Dark are the Shadows (BTVS/DS) 05/22/2021

 Dark are the Shadows

Ms Hunter Ash

ripperbard7@yahoo.com

frost29@post.com

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

# # # 

COLLINSPORT, MAINE

Maggie smiled when Carolyn entered the diner and then frowned. “Orange juice or coffee?”

“Both, please,” Carolyn responded.

“Do I ask?” Maggie questioned.

“No, its nothing major or dramatic, I was up with a sick friend,” Carolyn said. “Where's Caleb?”

“Showing Roxanne some of the town now that the snow has stopped for awhile,” Maggie said. “They had breakfast and decided to get out of here for a bit since she's going to be in town until sunset.”

“Yeah, Thomas too,” Carolyn said. “He's watching over both Julia and Barnabas and being a little grumpy. He was supposed to get that cast off today.”

“I bet he's tired of that thing at this point,” Maggie said as she handed Carolyn a menu.

They both looked up as the inner door to the diner slammed open and a figure stumbled in.

“What on earth? Alex?” Maggie exclaimed as the young man stumbled towards the counter.

“I'm sorry about coming in, I know I'm supposed to stay away from you but I.... help, please,” the young man begged and pulled his hands out from under his arms. “I fell on some ice at the docks. I hit sand mostly but my hands got wet. I couldn't open the door to the boathouse.”

“Julio! Lukewarm water and towels!” Maggie called. “Frozen hands! Call the doctor after you bring the water!”

“Okay!” a voice yelled from the kitchen as Carolyn helped Alex out of his jacket.

“The fingers aren't white,” Carolyn commented. “Can you feel them?”

“Yeah, burns like hell.”

“That's actually a good sign,” Carolyn said. “Did you touch anything metal?”

“No,” Alex said. “I wrapped my scarf around my hand to open the door over there.”

“Good,” Carolyn said and pulled a sweater off over Alex' head.

The cook brought out a dishpan of water and several towels draped over his arm. “I will bring out one of the small heaters.”

“Good idea,” Maggie said.

“What am I doing in Maine, Miss Maggie?” Julio asked with a grin. “A Spaniard should be in the sun!”

“Let's see.... you love skiing and making snowmen with your kids and you married a schoolteacher with an accent that pegs her as being down east.”

Carolyn laughed. “David marries a Spanish girl and they live in South America. Julio marries a New Englander and only sees the sun in the summer.”

She winced as Alex started to put his hands in the water and pulled back with a hiss. “I know it's going to hurt. Here, let me wet this washcloth and wrap your hands in it, then we'll try the water.”

“O-okay,” Alex said. “Thank you.”

“Our pleasure,” Carolyn said as Julio brought out a small space heater and extension cord. “You shouldn't have been on the docks with all that ice out there. What were you doing?”

“Trying to grab a stray cat that looked half frozen,” Alex said. “I got her too and held on. She's inside my shirt. I fell after grabbing her.”

“A cat?”

Carolyn and Maggie's eyebrows rose again as his sweat shirt began moving.

“I hope that's a cat and not something from that alien movie,” Julio muttered.

“Oh gross thoughts!” Carolyn exclaimed and gently raised Alex' shirt and picked up a small black cat. “Hello, little one. She's nice and warm now. I think it's a girl.”

“About half grown,” Maggie commented. “She doesn't seem feral.”

“Those green eyes are gorgeous,” Carolyn said. “What are you going to name her, Alex?”

The young man winced as he put his hands in the lukewarm water. “I can't keep her. My mom is really allergic and I'm still living at home until I get a better job come spring and can move out. I was thinking maybe getting a place and seeing if Steve would like to share a place.”

“Steve the drunk?” Julio asked and Alex nodded.

“Yeah, his body has to hurt in this kind of weather,” Alex said. “The stroke patients I volunteer with say pain gets worse in cold weather and I, uh, kinda... maybe I can help.”

“He may not stop drinking,” Maggie warned.

“I know,” Alex said. “I won't buy him alcohol but I won't try and force him to quit either. He can try my cooking since I'm going to have to learn how to do that too.”

“You ever want to learn, come on by,” Julio offered. “I can show you some basics after you get off work.”

