away from the open doors.

Spike rolled over and opened the hatch into the elevator and dropped to the elevator floor. The doors opened and Spike found a group of demons waiting for him, some out of breath from dashing down the stairs.

“You do not insult Glory by escaping!” Murk declared.

“Murk! The Slayer!”

Spike closed his eyes in relief and fell against the back wall of the elevator as Xander grabbed the ax a demon was carrying and they fought over it. Buffy shot one demon with a crossbow and Murk kicked the crossbow out of her hand and punched her.

Buffy kicked Murk to the floor, ducked a punch from another and punched that demon and kicked a third one.

Xander got the ax away from a demon and hit another with the handle, sliced another one, got punched several times and hit that demon with the handle. He yelled in surprise when a demon grabbed him from behind.

“Backup is here!” Giles yelled as Buffy kicked Murk into a wall.

Then there were two Buffys.

“What the hell?” Giles exclaimed.

“Spike is hurt. I must protect Spike and kill demons,” the 2^nd Buffy said. “Demons are bad, Spike is handsome.”

“I repeat, what the hell?” Giles said and began fighting with a demon.

Two Buffys began fighting demons.

The demon threatening Xander with a small knife fell away after a crossbow bolt went into the creature between his shoulders. Xander grabbed the ax off the floor and cut off the demon's head.

He looked up and smiled at Quentin as the older man reloaded a crossbow but dropped it and pulled a sword when he was charged by two demons.

Giles was punched to the floor and a demon began fighting with him over the crossbow, the weapon moving closer and closer to his throat. “Buffy!” he yelled and snarled at the demon.

The 2^nd Buffy fell to the floor in a spark of electricity when a crossbow bolt from the crossbow between Giles and the demon hit her in the back.

A demon that Quentin slashed with a sword fell against the control panel of the elevator as Buffy kicked the demon away from Giles.

Jinx and Murk ran for the stairs.

Buffy frowned as Giles sat with a scowl.

# # # #

COLLINSPORT, MAINE

Barnabas closed the half door and locked it. He smiled as Roxanne sighed and laid down on the air mattress.

She smiled at her lover. “Come hold me.”

“My pleasure,” he said softly.

His hands were getting better, he had fed, had reconnected with his family and friends, had avenged Willie somewhat and Roxanne was with him. He thought about Julia and Thomas and felt a pang of pain and shoved the thoughts aside.

# # # #

SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA

Buffy hugged Quentin's arms as they enveloped her from behind. “I hate all of this.”

“I can understand that,” Quentin said as Willow and Tara scanned police reports coming in from the building. “Collinwood is more gothic horror oriented, not as much action.”

Giles and Xander walked into the mansion and Angelique rushed to hug the Watcher.

“I'm sorry I was out,” she said softly.

“Don't be, luv.”

“What did you guys do with Spike?” Buffy asked. “Tell me there is dust at the end of the story.”

“We dumped him in his crypt,” Xander said. “We tried to find out if he'd... told her anything but he was too badly beaten to make much sense.

“Even if he told her he'd just lie to us about it,” Anya said.

“I have to find out,” Buffy said with a frown. “If he did, we have to keep Dawn out of the state.”

“If we need somewhere even more isolated than Collinwood Barnabas can take her to my island off the coast of Maine,” Angelique suggested.

“You own the island?” Quentin asked.

“Sky and I were married when he committed suicide,” Angelique said. “I inherited the magazines, the money and the property. We hadn't even officially separated before he died.”

“You own an island?” Willow repeated.

“My married name is Rumson,” Angelique said and Buffy's eyebrows rose.

“Like only the owner of two of the top five fashion magazines?”

“Yes,” Angelique said with a nod. “I have a very good bunch of lawyers and board of directors to run things while the elderly, eccentric widow is rarely seen in public and when she is there's magic involved that makes me appear old.”

“Wow,” Buffy said and shook her head. She glanced over at Willow and Tara exploring the robot double of Buffy. “Yeah, Spike would lie to all of us. How goes, guys?”

“I could fix this,” Willow said. “I do NOT want to think about why Warren made Spike a robot girlfriend like the one we dealt with last month.”

“Especially one that looks and sounds like Buffy,” Xander added.

“Xander, don't make me hurt you if you even mention why Spike might have that thing!” Buffy threatened.

“Too late, visual achieved,” Xander said with a shrug.

“I'll be back. I gotta talk with Spike and probably stake him.”

