In Thrall - 6/7 - B/W/T - R

["Hunter Ash" <carrkjar@xxxxxxxxx>]

In Thrall
Part 6
Red Moon Rising, Book 4

Author: Frau Hunter Ash 
Copyright © 2003 by Hunter Ash. All Rights Reserved.
Email: carrkjar@xxxxxxxxx Feedback welcome!!
Homepage Addy: http://www.hunterash.com/ 

Disclaimers: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon, Fox, 
Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, and God only knows who else. The storyline, 
however, is the sole property of the author. This story cannot be 
sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made 
for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright 
notices.

F/F romance: the story assumes a loving and sexual relationship 
between people of the same gender and may even include 3 at the same 
time <G>. If this offends or is illegal for you, then please leave.  
Come back when you are older, have an open mind, moved, or changed 
your laws. 

Spoilers: up to New Moon Rising, deviates from there. 

Summary: Dracula has Willow and wants Buffy. Can the gang stop him 
before Willow and Buffy are too far gone?

Rating: R (US) 15 (UK) MA (Aus)

Author's Note: Pairings: B/W/T, X/An, G/J 

Author's Note: A Special "Thank You" to Joan the English Chick 
(pisces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) for her transcripts

Buffy vs Dracula Written
by Marti Noxon, directed by David Solomon.

* * *

"Damnit! Where is she?" Buffy shouted as she paced in Giles' living 
room.  

Anya, Giles and Buffy looked up as Tara and Brad entered the condo.  

"Dracula has her," Tara answered the question. "I had a flash from 
Willow shortly after the sun went down."  

"Is she okay?" Buffy demanded, touching her neck. "What about Xander?"

"I don't know," Tara said softly, pulling Buffy into an embrace. The 
blonde witch felt the Slayer finally relaxing in her arms. "She was 
scared and screaming for help."

"God, how could I just let him waltz into my room and bite me?" Buffy 
demanded, beginning to pace again.

"Buffy, we know that he could just walk in the door and you'd 
probably stand there and bare your neck to him," Anya said 
bitterly. "Now my Xander is missing."

"Enough!" Giles snapped. "We're not going to get anything done 
tonight; I suggest we start bright and early tomorrow searching for 
him."

"What about keeping him away from Buffy?" Tara demanded. "He's 
bitten her once and he was able to block Willow's thoughts. He called 
Willow to him before even biting her."

Giles frowned as he thought about it.

"Hey, I'm sitting here!" Buffy protested.  

"Sorry, but I think Tara is correct," Giles said thoughtfully.  

"How about the crypt?" Brad suggested and Giles raised his eyebrows 
in surprise and then smiled.

"You mean Will's crypt? Lock me up at night?" Buffy asked with a 
frown.

"Yes, it's perfect," Tara said slowly. "We can change the combination 
on the lock so Dracula can't force her to open it and we stand guard 
over her."

"This is so not productive!" Buffy complained. "I'm the Slayer, I 
can't slay if I'm locked up at night."

"You can't slay if you're in thrall to Dracula," Giles countered and 
Buffy glared at all of her friends and lover. "Buffy, what are you 
thinking?" Giles asked softly.

"No, don't like the idea," Buffy snapped, getting up to pace 
again. "Can't be locked up."

"Why not?" Giles pressed.

"Waiting, I'm waiting," Buffy growled.

"For what?" Giles demanded and Buffy suddenly looked confused and 
looked around at her friends but stopped when her eyes met Tara's.

"Tara?" Buffy whimpered. Tara jumped up and grabbed Buffy into a 
tight hug. "I'm waiting for him," Buffy admitted in a whisper.

"We'll fight him, Buffy," Tara promised.

"Okay, Brad and I are going to take Buffy to the crypt, the rest of 
you stay here," Giles said. 

"What about my Xander?" Anya demanded. "He is missing too!"

"Well, I don't think Xander is dead, I?I think it's likely that 
Dracula is, well, going to try and use Xander against us," Giles 
hesitated. "Willow said he likes minions, tomorrow night Dracula 
will probably have Xander under his spell too."

"Yes, that makes sense," Anya agreed. "Dracula always wanted several 
humans around him for protection during the daytime. Disgusting 
humans, always eating bugs and rodents and stuff."

"Bugs?" Tara asked in a horrified voice.  

"Yeah, collecting lives, that kind of thing," Anya explained.  

"Renfield," Giles nodded, remembering his Bram Stoker.

"Yes, it was always a rip off though," Anya said calmly. "He always 
promised them eternal life for devoted service."

"How would that be a rip off?" Tara questioned.

"Well, they could never please him so he always found an excuse to 
kill them before turning them into vampires," Anya responded. "See, 
he picks those he can control and he usually picks males, a bit of a 
sexist pig. Dracula doesn't want male vampires close to him so he 
won't turn his servants."

"But he wants female vampires around him?" Giles asked.

