Dark are the Shadows
a BTVS & Dark Shadows crossover (maybe more)
Ms. Hunter Ash
rating: PG13
Pairings: Buffy/Quentin; Giles/Angelique, Willow/Tara, Xander/Anya, Barnabas/Roxanne, Maggie/Joe, Julia/Thomas
# # # #
COLLINSPORT, MAINE
Maggie turned the lights outside the diner off and pulled the shades while everyone continued talking.
“You're actually serious that Barnabas and Julia are vampires?” Caleb asked with a frown. “Going to turn into a bat and prove that?”
“No, I don't feel like it,” Barnabas said.
His voice was calm but Carolyn knew by the clenched jaw that Barnabas wasn't amused.
“Be polite, Caleb,” Joe scolded. “I know it's impossible to believe but... we've seen a lot of things over the years.”
“Joe still has scars from an attack by a werewolf,” Maggie added. “Sorry, Amy, I...”
“It's okay,” Amy said with a slight smile. “I know what happened to Chris, his victims and to Sabrina.”
“A werewolf?” Caleb asked.
“My older brother was a werewolf,” Amy said. “A family curse. He took measures to protect people on full moons but the lock on the cage broke and he killed his wife. The next morning he killed himself and I came back to Collinwood and Joe helped raise me. We're cousins. We were also lucky that Chris didn't bite him as the werewolf.”
Roxanne leaned her head on Barnabas' shoulder. “I can state that Barnabas is a vampire. I know I'm a bit pale and look like I've had a good round of the flu. I haven't.” She pulled her turtleneck aside to show the policeman her fang wounds.
“I thought you didn't hurt humans?” Caleb protested.
“Well, I can also state that it wasn't because he looks at me like a cow,” Roxanne said. “I agree to taking our relationship to that level and I will join him eventually.”
“This is...really hard to believe,” Caleb said after a moment.
“Carolyn or Maggie, either of you have a mirror in your purse?” Julia asked.
Barnabas smiled. “That's how you proved to yourself that your theory about me was right.”
“I do,” Carolyn said. “Here you go, Caleb. Check out Barnabas and Julia with this.”
Caleb took the compact and turned in his seat with the mirror and moved it to take in the other side of the room.
Joe wasn't surprised when his son blinked in surprise and turned to look over his shoulder and then back in the mirror. Joe wondered how Roxanne leaning on Barnabas' shoulder looked in a mirror. Pretty odd, he'd wager.
Roxanne sat up when she felt Barnabas' muscles tighten and she saw Thomas move his chair back slightly. More room to jump to Julia's defense, no doubt.
Caleb turned around slowly and set the mirror down. “You've been this way since....?”
Barnabas hesitated. Many at the table knew when he first died, others like Amy and Joe didn't.
“Barnabas became ill in 1971,” Julia said. “So did I. His illness was caused by a sorcerer we had defeated several times before. I wasn't able to stake him before the curse took hold.”
“I found her dying and she asked to join me,” Barnabas continued. "I had been cursed earlier but recovered, then the sorcerer brought the curse back."
"This is...."
"Just take it slow, Caleb," Joe said. "It's overwhelming at first."
"Let's head on home, Joe," Maggie suggested. "We can answer most of his questions. Everyone, thank you, very much. This was a great evening."
"This is wild," Caleb muttered.
"What it means is that Barnabas and Julia use their unique conditions to help others," Joe said as everyone stood up. "We'll answer anything tonight."
"Why tell me?" Caleb asked.
"If anything happens to Joe and me...." Maggie said, hesitating. "We want you to know that our cousins and our family have some unusual members and protectors and that you can trust them."
"I can trust them?" Caleb asked with a frown.
"You are more of a danger to us than we are to you," Julia responded. "You're family."
"They've protected us over the years," Maggie said. "Even when we didn't know what Barnabas was the first time he was cursed."
“We didn't know they were still alive and they've kept an eye on all of us,” Joe added.
“Why come out of the shadows?” Caleb asked as the group walked to the door.
“We miss our family,” Barnabas said. “We've kept everyone at arms length, Carolyn was told that I was the son of the Barnabas she knew. When we were about to face down ancient, powerful and evil deities and a sorcerer we've had problems with before, well, Carolyn let me know that she knew the truth about us and she missed us.”