“And I'll watch the sunrise,” Quentin said as the vampires began to head upstairs to their rooms with their partners.

“Yeah and I need to talk to Giles after he wakes up,” she said softly as Xander and Anya yawned and followed the vampires along with Joyce.

“What's wrong?” Quentin asked.

“I'll tell you later.”

# # ## #

COLLINWOOD, MAINE

Carolyn pulled the old chair in front of the secret room. “Rest easy, cousin. I used to kick around the idea of living forever but...I can see the pain in your eyes almost every night. I hope Thomas helps Julia and Roxanne is good for you. Night.”

She smiled when she found David sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee. “I am so not adapting to these late nights,” she commented. “I've spent years of getting up with the sun and its become ingrained.”

“I hear that,” David said. “Are they tucked away safely?”

“Yeah,” Carolyn said as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

“I can't believe Barnabas and Julia have been together practically since 1967 and now they break up?” David commented. “Weird.”

“I know but you saw how he looks at Roxanne,” Carolyn said.

“Yeah,” David agreed. “He's definitely different than the man we first met. I remember thinking when they left how much he had changed over time. Now...wow, for him, I mean.”

“I totally agree, cousin.”

# # ##

SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA

Spike didn't even flinch when the door to his tomb slammed open. He almost groaned when he saw the Buffybot.

“Spike! You're covered in sexy wounds!”

Spike tried to squint through eyes that were almost swollen completely shut.

“Yeah,” he said as he slowly sat up. “I feel real sexy. Where you been?”

“I fell down and got confused. Willow fixed me. She's gay.”

“Will fixed you? I thought they'd melt you into scrap.”

“They were confused too,” the Bot said. “Do you wanna ravage me now?”

“Give us a minute,” Spike said slowly. “Got some bones needing mending.”

“Why did you let that Glory hurt you?”

“She wanted to know who the key was,” Spike answered.

“Oh, well, I can tell her, and then you'll....” the Bot turned to leave and Spike almost fell off the top of the coffin.

“No!” he yelled. “No, you can't ever. Glory never finds out!”

“Why?” the Bot asked.

“'Cause Buffy... the other, not so pleasant Buffy... if anything happened to Dawn, it'd destroy her. I couldn't live, her bein' in that much pain. Let Glory kill me first. Eh, nearly bloody did.”

The Bot frowned and then leaned forward and kissed him gently. The vampire started to return the kiss and pulled back with a confused frown.

Buffy looked at him for several moments and started to leave.

“And my robot?” Spike asked.

“The robot is gone,” Buffy answered. “The robot was gross and obscene.”

“It wasn't...” Spike said as he lowered his head. “That thing... it wasn't real.”

Buffy hesitated at the door. “What you did for me, and for my Mom and Dawn, that was real.”

Spike looked up as Buffy looked over her shoulder.

“I won't forget it.”

# # # #

COLLINWOOD, MAINE

Thomas opened the door to the Old House and raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Dawn and David, what's up?”

“We've been telling tales of my childhood and stuff,” David said. “Can I show Dawn around? We won't go downstairs.”

“Yeah, sure,” Thomas said and moved back using his crutches. “I didn't think you were staying another night, Dawn.”

“Yeah, I think Mom and Buffy are hoping to find an answer about the nutjobs that want to kidnap and kill me before we get back,” Dawn said. “Having me out of reach reduces the stress on them.”

“This place was a wreck when Barnabas took it over,” David said as they walked in. “This was my playground. Ah, Josette's picture is down here. Where's the one Barnabas had made?”

“Up in Josette's room,” Thomas said.

Dawn had the impression Thomas was waiting for more questions about that or even protests but David just nodded.

“Josette has watched over the Collins family ever since her death,” David said. “She appeared to both Julia and Willie before, when Barnabas was in danger of dying. The rare times he was human, I mean.”

“Wow,” Dawn said. “We don't deal with a lot of ghosts.”

“Well, let's see... by the way I was a disturbed kid,” David said. “I locked Vicki in the west wing where no one ever went. The ghost of the plant manager appeared to her and kept her spirits up. Josette appeared to Maggie, me, Julia, Willie and Barnabas. Also Sarah and I used to play, she was Barnabas’ sister. Who else... ah, I heard later that Peter Bradford, the guy who loved Vicki appeared to someone.”

“And the Rev. Trask,” Thomas added.

“Really? To whom?” David asked.