“Thanks, I'd appreciate that,” Alex said with a smile. “Mom doesn't have a lot of patience when it comes to teaching someone to cook and I never tried to learn.”

“Oh hey, Dr. Walters,” Carolyn said as a bundled up figure walked in.

“Julio said that we have someone that thought sticking both hands into water outside was a grand idea!”

“Yes, sir,” Alex said. “I fell and landed about up to my elbows in water on my arms.”

“You probably splashed up to your knees as well,” Dr. Walters said. “best get him out of his pants, ladies. I assume you're wearing thermals?”

“Yes, sir,” Alex muttered as he began to blush.

“Now, let's see about those hands,” the doctor said. “Stand up, son! Let the women get your trousers off! Don't worry, they're both mothers, they've gotten boys out of wet clothes before.”

“I'll help with the boots,” Julio offered. “And then I'll get milk for the little cat.”

“Cat? All this fuss over a cat?” the doctor asked with a shake of his head.

“She would have froze to death,” Alex protested. “Maybe someone could name her Lorelei.”

“Lorelei of the ocean,” Carolyn responded. “I think that would be a fine name and, if you don't mind, Elizabeth would probably love the little one. You'd get visiting rights, of course.”

“Yes, Ms. Stoddard-Hawkes, I'd like that. Ow ow ow!”

“Well, you have some minor frostbite but I don't think the damage is extensive,” the doctor declared. “About like holding onto a cold beer too long in the winter. Now, let me check those toes? Water get anywhere above the knee? Should I have the ladies turn their backs around?”

“No! I mean, no sir,” Alex said quickly as Maggie and Carolyn giggled.

# # # #

SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA

Angelique leaned back slightly. "Buffy, do you recognize this?"

Buffy leaned over the witch's shoulder. "Yeah, that's the alley behind the Magic Box. It looks like he's behind the dumpster. We've got 30 minutes to grab him, come on. If it gets close to sunrise you can jam out of there."

"Right there with you," Angelique said as she waved her hand over the mirror and it returned to its usual reflected properties.

"Where do you want us?" Mark asked.

"You and the Doc come with us," Buffy suggested. "Will, stay here and protect Tara. If Giles is hiding I doubt that psycho kid is nearby. Let's move."

Angelique was out of the Jeep before Buffy pulled the parking brake. The vampire and vampire Slayer pulled the trash dumpster away from the wall as the Watchers pulled up in the alley.

Giles was huddled in a corner next to a fence and the outside wall of the Magic Box. He flinched slightly and attempted to cover his head with his arms.

"Giles! It's okay, it's us," Buffy said as she squatted down.

Her stepfather tried to move away.

"Let me try," Angelique said softly as Mark and Dr. Sam moved closer. "Rupert, hear me. Hear my voice. You will hear me. What you saw is far away, it will NOT happen. Listen to my voice, it will not happen, it's far away. Now look at me. Look at me, Rupert."

Giles pulled his arms down slowly and looked at Angelique.

"Listen to me, it will not happen," Angelique said softly. "It's far away."

"An...."

Angelique gently touched Giles' lips. "Shhh, I'm here. Buffy's here as well."

"B-buffy?"

"I'm here," Buffy said softly. "What happened?"

"I....I pretended to be unconscious. I grabbed the handle of the door and the kid waved his hand and....I saw things," Giles said softly. "I fell."

"Let the doctor have a look, please," Angelique suggested and waved Dr. Sam Grimm over.

Sam squatted in front of Giles. "Hi, I'm Sam, you remember me? Can I see your wrist? I won't touch you without asking, okay?"

"All right," Giles said softly and looked at Angelique. "I saw...."

"I know," Angelique said softly. "It's not going to happen."

Giles winced as Dr. Grimm examined his hand and wrist.

"His wrist is broken along with two fingers," Dr. Sam said softly. "Some road burn on one knee and thigh, nothing major. I can set the wrist and fingers and clean the road rash. I'm not sure he could tolerate strangers right now."

"I agree," Buffy said softly. "Giles, your girlfriend and I are going to help you up, okay? We're going to take you to Mom's."

"Your mother's?" Angelique asked.

