Dark are the Shadows
BTVS/Dark Shadows crossoverMs. Hunter Ash
frost29@post.com
ripperbard7@yahoo.com
rating: PG13
pairings: Buffy/Quentin, Willow/Tara, Xander/Anya, Giles/Angelique, Barnabas/Roxanne, Julia/Thomas, Maggie/Joe
# # # #
COLLINSPORT, MAINE
Barnabas opened his eyes and smiled at the sight of Roxanne waiting patiently, sitting on the edge of the air mattress in the hidden room in Collinwood's basement.
“Always a welcome sight,” he commented.
“I lost track of the time,” Roxanne said. “I don't have blood warmed, we'll have to go upstairs.”
Barnabas leaned up on an elbow and touched Roxanne's cheek gently. “So beautiful. We should go upstairs, however.”
“In a minute,” Roxanne said softly and began kissing Barnabas.
“Rox....” Barnabas muttered and pulled the young woman off. “I can't. Your heartbeat...”
“You didn't feed last night?” Roxanne asked.
“No,” Barnabas said with a sigh. “There were dogs at the farm and an alert caretaker.”
“Barnabas... you once asked if was willing to pay the cost of loving you,” Roxanne said softly. “I didn't know the price and didn't care before or after you bit me. I still don't care.”
“Roxanne...my control...”
“I don't care,” Roxanne whispered and kissed him again.
Barnabas whimpered and pulled her close, his hands roaming over her back, feeling the warmth of her skin. He felt his fangs extending and pulled back.
“I still accept the price,” Roxanne said softly.
In a moment Barnabas' fangs pierced Roxanne's skin as her body jerked and she clung to him.
# # # #
SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA
“Hey, Raquel, you and the English types heading out?” Xander asked as the potential and Watchers headed by the Scooby gang.
“Yeah, we're going to get up early for some testing of my skills,” the girl answered.
“We'll head out with you,” Xander suggested. “Will and Tara have already headed out for the weekend.”
“Great!” Raquel said. The small group made their way out of the club with the Watchers asked general questions about demons of the experienced couple.
The small group walked across the parking lot towards a rental car and Xander's pickup.
Anya touched Xander's arm and the young man followed her gaze and his eyes widened. "Uh, either that's a demon or Andre the Giant has landed in Sunnydale."
The small group stopped and watched as a hulking figure moved into the light of an overhead light. The creature looked as if it were made of shards of glass and mirrors and it was about the size of an upright polar bear with twice the weight. Walking beside it was a young man in a long Australian duster coat, black cowboy hat and boots. He was slightly shorter than Xander with a goatee breaking up the paleness of his face among the rest of the black surrounding him by his clothes, eyes and hair.
"Uh, do you know what that is and how to fight it?" Raquel asked Anya and Xander.
"No but I will give you all some advice based on experience," Xander said. "Run! Fight that thing once you know what it is and how to tackle it."
The group started to turn in various directions to run and Raquel and Xander stopped at a gesture from the teenage male with the demon.
Anya tried to pull on Xander's arm and winced as her shoulder protested the moves. "Xander! Come on!"
"Raquel!" Sandra Reyes yelled and tried to pull the girl away as Raquel stared at the approaching danger.
"Ya'll might want to run and leave the dead weight," the teenager said and smirked.
Anya slapped Xander and pulled his jacket up over his face and pulled on his arm.
"Huh?"
"Don't pull the coat down!" Anya yelled and pulled him behind a dumpster.
"Sandra!" Terrence yelled and pulled Sandra aside and started to hit Raquel when the creature reached them, moving faster than he thought it would with it's bulk.
The Englishman winced as the demon slashed him across the chest, slicing open his coat, sweater and shirt down to the skin underneath. He instinctively grabbed at his chest and didn't see the other hand slashing down at him.
Terrence began to wonder why he was lying on the ground and there seemed to be blood flowing from him at an alarming rate but he couldn't seem to move.
Sandra screamed at the sight of her fellow Watcher's slashed throat and non-seeing eyes. She ducked a slash from the demon and fell backwards. She screamed again as the demon turned to a non-moving Raquel and it began slashing at the young girl.
Sandra looked up at the teenager as he stepped around the demon holding Raquel up so it could continue slashing at the girl with it's knife like hands with blood flying in all directions. The Watcher stopped screaming when she looked into his eyes.
"Be afraid," he said softly and she began screaming again.
Anya glanced around the dumpster and saw the teenager laugh and motion for the demon to follow him as they headed back the way they had come into the shadows. She could hear alarmed voices and sirens.
# # #
"Roxanne?"
Roxanne opened her eyes and smiled. "I'm all right, my love," she said softly as Barnabas leaned up on an elbow gently touching her face. "I remember 1840 and how amazing this felt."
"I shouldn't have taken that much," Barnabas said softly.
"Shhh, I'll be fine," Roxanne responded. "Let me show you."
