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
Giles gently kissed a sleeping Angelique and grabbed the backpack with his essentials. His eyebrows rose when Joyce stepped out of her room and she was still in pajamas and robe. "Joyce?"
"Dawn and I are going to go back to California tonight with Quentin and Angelique or tomorrow," Joyce said. "You and Buffy need to get there, we'll follow with the luggage and stuff."
"Are you sure?" Giles asked with a frown.
"Yes, don't worry," Joyce responded. "It'll only be a day or two. I hate that both of you are heading into danger again but you're needed.”
"All right. We should wait for everyone but..."
"Xander and Anya need both of you," Joyce said.
“Let's go, Giles!” Buffy called from downstairs.
Giles kissed Joyce's cheek. "See you soon."
Amy pulled a thick pair of gloves on, completing her winter look of thick coat, goggles, wool scarf and ski trousers. "Bundle up," a muffled voice advised Giles.
"Quentin's outside warming up the snowmobiles," Buffy added as she pulled on a fur hat and stuck one on Giles' head as he bent over slightly.
“This will be interesting,” Giles said. “I've been skiing all over Europe but I've only been on snowmobiles a few times.”
“We'll go slow,” Amy said. “The road is easy to follow, especially since we know the way very well. Come on, we leave now and you two can warm up at the diner.”
“Take care, you two,” Carolyn said as she walked into the area from the hall with a tray with a covered plate and large glass of orange juice. “Remember, Christmas vacation here if we don't see you any sooner.”
“Someone sick?” Buffy asked with a frown.
“Maybe,” Carolyn said. “Roxanne and Barnabas were off on their own most of the night and she was already a bit pale. He hasn't been able to get away from the house for the last few nights.”
“Ah, hence the orange juice,” Giles ventured. “Been there. Vitamins as well?”
“With extra iron,” Carolyn said. “Call when you get to Sunnydale.”
“Will do,” Buffy said and followed Amy out the front door.
# # #
SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA
Anya smiled as Willow walked in the door of the Magic Box. "Oh perfect, I have boxes to open and Xander is sleeping. I have to say this broken shoulder bone is most annoying."
"Where's Xan?" Willow asked as she stashed a small rollaway suitcase and backpack in the corner at the small reading table.
"In back," Anya said. "He slept well last night finally and was still sleepy so I suggested he sleep on the sofa in back."
"Hopefully we can find that demon and his handler tonight and end this," Willow said.
"Giles called, he and Buffy made it to the airport in whatever state they flew out of," Anya said. "They'll be here tonight."
“Good,” Willow said. “I'm really sorry about Raquel, she seemed like a nice kid.”
Anya nodded. "She was....she didn't even fight back. That teenager was a sorcerer or something and froze both the girl and Xander with his mind."
"Sorcerer....with a demon no one has heard of...." Willow said thoughtfully. "I need to do some research. I'm going to hit the internet."
"I'm glad you have ideas," Anya commented.
# # # #
COLLINSPORT, MAINE
Joyce wrapped an arm around Dawn's shoulders as the young teenager watched the swirling snow outside of Collinwood.
"They said we should be able to get out tomorrow," she told Dawn. "We'll be in California by tomorrow night."
"Okay," Dawn said softly. "I like it here but... I should be back in school and stuff."
"Well, I think everyone is still planning on celebrating holidays with the families here," Joyce said. "That's not very far away."
"I'm going to love that. Do you think Roxanne is going to become a vampire soon?"
"Yes, I think so."
"Giles won't though, right?" Dawn asked.
"He and Angelique don't want him to be a vampire right now," Joyce answered.
"Okay," Dawn said after a moment. "I don't want him to be a vampire. I mean, I really like Barnabas a lot but...not for Giles."
"I understand and agree," Joyce said.
"Do you mind if I call him 'dad'?"
"No, not at all," Joyce replied and hugged her daughter. "I'm sorry your birth father has been such a jerk to you and Buffy. I had hoped he would step up more. I doubt Rupert will ever be like that."
"He's awesome," Dawn agreed.
After a few moments Dawn looked at her mom. "Do you think if him and Angelique ever broke up...."
"We'll cross that bridge if it ever happens," Joyce said. "Come on, let's help set the table."
# # #
SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA
Xander smiled as he stepped out from the backroom at the Magic Box and spotted Willow at the table with her laptop. "Hey, Will, how goes?"
"Hey, Xan," Willow said and jumped up to hug him. "Trying to research stuff, you know."
"You mean that thing that slaughtered Raquel and that Watcher and the creepy kid?" Xander asked as he sat down with her.
"Yeah," Willow said. "I'm coming up blank as far as demons, fairy tales, cultural myths and stuff. I have an idea but I'm not sure and I'm not sure how to research it."
"What's the idea?" Xander asked.
"Let me do some more research," Willow suggested. "Giles and Buffy should be here in an hour or so."
"Okay, plenty of time to close the shop," Xander said. "I'm going to try and go back to work tomorrow. Because of the cold and stuff we knock off late afternoons."
"All right," Willow said. "Just... if you need to leave, do so. Do you... want to talk about it?"