“I was terrified I wouldn't get to see them at least one last time,” Carolyn commented. “I knew they stayed away because they wouldn't be able to explain to anyone who saw them.”
“And then I did see Barnabas and he risked telling your father and me,” Maggie explained.
“I trust Mom and Dad,” Caleb said. “I'm not sure I'm going to tell my wife, though.”
“Why not?” Julia asked.
“She's... really religious at times,” Caleb said. “It's going to be one hell of a Christmas vacation.”
"That's an understatement," Carolyn muttered as was pushed back into the diner when Joe opened the door for her. He struggled with the door as the wind caught and held it open with snow blinding him.
Barnabas rushed past a stunned Carolyn and pulled Joe inside and worked the door closed. "Where the hell did that come from? Another white-out wasn't in the forecast, was it?"
"Not that I heard," Joe said as Carolyn shook her head. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, that was startling," Carolyn responded. "Well, lets find out how long this is going to last. The weather is insane this year!"
Maggie went near a window and accessed her phone.
"Barnabas," Roxanne whispered as she dusted the snow off his cloak. "You won't be able to feed again tonight."
"I'll survive one night," he responded. "You can't donate again so soon."
Maggie closed her phone with a sigh. "This little surprise will probably last until 8am. At least this place is connected to the hotel. Come on, everyone, let's get some rooms. Barnabas and Roxanne can book one for the day, Julia and Thomas another. Everyone else can head out in the morning."
"It's almost a good thing our California friends aren't here," Joe said with a chuckle. "Two whiteouts and they'd never come back during the winter."
"I just hope they can come out for Christmas," Amy commented.
# # # #
Giles sighed as the gathered group at the mansion looked over a large map of Sunnydale. "Unfortunately, there are a lot of places where demons hide, even one as noticeable as this one. Its handler or partner is either a sorcerer is a demon that can appear human which means a demon could be living in a house with the human."
Mark Hampton frowned. "Damnit. We still have no answers on what kind of demon that thing is."
Hector Lopez shook his head. “Maybe with you two here we can find the damned duo.”
"We don't even know if your potential was targeted or if it was a random attack," Giles commented. "I don't know where to look for either of those creatures."
"I'll hit Willie's bar tonight and I'll call Angel, maybe he and Spike can get some intell on what and where," Buffy suggested.
Giles nodded. "Let's hope something breaks soon. And your mother and sister should be here shortly."
"Awesome, your other friend isn't coming out?"
"Not just yet," Giles said calmly. They both knew the reasons why were sitting at the table with the Watcher and Slayer.
"I hear a car," Watcher Angela Farnsworth said and both Buffy and Giles smiled.
"Good," Giles as everyone stood up.
Dawn smiled as she opened the door and pulled her rolling luggage inside. "Hi!"
"Hey, runt," Buffy responded. "Hey, Mom."
"Hello," Joyce said and walked over to Giles and they kissed for several moments. "I missed you too."
Buffy's smile widened when Quentin walked in and she hugged him tightly. "No frost bite in areas that would make me unhappy?" she whispered.
Quentin laughed and glanced at the group of strangers.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present my wife, Joyce Summers," Giles said. "This is Dawn Summers and that is Quentin, Buffy's boyfriend and someone who has helped us greatly in our recent troubles."
"The pleasure is ours," Mark Hampton said. "I'm Mark Hampton, that is Dr. Sam Grimm, Angela Farnsworth, Liu Wong and Hector Lopez. We're with the Council."
"Pleasure," Joyce said. "Where is everyone else?"
"Tara is still out of state helping Gunn from Angel's group with a case," Giles said. "Willow is getting some books from my old apartment with Anya and Xander."
"We need to form a moving party this weekend," Buffy suggested.
"I agree," Joyce said. "A lot of his stuff can come here instead of storage."
"Not a problem," Giles said. "She prefers a mundane approach in furnishings and decorations over books and weapons."
"You and Buffy can have a couple of pieces in reach," Joyce said. "But I've been to your apartment, Rupert."