# ## #
“Oh hey, Julia, Thomas,” Amy said as she trotted down the stairs and the vampire and werewolf walked into Collingwood. “How goes?”
“Not bad, we wanted to drop by and let everyone know we're leaving for a couple of days,” Julia said. “Are Barnabas and Roxanne around?”
“Not yet,” Amy said. “Everyone else in the parlor.”
The couple smiled as they entered the parlor and found Maggie and Joe had dropped by and were laughing at something Buffy was saying about Giles.
“Hello, everyone,” Thomas said. “How's the head, Giles?”
“It ached a bit this morning,” Giles admitted. “It's not bad now. Thanks for putting me up.”
“Any time,” Thomas said. “When is Angelique coming back?”
“She should be here in another hour,” Giles responded.
“Probably good timing,” Joe commented. “They're saying that weather front has turned and we're going to get hit pretty hard. Planes will be grounded in about four hours. We got the boats in dry dock and half the plant shut down just in time.”
“What does hit hard mean here?” Joyce asked. “In Southern California it means we might get 4 inches of rain which causes flash floods and mudslides.”
“We'll probably get a couple of feet of snow and won't be able to see much tomorrow,” Maggie said.
“We'd better stay here then,” Thomas suggested to Julia and she nodded. “We were going to Boston for a few nights but we'll hold off on that.”
“You stocked up on firewood up here?” Joe asked.
Carolyn nodded. “Rupert has helped add to the mountain of logs out there and we've plenty of food, of course.”
“We're going to head home and cuddle by the fire,” Maggie said. “I'll probably have to open the diner tomorrow. Janet lives on the outskirts of town, she probably won't make it in if its still snowing in the morning.”
“You two be safe,” Amy urged. “And it's time for Elizabeth to head to bed as well.”
“Awww,” Elizabeth protested.
“Come on, I'll read you a story,” Thomas suggested.
“Okay! Goodnight everyone!”
“Good night, Elizabeth.”
Barnabas and Roxanne stepped aside as the ten year old dashed by them at the door to the parlor followed by Thomas.
“Good evening, everyone,” the vampire said.
Buffy and others noted the turtleneck sweater that Roxanne was wearing as she and Barnabas sat down.
“Tommy and I were going to Boston tonight but Joe says that storm has shifted and we're going to get snow early this year,” Julia said to the couple.
“Angelique should be here before it hits,” Carolyn added.
“We're off, we'll catch up with you and Barnabas after the storm,” Joe suggested.
“I hear a car,” Maggie said as hugs were exchanged with the couple.
“Must be Angelique,” Carolyn said.
Giles started to head for the door and stopped as his cell phone began chirping at him. “Hello? Anya.... Anya, calm down. Talk slowly and tell me what's happened.”
The room went quiet and everyone stopped.
“I don't know if we can get out of here, there's a bad storm coming in,” Giles said. “I'll call the Council and get a strike team there. Tell Willow and Tara to stay away. We will get back there as soon as we can. Now, you said Xander was affected, how so?”
Angelique stepped inside of Collinwood and hesitated as she pulled off a thick coat as she took in the tenseness in the body language and everyone being focused on Giles.
“No, you did the right thing,” Giles continued. “I know there was nothing you could do. Keep Xander home, tell his work he has the flu. Close up the shop before dark for a few days. I'll cover any loses those last hours might have brought in. Let me call the Council. Stay inside at night and stay in touch. No, I'm not upset with you, I promise. We'll know more tomorrow. I'll call. Yes, goodbye.”
Giles closed his phone and sat down.
“Giles?” Buffy asked softly. The shocked look on his face was alarming her.
“Xander and Anya are all right,” Giles said. “He's a bit rattled but all right. The Potential Slayer and one of her Watchers was killed last night. The other Watcher is under observation in the psych ward at the hospital. I must call Quentin. Excuse me a moment, please.”
He kissed Angelique gently. “Let me make a phone call and then I'll explain. I missed you, by the by.”
Angelique nodded and moved into the parlor with the others as the Haskells left.
# # # #
SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA
"What'd he say?" Xander asked as Anya closed her cell phone. He started to reach for his canned soda and pulled his hand back.
Anya ignored the fact that his hand was shaking quite badly and picked up the soda and handed it to him and he took it with both hands. "Giles said that he would call the Council to send a team of strikers or something and we should stay inside at night. He isn't sure they can get out of Maine tonight because of a storm. He'll let us know and get here as quick as they can."
"H-how could I just stand there?" Xander whispered and Anya wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close.
# # # #
COLLINSPORT, MAINE
Giles looked up as Quentin walked into the parlor.
The immortal shook his head. "The airports will be closed by the time we could get you there. We're looking at least one to two days."
"Damn," Giles muttered. "At least the Council is sending in a strike team."
"What is a strike team?" Angelique asked her lover.