"No," Xander answered. "Thanks but not right now. Maybe later.... like ten years from now."
"Okay," Willow said and reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "I love you, Xan."
"Love you, too, Will."
"Giles! Buffy!"
Xander turned in his seat and Willow looked up at Anya's raised voice and smiled. In moments the Scooby gang minus Tara were hugging.
"We had a direct flight," Giles said.
"And Giles drove like a maniac getting here from L.A.," Buffy added.
“Anything new about that demon?” Giles asked.
“No, just trying to cover all the bases in the research department,” Willow said. “It's like nothing we've ever read about.”
Giles nodded. “Xander and I are going to the store. We'll be back before sunset, I promise.”
“The store?” Xander asked.
“Yes, I'm sure we don't have Buffy's favorites at the mansion and I could use your help with the heavy stuff, I pulled my arm muscles bringing in firewood into Collinwood.”
“Okay,” Xander said and kissed Anya. “We'll be back.”
Buffy frowned when the door to the shop closed. “Okay, that's weird, Giles did not pull his arm muscles in Maine and he was handling his backpack just fine.”
“Maybe it's man-time,” Anya said as she adjusted her sling.
“Man-time?” Willow asked.
“Men offering to do something so they can spend time together and talk without getting all emotional about it,” Anya said. “Women are more honest about our girl-time.”
“I agree with that,” Buffy said.
“Buff, tell us about everyone in Maine, please,” Willow urged. Her friend didn't seem upset with Willow and Anya....maybe they could be friends again.
“Well, let me tell you about Widow's Hill....”
# # # #
COLLINSPORT, MAINE
Maggie smiled as Joe laughed over a tale Carolyn was telling about when Amy was a child. Her expression changed to one of surprise and she jumped up from the table in the diner where the Collins, Jennings and Haskells had gathered for a night out.
Everyone looked up as she moved quickly across the restaurant and hugged a tall young man. Joe's smile widened and he saw Barnabas' questioning expression.
“You didn't know?” Joes asked. “That's our son, Caleb.”
“We were afraid of being seen by anyone in town,” Julia said. “We heard things through Quentin but not that.”
“He's been gone a lot over the years on family business or just...roaming,” Carolyn explained.
“I wish Joyce, Dawn and Quentin were here,” Joe said. “I know they had to get back to California, though.”
He stood up and smiled as Caleb and Maggie walked over. He hugged his son affectionately. “Everyone, this is Caleb, our son. He lives over in Bangor and he's a cop.”
“Hi,” Caleb said.
“You know Carolyn, Amy and Thomas,” Maggie said. “That's his daughter Elizabeth. This is Julia Hoffman, I mean Julia Hoffman-Collins, over there are Barnabas Collins and Roxanne Drew.”
“Julia and Barnabas? I've heard those names,” Caleb said. “Nice to meet everyone, by the way.”
“Come, sit! Tell us about work and we'll try and explain about some unusual things around here,” Maggie insisted. “How is Jamie and the baby?”
“Half the damned state is going to know before the year is out,” Thomas mumbled and Julia squeezed his hand.
# # #
SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA
Giles dropped a package of chicken into the shopping cart as he and Xander walked through Vons. “Want to talk about it?”
“Not really,” Xander said. “I saw...it was like watching a video.”
“I'm following.”
After slowly walking up and down the aisles Xander explained what he had seen and how frozen he had been despite knowing he should move.
Giles nodded. “Hand me a 5 lb bag of sugar, please. That sounds bloody awful. I believe anyone would have been frozen in place. Look at Watcher Reyes, she was frozen as well and so was Raquel. It's not your fault nor your short coming. You aren't a coward nor a drunk or abuser. You are breaking the cycle of abuse, Xander, and I am very proud of you for it.”
“Really?”
“Yes, totally truthful,” Giles said. “What do you think, which cereals should we buy?”
“Uh, Honey Nut Cheerios, Raisin Bran and, uh.”
“What?” Giles asked.
“Captain Crunch,” Xander said softly.
“Oh, I agree,” Giles said. “Grab a larger one. I love the stuff when I'm having a craving for sugar.”
“Oh cool.”
“Go easy on yourself,” Giles said. “You know... come on, let's get back. I might have an idea.”
“Like what?”
“Well, I think there are some demons that feed on fear,” Giles said.
“Sounds like the monster in that movie that just came out,” Xander said as they headed for a check-out line.
“Explain, please.”
“Well, the creepy thing called the Creeper stalks victims by smelling their fear. If he likes what he smells, you're toast,” Xander said. “He's ageless but can only feed for a short period of time every 20 some years. He regenerates his body with pieces from humans.”
“Good lord,” Giles said. “This probably isn't as complicated as that, whatever this is likely just...feeds on fear and violence. There is a theory that werewolves don't feed on human flesh, hold here a moment before we join a line. You see, most werewolves don't actually feed on humans, they just attack, slaughter and leave. The theory is that the werewolves gain energy from the terror and violence.”
“Wow, you think this is something like this?”
“It's possible,” Giles said. “The description is puzzling as is the fact that the one that appeared human was the one controlling the visions of terror. Come on, lets get back.”
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