"He'll trust a smaller place and Mom will take care of him while you sleep," Buffy explained.

"All right," Angelique agreed. "I won't sleep at the mansion with the Watchers knowing where I am."

"I understand," Buffy said. "Let's get him upright, it's almost sunrise."

"I'll help you get him into the Jeep and leave for the day," Angelique suggested.

"Let's move."

# # # #

Joyce watched closely as Giles' eyes began to droop and then close.

"I give it another 3 minutes and I'll set the wrist and fingers," Dr. Sam Grimm said softly. "Those sedatives will dull the pain when I do it. He's in good shape for having fallen out of a moving van."

"His clothes took most of the asphalt," Mark noted. "How's he doing mentally?"

"Better than Xander and your Watcher," Buffy said. "Our vampire helped him."

"He's heavily involved with a vampire?" Mark asked Buffy softly and looked at Joyce. "Only a master vampire or one he's involved with on a blood level could control him like that."

"I know about.... the vampire," Joyce said. "We were afraid the Council would insist Giles return to England if they found out about his relationship with the vampire and.... we're close. All of us in the family agreed to the marriage. Rupert and I have been involved and you know his dedication to Buffy and to Dawn, it's complicated."

"Well, as fascinating as this could be, I don't think it has any relevance to the golem," Mark said after a moment. "Angela called, Willow is coming up with nothing in tracing the golem or sorcerer."

“Hold him, please,” Sam asked softly.

Buffy placed her hands on Giles' shoulders and nodded.

Joyce and Buffy both flinched when Dr. Sam yanked on the Watcher's hand and Giles yelled in pain and surprise, his eyes snapping open as he tried to sit up. After a moment he laid back down, panting. Sam quickly yanked and set his fingers.

Giles closed his eyes as his breathing evened out as Sam wrapped his wrist and hand.

“Will he be okay when he wakes up, Doc?” Mark asked as they moved away from the master bedroom and Joyce laid down next to Giles.

Buffy closed the door almost shut.

“I don't know,” Sam said as they walked downstairs. “If the mental control from Circe holds he'll probably be shaken up but not as bad as Xander was from what I understand.”

"We have to find a way to draw out that golem and kid without getting killed," Mark commented. "How? Why is he targeting us? It would be easier to just pick someone at random, they'd be easier to terrify."

Buffy frowned. "There's something about us being afraid."

"Maybe our fear has more....mojo because we're trained to deal with scary things?" Sam suggested.

"Probably," Buffy agreed.

"So how do we use that?" Mark asked the small group.

"Use me as bait," Buffy said. "Everyone else has been attacked, including my mom and sister."

"I heard that," Quentin said as he stepped out of the kitchen with a tray with a coffee pot, cups and fixings. "I'm not amused with that idea but it does seem to be spiraling closer and closer to you, doesn't it?"

"Looks like it," Buffy said. "Is there any rhyme or reason as to the timing?"

"No, nothing based on the moon, sun, stars or anything," Sam responded, "Angela has been working with Willow to see if there is any pattern and they're not finding anything."

"Giles got away before the kid could feed on his fear," Buffy said thoughtfully. "That might mean he needs to strike tonight or tomorrow night."

"All right, so we have the bait," Mark said. "What we need is how to capture or kill the tiger that takes the bait."

"And we need to come up with some ideas before sunset," Quentin commented.

# # #

COLLINSPORT, MAINE

“How are you feeling, Alex?” Maggie asked an hour later as the young man sat drinking coffee with a blanket wrapped around himself.

“Much better, thank you,” Alex Jr replied.

“Your clothes are almost dry, including your gloves,” Maggie informed him. “Your hands are going to be sensitive for a few days, don't go outside without gloves.”

“I've heard that,” Alex said. “I'll wear my gloves. Mrs. Haskell, I am sorry about Willie. I didn't mean to kill him. I'm not saying it wasn't my fault. It was, totally. Just...I'm sorry.”

"I know, Alex," Maggie said gently. "You should have known Willie, he'd been all around the world as a sailor and had some insane stories to tell! He was a nice guy."

Alex nodded and looked down at his hands.