Giles chuckled.
"I'm going to go and check out the gallery," Joyce informed him.
"Don't be out after dark for too long," Giles suggested with a frown.
"I'll go with her," Dawn said. "I can scream really loudly."
"Best believe that one!"
# # # #
COLLINSPORT, MAINE
Barnabas watched the snow hitting the window of the hotel room as the winds howled outside.
He flinched slightly when Roxanne touched his arm.
"Barnabas?"
"Nothing," he said softly and turned to look at her and he attempted to smile.
"You need blood," Roxanne said, it was more of a statement than a question. "You've been needing it more frequently than usual."
"Since I was injured so badly on that tower," Barnabas agreed. "And I am not feeding from you tonight. We run the risk of you crossing back over into being a vampire if this keeps happening every night. I will survive a night without blood."
"Barnabas... we've been through this," Roxanne said with a sigh. "I want to join you, damnit. I know you would prefer not to be a vampire. It is what it is, my love. You are a vampire and I want to become one again so I can be with you."
"Not tonight," Barnabas said. "Not only am I not settled with this we can't have you....dying here. That would be very hard to explain tomorrow. With me as the undead and unable to respond if someone opens that door and you inbetween death and the undead."
Roxanne frowned but nodded after a moment. "All right. We can't ask someone to watch over us tomorrow. With me being still being human I can answer the door if need be."
"Now, I'm going to roam the halls for a few minutes," her lover said and gently kissed her. "Let me....brood for a bit and work on my control."
"Don't be long, Heathcliff."
Barnabas was chuckling as he walked out into the hall.
# # # #
SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA
Joyce unlocked the door to the gallery and picked up the mail from the floor. "Sarah brought in a couple of new pieces in she was anxious for me to see."
"Cool," Dawn said.
"I need to get the important mail and we'll head back to the mansion and pick up Rupert," Joyce said. "Now, what pieces did she bring in..... oh god."
"Mom?"
"Call Buffy and Rupert, quickly," Joyce said softly. "And back out the door."
Dawn started to turn to get out of the gallery and squeaked when she bumped into someone standing just behind her. She bounced back slightly off the young man's duster.
He was smiling.
"Mom!"
Dawn glanced back at the sound of.... something scraping across a mirror and saw what could only be the demon Anya and Xander had seen and it was stepping off a display pedestal.
"Hi, ladies."
# # # #
COLLINSPORT, MAINE
Barnabas sat down on the back inner steps of the hotel and rubbed his temples.
"Hello, cousin."
Barnabas raised his head and frowned. "Carolyn? What on earth are you doing here?"
"I came to find you," she said as she sat down next to him.
"Uh, tonight isn't a good time to chat," Barnabas said softly.
"I had a chat with Roxanne," Carolyn said.
"Are you two conspiring?" Barnabas asked.
"Yes," Carolyn admitted. "Your hands were shaking at dinner and you're looking older. You've barely been feeding. We need you stable, Barnabas."
"Is that some psychic foreshadowing?" he asked.
"No, me being cautious," Carolyn replied. "So much has happened lately. I'd rather have my very strong cousins at full strength just in case something else weird happens."
"Carolyn...."
"I trust you, Barnabas."
"Even when I don't trust myself?"
"Yes," Carolyn said firmly. "You were desperate the first time and didn't harm me. I trust you."
"I'm not going to win this argument with the two of you, am I?" he asked after a few moments.
"No, we care too much," Carolyn said with a smile.
"The curse was those who love me, die," Barnabas whispered.
"We all die, Barnabas," Carolyn replied. "Some of us just don't stay that way, apparently. Did you ever think that you and Josette weren't meant to be?"
"What?" Barnabas asked as she turned to sit sideways so she could look at him. "It was Angelique that kept us apart."
"Maybe it was fate that she died before you two could really have a life," Carolyn suggested. "Illness, childbirth, accident. Maybe it just wasn't going to last."
"We'll never know," Barnabas said.
"Come on, let's get you stable," Carolyn said as she stood up and extended her hand.
Barnabas hesitated and then took her hand.
# # # #
SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA
Buffy yanked the door to the gallery open.