“Barnabas, at first,” Thomas said. “He bricked Barnabas up in the basement when Barnabas was human. Josette appeared to Julia to alert her to where Barnabas was. Julia convinced Trask to turn his attention to the witch responsible for the misery at Collinwood when Trask was alive. Then when Barnabas got back from some time travel, he…rematerialized in his old coffin that was chained shut, he was suffocating. Josette alerted Willie.”

“I want to sit down with both of them and Quentin over the Christmas vacation,” David said. “Maybe I can find out what actually happened when I was a kid about some stuff.”

“The place is amazing,” Dawn said as she walked around the room.

“Yeah,” Thomas agreed. “Complete with hidden rooms, passages and probably a skeleton or two.”

“Like I said it was cobwebs and dust when I was a kid,” David commented. “Willie slowly restored it under Barnabas’ direction. They didn’t get electric installed until about 10 years ago, Carolyn told me. Part of Barnabas’ history coming through, he never cared for bright lights.”

“I don’t know how Willie kept all the candles lit every night,” Thomas added.

“That was a mystery,” David agreed. “Dawn, go upstairs and check out the rooms.”

“Okay,” Dawn said and trotted up the stairs.

Thomas motioned towards the fire. “I gotta sit down. My leg gets to throbbing if I’m standing too long.”

David nodded and sat down in one of the chairs next to the fireplace. “I’m going to be staying on for a week. Maybe we could grab a beer at the Blue Whale one night? You’re a cousin and you’re with Julia and I love her very much, I’d like to get to know you.”

Thomas nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good. I thought everyone up at the house would resent me because of recent stuff.”

“You helped protect them for a lot of years,” David said. “People and relationships change. I’ve been lucky, my wife is really wonderful and we are the best of friends. Barnabas and Julia have an unusual existence, that’s gotta be hard. As long as Julia is happy, I’ll try and adapt. I knew Julia was in love with him when I was a teenager and then they left so suddenly. I thought they had figured it out and wanted to travel.”

“And how do you feel about Barnabas and Roxanne?” Thomas asked.

“I’ll adapt to that as well,” David said. “He’s my cousin and as he slowly changed, he became a protector of the family, including me. Carolyn told me about some of their time travels and that one of those trips was to save me here in current times. I didn’t know Roxanne years ago. He seems quite taken with her. So, hopefully, over time the pain from the breakup will ease up and we get two happy couples.”

“I’ll do my best to make her happy,” Thomas promised. “She’s…amazing and…. Okay, Barnabas is too. It’s just hard right now.”

“I get that,” David said. “Barnabas could be aloof as hell.”

“I heard Barnabas and Angelique talking one night,” Thomas said slowly. “Her curse was that he would never rest and never know love in the way he wanted. That anyone who loved him would die. Barnabas thought maybe the heart of the spell was that he’d never really be with anyone long and that his relationship with Julia had given him hope. Then Roxanne returned.”

“Not easy.”

“No,” Thomas agreed. “He's also talked about how his father, Joshua, was aloof and not one to show affection very often but Barnabas realized he did love Naomi and Barnabas and Sarah in his own way.”

“The Collins men could be...New Englanders,” David agreed and then laughed. “And I married a beautiful, hot blooded Spaniard! She was in the country with her family on business, we met and sparks flew and still do, especially if I piss her off.”

Thomas smiled. “And the makeup sessions?”

“One reason we have kids,” David said.

# # # #

Carolyn smiled when her vampiric cousins walked up from the basement. “Hello, you two. Everyone is due in about an hour. David showed Dawn around the Old House and took her over to this lovely crab shack just up the highway.”

“Good, thank you for accepting her as family,” Barnabas said as he kissed Carolyn's cheek.

“I've said before you should have been a father, Barnabas,” Carolyn said.

“Thank you,” Barnabas responded. “I was very close to my little sister and I had looked forward to having a large family but it wasn't to be.”

“Well, you do now,” Carolyn suggested. “Not only here in the big house but Joe and Maggie love you very much and I think several in California are attached the others are quickly getting that way.”

“And I about them,” Barnabas said. “If we pull everyone together for Christmas it will be amazing.”

“The house would be jumping!” Carolyn agreed. “Maggie and Joe's son should be here then, too. We'll have to figure who to tell and who not. Most of the adults can probably keep the secret, some of the kids, not so much.”

“I'll trust in David's judgment and yours,” Barnabas said and smiled when David and Dawn walked in.