“Don't worry, Alex,” Maggie said. “It's already changed you for the better. Ah, here's my son and Roxanne. Alex decided to go dog paddling in the icy water. He's almost thawed out and the cat is fine.”

“Cat?” Caleb asked.

“I was trying to grab a stray cat to get her warm,” Alex explained. “I slipped. But I got the cat. Mrs Stoddard-Hawkes took her for Elizabeth.”

“That's wonderful,” Roxanne said. “About the cat, not about your hands.”

“He'll be okay,” Maggie said. “Did you like checking out the town?”

“It's a wonderful small place,” Roxanne said.

“If you're heading upstairs would you take Thomas some lunch?” Maggie asked.

“Sure, Julia and Barnabas were up half the night,” Roxanne said. “So far everyone is getting along.”

“It's not easy breaking up with someone when you still care for them but the relationship isn't working,” Maggie commented. “Julio, lunch special, 3 of 'em!”

“Heard!”

“Alex? There you are!” a voice said from the door as Alex Sr. entered the restaurant. “Why aren't you working on that yacht in dry dock?”

“Alex was showing me around on the docks, I asked him because I have a case up in Boston I wanted some insight on,” Caleb said. “I started to fall and he caught my arm but he ended up falling partly in the water. His hands were frozen.”

“His hands?” Alex Sr. asked.

“We got him warmed up and the doctor checked out his hands,” Maggie informed the man. “He shouldn't go outside without gloves on for a few days, otherwise he'll be fine.”

“And you are?” Alex Sr. asked Caleb.

“Caleb Haskell,” the young man answered. “I'm a cop up in Boston.”

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Haskell,” Alex Sr. said. “Thank you all for caring for Alex.”

“His clothes are almost dry,” Maggie said. “He should be able to get back to work after lunch.”

“We'll skip work for the rest of the day,” Alex Sr. said. “Keep his hands out of the cold for the rest of the day.”

“Please, sit down,” Maggie suggested. “Alex was just about to have some lunch.”

“Thank you, I shall,” Alex Sr. said.

“Three up!” a voice yelled from the back and three plates were placed in the pass-thru.

“Add another and one for yourself!” Maggie yelled back.

“Heard!”

“Mr. Haskell, please join us and tell me about your job?” Alex Sr. asked.

“Sure,” Caleb responded.

“Here's 3 more,” Julio called.

“Got 'em!” Maggie said as Roxanne took two of the meals towards the stairs heading up into the rooms. “Here you go, guys.”

“Thank you,” Alex Jr. said.

“And thank you for calling the doctor in,” Alex Sr. added.

“Our pleasure,” Maggie said.

Roxanne knocked on Thomas and Julia's door.

“Who is it?”

“Roxanne, Thomas,” the young woman called through the door. She smiled when the door opened and stepped in. “Lunch time.”

She glanced at Julia sleeping on the bed and Barnabas on the floor. It had been an interesting hour just before dawn as they figured out how to keep the two vampires safe while giving Roxanne or Thomas the freedom to go down and bring food up. Roxanne had taken a nap on the 2^nd, unused bed while Thomas had stretched out beside Julia.

“Thanks,” Thomas said. “I'll be glad to get back to the Old House tonight. I'm nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I jammed a chair under the door handle when the maid was making her rounds.”

“I'll feel better when we have both of them some place secure,” Roxanne agreed.

“Oh a cheeseburger with fries and a shake,” Thomas said after he removed the cover from one of the plates. “Perfect.”

“I spent some time with Caleb,” Roxanne said as they sat down to eat. “He's a nice guy. A little suspicious of Barnabas and Julia but that's not surprising.”

“Are you going to join Barnabas as a vampire soon and have we figured out who will protect the two of you after you move back to the Old House?” Thomas asked. “Man, this burger is good.”

“It is,” Roxanne agreed. “I probably will despite his reluctance. As for who will watch over us... I haven't a clue. Over Christmas Angelique will stay at the Old House with us because of all the new people that'll be around including inquisitive kids. Giles can watch over the three of us or you and Giles can if you and Julia will be there. Might be safer if all of us are in one place because you'll be working and stuff.”

Thomas nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense."

# # #