“Be careful!” Giles urged as he followed her into the darkened business.
“You didn't hear Dawnie scream,” Buffy said and held her sword at the ready while Giles racked a bullet into his semi-automatic pistol.
Buffy hadn't protested that Slayers and Watchers didn't use firearms.
“Dad! Buffy! In the office!”
“Dawnie,” Buffy said softly and quickly crossed the room but slowed as she reached the door. She peered around the door and sighed with relief.
Her sister was holding her Mom as Joyce sat behind the desk crying.
“Mom?”
Giles followed Buffy into the office for a moment and then headed back towards the front door.
Joyce looked up and smiled. “I'm all right, just a little shook up.”
“What happened?” Buffy asked as Giles walked back in.
“I locked the front door,” he said as he clicked on the safety of his pistol.
“Dawn and I walked in and I saw that creature with the glass and mirrors for skin,” Joyce said. “I told Dawn to get out and the boy was blocking the doorway.”
“I managed to hit speed dial on my phone but the thing reached for Mom,” Dawn continued. “I didn't know if you heard us or not.”
“How did you two get away?” Giles asked.
“We didn't,” Joyce said with a sigh. “The....thing grabbed and held me and the boy grabbed Dawn's arms. He smiled at me and said 'be afraid' and.... I was. I saw... something.”
“What?” Giles asked gently as he reached across the desk and held her hands.
Buffy wondered where he had made the pistol disappear to....
“Buffy was trying to protect me because I couldn't fight against a group of vampires and...” Joyce hesitated and wiped at her eyes again. “She couldn't stop all of them.”
Joyce squeezed Giles' hands.
“Then the boy was angry and he reached out and knocked over a vase that was next to the door,” Joyce continued. “He yelled at me, he demanded to know why my fear wasn't crippling and didn't give him a boost.”
“Xander was shown one of his worst fears and was frozen,” Giles said with a frown. “Yours didn't send you into a spiral.”
“No, I've already lived through it,” Joyce said softly. “Buffy gave her life to save Dawn. I wouldn't expect anything less for any of us including for me.”
“What happened then?” Buffy asked.
“He reached for the matching vase on the other side and Dawn spun and slapped him and then kicked him between the legs,” Joyce responded with a smile. “The creature loosened its grip on me and I tried to get away and grabbed it's necklace. The boy yelled and hit Dawn and then me and led the thing out of the gallery.”
“Necklace?” Giles asked. “Was it a medallion with some sort of design on it?”
“Yes, I think I can remember the symbol too, at least one side of it,” Joyce said and frowned when Giles smiled. “What?”
“I know what the thing is, Willow sent me a text earlier telling me her suspicion about the creature and I believe she is right,” Giles said.
“So what was her theory?” Buffy asked.
“That it's a golem,” Giles answered. “A creature that was....made from inanimate matter. A sorcerer imbibes the creation with life and it obeys him or her totally. Remove the sorcerer's symbol and the creature loses it's life. There's a Jewish legend about a rabbi creating a golem out of mud to protect Jews in the ghetto in Prague from Christian massacres.”
“Jews in ghettos?” Dawn questioned.
“That's where the term comes from,” Giles said. “Jews were forced to live in specific areas of towns, often behind walls and guarded gates. Occasionally the Christian citizens would rise up and riot against their Jewish neighbors, usually on Easter and Christmas.”
“Why?”
“Because Jews wouldn't convert and, therefore, they rejected the Messiah in the viewpoint of the Christians,” Giles explained.
“Back to mirror golem,” Buffy interrupted. “How do we stop it?”
“With a bazooka or grab the necklace and pull it off,” Giles suggested. “As for the boy... he wanted a boost of energy from Joyce's fear. That implies he's either a sorcerer or a demon that feeds on fear. Can you draw the symbol?”
“Yes,” Joyce said and pulled her hands back.
“Let's get them back to the mansion,” Buffy suggested. “You can do your research thing and get the other Watchers researching every single thing about golems that you can and what that kid might be.”
# # # #
COLLINSPORT, MAINE
"Carolyn.... I don't know about this," Barnabas said as she closed the door to her hotel room. "I shouldn't have preyed on you those years ago."