“Barnabas, Roxanne, the Old House is great, I can't believe how old these places are,” Dawn exclaimed. “And I saw tall sailing ships and stuff the last couple of days.”

“And next summer you can introduce this bunch to California beaches,” Roxanne suggested.

“Let's get ready for the party,” Carolyn said. “We've got food, drink and good company. Awesome.”

# # # #

SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA

Buffy stepped out onto the patio and pulled a lawn chair over next to her Watcher's.

“I heard you say Spike didn't give Dawn up,” Giles said. “Everyone was ready to grab your mother and leave if he had.”

“Thanks,” Buffy said. “I'm glad Dawnie is out of the state just the same.”

“So am I,” Giles said. “What's on your mind?”

“Giles, when we were fighting those demons after Spike...”

“Go on,” Giles said.

“You were struggling with that one demon,” Buffy said.

“Yeah,” Giles agreed. “I didn't mean to shoot that robot, by the by.”

“I know that,” Buffy said. “Giles... I saw the fangs.”

The glass of tea he was drinking from stopped mid-way from the table to his mouth. He set the glass back down.

“What's going on?” Buffy asked, her voice soft and gentle.

“I've not a clue,” he admitted. “I'm part vampire because I'm still connected to Angelique? That would be my guess.”

“Are you becoming a full vampire?” Buffy asked.

“I don't think so,” Giles said. “The... symptoms aren't getting worse... well, except for the fangs when I'm in the middle of a fight.”

“They've retracted?”

“Yes,” Giles said with a shrug of his shoulders. “I'm not craving blood nor.... I'm not a ghoul either.”

“Ghoul? I've heard that in horror movies but nothing really descriptive,” Buffy said.

“There's two types of ghouls, an Arabic demon and a human that was fed on once by a vampire and then given vampire blood several times,” Giles answered. “A ghoul is a creature that is no longer human. Both types usually hang out in old graveyards and sewers and they feed from corpses that are...aged.”

Buffy shivered. “I'm glad you're not that.”

“I'm very much in agreement with that,” Giles said. “I don't know what to tell you about the fangs.”

“It doesn't sound like there's anything we should or can do about that,” Buffy responded. “What we do need to focus on is that Glory knows the key is human and is trying to figure out who among us it is.”

“Bollocks,” Giles muttered. “Perhaps we should keep Dawn in Maine for awhile.”

Buffy nodded. “Good idea. I know it'll help reduce the stress on all of us.”

“I wonder what her demons are looking for among us?” Giles pondered. “They grabbed Spike for some reason.”

-

“I'll ask him tomorrow night,” Buffy suggested.

“Will he be honest with you?”

“I think so,” Buffy said.

“I'll talk to the everyone about what's happening to me,” Giles said after a few moments.

“Where's Angelique?”

“She's meeting a contact in the magic community,” Giles said. “She's hoping to find something that will affect Glory more than something that just annoys her.”

“Good idea,” Buffy said.

“Buffy!”

Buffy was halfway across the patio before Giles was out of his chair at Willow's yell. She dashed inside the house and stopped and blinked at the sight of her mother lying on the living room floor with Anya holding her feet up and Xander checking her pulse.

“She.... she passed out,” Willow stammered.

“Yes, we have a 43 year old woman that's fainted and she's not coming around,” Quentin said into his phone. “Xander, she's breathing?”

“Yeah, pulse is steady too,” Xander responded.

“She's breathing and her pulse is steady,” Quentin repeated and gave the address as Buffy shook her head and knelt by her mom.

“Mom? Mama? What happened?” she asked.

“She said she had a headache and started to go and get a glass of water,” Xander explained. “Then she almost hit the floor but Quentin caught her.”

“I hear a siren,” Willow said. “I'll wave them in.”

“Oh God, Mom,” Buffy whispered.

Buffy moved out of the way when paramedics entered and began assessing Joyce and asking questions.

“She's been undergoing chemo and radiation for a tumor in her brain,” Giles answered. “She complained of a headache and passed out.”

“No, she didn't hit her head,” Quentin answered another.

“Vitals are stable, left pupil non-responsive,” one paramedic told the other.

Willow quickly got out of the way of a ambulance crew entered.

“Let's get her rolling,” the first paramedic said.

“Buffy, you ride with her, I'll be right behind you,” Giles said.

“Who's related here?” one of the ambulance crew asked.

“I'm her daughter, he's her husband and.... we're all family,” Buffy said.

“Everyone mount up,” Xander suggested. “An, leave a note for Angelique.”