"A team of hunters and a Watcher," Giles said. "They go to trouble spots and help Potentials that are in over their head or to spots where a Potential or the Slayer can't get to in a timely manner. Like now."
"What did Anya say when you called back?" Buffy asked.
"That they really liked the girl and gave me a description of the demon and teenager with it," Giles said. "Neither sound familiar."
"For someone that has a photographic memory, that must mean it's new or really obscure," Buffy commented and Giles nodded.
"Xander and Anya said they'd call once the strike team makes contact with them," Giles added.
"We need to be there, Giles," Buffy said softly.
"I know."
# # #
Anya barely opened the door and looked out at a small group at the door to the mansion. "What?"
"Miss Emerson, we're with the Council," the one closet to the door said. "May we come in?"
"Come back in the daytime," Anya said. "Or talk to me at the shop. Xander isn't up to visitors and Tara and Willow are gone and so is everyone else."
The man who had spoken held up a cross. "We'd like to talk to you and Mr. Harris about what you saw when the potential Raquel and the Watcher Wallace were killed. Please. We're here to help."
Anya hesitated and glanced at Xander who was sitting on a sofa. The young man was almost curled up in a ball and not looking at her.
"All of you show a cross, please," Anya said as she stepped aside. She didn't "invite" them in and crosses should ensure they were legit, she thought.
Each of the 5 person team held up a cross as they stepped in.
"I'm Mark Hampton," the one who had spoken before said. "I'm in charge of this bunch. Doc, check the boy out, please."
One of the two women of the group moved around the others and approached Xander slowly, moving into his eye-line.
Anya moved closer quickly. "He's... that person with the demon did something to him and the female Watcher and Raquel."
The woman nodded. "Xander, I'm Samantha Grimm," she said gently. "Can I check your eyes? I won't touch you."
Xander nodded after a moment and looked forward as the woman flashed a light in each eye.
"Can you hold out your hand? Flat like a paper?"
Xander slowly held out a shaking hand.
"That's good, thank you. I'd like to give your girlfriend a sedative to give you when you're ready to try and sleep," Dr. Grimm said. "It will be in a sealed package. Is that okay? You'll most likely feel better after some sleep."
"O-okay," he said softly.
"Can you tell us what happened?" Dr. Grimm asked.
"B-big demon," Xander said as Anya sat down next to him and held his hand. "With a kid. We never saw a demon like that b-before. I told everyone to run and then...."
Xander's lip began to tremble.
"It's okay," Dr. Grimm said. "Take your time."
"We...we couldn't move," Xander said softly. "I couldn't move my feet or say anything. I....I saw..."
"What did you see?"
The rest of the team moved closer but didn't crowd the doctor or Xander and Anya.
"Horrors," Xander whispered. "Like I was watching....a b-big tv or movie."
"What were the horrors?"
Xander shook his head and turned, laying his head on Anya's shoulders.
"What happened?" Dr. Grimm asked Anya.
"Watcher Terrence and I didn't look at the kid," Anya said. "The kid said we should run. I slapped Xander and pulled his coat over his head. That seemed to wake him up. I pulled him away but kept his head covered. I... The Watcher pulled the other Watcher back and tried to grab Raquel only the demon was fast. He... I'm sorry, he died quickly. Then he started slashing Raquel and the kid bent over the other Watcher and said something. She began screaming and didn't stop even when the police and paramedics showed up. I watched her being taken away on a gurney and I pulled Xander away. He was shaking and crying and won't say what he saw."
"Watcher Reyes is recovering in the hospital," Watcher Hampton said. "She's starting to interact with her surroundings but won't say what happened to her. Any time she's asked about it she retreats back into her mind. Watcher Giles said you described the creature like he was covered in mirrors or made of mirrors."
"Yes, like his skin was like armor that was covered with mirrors that couldn't be broken. He used the mirror edges like claws to kill the Watcher and Raquel," Anya said. "It was a very strange creature. I've never heard of one."
"Could you describe how tall and big? Color of what skin you could see, that sort of thing?" one of the team members asked as he pulled out a notepad and pen.
Anya described the demon and teenager with it down to the color of the teen's eyes.
“Thank you,” the one taking notes said. “I'll send this to our researchers around the world immediately.”
“Watcher Giles said they are snowed in for at least two days before the main road is cleared,” Mark Hampton said. “Apparently its a small town off the beaten track. I would advise both of you to stay inside at night until we find and eliminate the demon and teenager.”
“That's what Giles suggested,” Anya said. “We will.”
“Are Willow Rosenberg and Tara Maclay due back soon?” Mark asked. “We could use some help from experienced magic types.”
“Will might,” Xander said softly. “Tara is out of state helping Angel's group with a c-case.”
“We'll take whatever help you all can give,” Mark said. “We'll leave you alone to rest now. Doc, leave enough sedatives for a couple of nights. Thank you, very much for your time.”
Anya followed them to the door and locked it behind them. She bit her lip as she looked at a traumatized Xander.
# # # #
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