"You were desperate," Carolyn said and sat down on the bed. "This is me helping a family member in need."
"You are a remarkable woman, Carolyn Stoddard-Hawkes," Barnabas said as he sat down next to her. He kissed her forehead and moved down to her neck.
The mistress of Collinwood flinched as fangs pierced her skin.
# # # #
SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA
Giles leaned back in his chair and pulled his glasses off and rubbed at his eyes.
"You've been putting in long hours over those books and computer sites," Joyce commented as she walked up behind him and began rubbing his shoulders. "Take a break, Ru."
"All right," Giles said softly. "Willow should be here soon, she can take over the computer things. One thing that's puzzling me is the lack of victims."
"What do you mean?" Joyce asked.
"The only victims we know of are Raquel and her Watcher," Giles explained. "Usually something like that attempts to rack up a number of victims.
"Are you making any progress?" Joyce asked.
"I'm narrowing down demons and deities that seem to thrive on fear," Giles said. "It's a bit hard to pin down. The list of entities that are obviously feeding on fear has few names. I'm working on those and then expand out to those who love to cause chaos and terror and who might actually be feeding on that."
"Dawn and I are making dinner here for everyone," Joyce told him. "My pot roast has been cooking for awhile."
"And it smells delicious," Giles responded.
"Xander seems to be doing better," Joyce commented.
"He does," Giles agreed. "Getting back to work and staying inside after dark is helping. I've been refreshing my memory about golems and this one puzzles me as well. The golems in the legends were made out clay. Is this one made out of clay with mirrors all over the golem and why mirrors? How the hell do we get that necklace off his neck? It's just..."
"Come help me set the table for dinner," Joyce urged.
"Absolutely."
# # # #
COLLINSPORT, MAINE
Barnabas pulled the blanket up to Carolyn's chin and kissed her forehead. "Thank you, cousin," he whispered.
He stepped out into the hallway of the hotel. Barnabas managed to keep from looking surprised to find Caleb Haskell outside of the young man's door.
"I thought you're with Roxanne," Caleb said.
"I am, I was talking with my cousin," Barnabas responded.
"Barnabas, come lay down for a bit with me," Roxanne called from the doorway of their room.
"Please excuse me," Barnabas said to Caleb only to have Caleb grab his arm.
"My mom has scars on her neck," Caleb said softly.
Barnabas looked down at the hand on his arm and back to Caleb.
"I wasn't the only vampire in Collinsport," Barnabas said. "Ask your mother, Tom Jennings was killed and turned into a vampire and I was human. I saved Julia from him and I became a victim of the vampire that had turned him. I almost died but Julia saved me. I don't kill people for their blood and I strive to remain on the side of light even when I knew I'd be injured or most likely killed."
"The scarring around your eyes?" Caleb asked as he pulled his hand back.
Barnabas nodded. "I can't see them but, yes, I was gravely injured. A demon hit me in the face with fire, my eyes were burned and it took some time for them to heal. I helped save the world during that mess, Roxanne and others were involved as well."
"Who was the vampire that preyed on you?" Caleb asked.
"A woman," Barnabas answered. "I didn't know her. Now, please excuse me."
Roxanne extended her hand as he approached their room. She pulled the vampire into the room and shut and locked the door with the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the outside door handle. "You
look better, my love."
"I feel better," Barnabas admitted. "We need to find a way to have blood at the house. I don't want to go down to the Old House and beg a bag off Julia like I'm borrowing a cup of sugar or something."
“What about a small fridge in our room?” Roxanne suggested. “Or in the cellar as long as it's quiet and no one gets curious about the basement? I don't know.”
Barnabas sighed. “We should move into the Old House, shouldn't we?”
“Before Thomas and Julia move out?” Roxanne asked.
“Yes,” Barnabas said. “I know Angelique and Willow and Tara are going to stay there over the winter holidays so we can keep all the vampires from being stumbled upon by the children who are going to be here.”
“Can we get along with Julia and Thomas?”
“I believe I can. You?”
“I can, my love,” Roxanne said softly and kissed him as she leaned against the door. After several moments he pulled back and she smiled. “So amazing.”