"Of course, makes him look good," Anya shrugged.  

"Let's get moving then!" Brad snapped.

"Right, we'll get Buffy safe and start tracking him down in the 
morning," Giles said firmly.

* * *

Willow coughed and tried to refuse the orange juice being offered but 
with her arms tied it was difficult. The witch finally swallowed as 
much as she could without throwing it back up.

She heard soothing voices and a cool cloth wiped her face and 
forehead tenderly.

"Easy, red one," a female voice said softly.

Willow tried to focus and then tried to comprehend that three women 
were sitting on the bed with her, one on each side and one at the 
foot of the bed. Willow, remembering Keanu Reeves in a similar 
position with three female vampires, whimpered and pulled at her 
bindings.

"Shhh, you lost a little bit of blood and it makes the stomach rather 
upset," the first voice said. Willow placed the accent as upper 
class British.

"Yes, drink as much as you can, sister," the vampire on her right 
instructed. "Prince Vlad doesn't wish you to die too soon, so we 
must keep you healthy."

"Why? Why doesn't he just kill me?" Willow demanded.

"You have power," the third answered. "Power he hasn't seen since he 
first crossed. He wants you and the Slayer totally, heart, soul and 
bodies."

"No, I won't!" Willow protested and felt her breathing increasing as 
the women drew closer. "Don't, please," she begged.

"Oh, we won't drink from you, Sister," the first one cooed. "Not 
yet!"

* * *

"Buffy! Giles! Help me!"

"Xander?" Giles called out as Brad kept a hand on Buffy's shoulder.  
They spotted a blood-soaked Xander stumble out from behind a crypt, 
falling to the ground to his hands and knees.

The small group ran forward as he continued to fall forward onto the 
grass.

Giles knelt beside the young man and rolled him over carefully as 
Buffy gasped.

Xander's nose looked broken and both eyes were blackened. The front 
of his shirt was covered with blood and he looked only semi-conscious.

"Xander, what happened?" Giles demanded. "Where's Willow?"

Xander's eyes snapped open and his hand flew upwards, first hitting 
Brad with the pipe concealed along his baggy trouser leg and then 
arching back to hit Giles on the temple. Both men fell without a 
sound.

Buffy stood looking at Xander and the two older adults with a 
confused expression.

"Excellent, Strange One!" a voice said loudly in approval.

Buffy turned but didn't react as Dracula walked out of the shadows.  
The vampire Prince extended his hand and Buffy moved forward to 
accept it. Xander scrambled to his feet and followed the vampire and 
Slayer like a puppy dog.

"Did I do good, Master?" he asked rapidly.

"Yes, very well," Dracula nodded and Xander rubbed his hands together 
gleefully. "Leave us now, go back to the castle and watch over the 
scarlet one."

"Yes, Master!" 

Buffy frowned as Xander ran off, jumping over the graveyard wall 
easily. She turned back to the vampire with a frown.

"You hurt my friends," she said softly.

"They wished to interfere with us," Dracula shrugged. "Come to me," 
he instructed her.

Buffy moved closer to him and pulled her hair aside.

"This isn't?right?why am I doing this?" she asked.

"Darkness cannot resist darkness," Dracula smiled.

"I'm not dark, I'm the Slayer, the good guy," Buffy protested.

"Your power is rooted in darkness, in killing and blood," Dracula 
countered. "You enjoy the hunt, you relish the kill and you fight 
for the blood."

Buffy frowned and looked thoughtful.

"Accept your destiny," Dracula urged, placing his hands on her 
shoulders.

"My destiny is the Slayer," Buffy argued.

"And the destiny of each Slayer is to fall to a vampire, to die," 
Dracula said firmly. "Why wait to fall to someone unworthy? You can 
be the Queen of Vampires at my side, embracing the very blood that 
your fight for now. You go on, getting older, getting slower, 
eventually a pack of vampires surrounds you one night and take you.  
Is that what you want? I can give you immortality without turning 
you into those lesser vampires that you fight."

"You mean without losing my soul?" Buffy was definitely confused.

"What is a soul?" Dracula growled. "No, I am like no other vampire 
you have ever seen before and my gift of immortality is special.  
Come to me and accept it."

Buffy tried to think and fight back.

"Why do you want my consent so badly? You have me and I can't fight 
back, damnit! Why don't you just take it?" 

"I want my gift accepted willingly," Dracula explained with a 
smile. "I can show you what your power truly is, like I am showing 
your mate."

"Willow," Buffy said softly.

"Yes, she is amazing," Dracula admitted. "She will soon totally 
accept the darkness. The magick is very seductive and she has tasted 
the darkness. I am surprised however at your other mate."

"Tara, what about Tara?" Buffy continued to frown.

"She is such one with the light, it is painful," Dracula 
growled. "The fact that the three of you are mated together and it 
works is unusual for humans, especially Slayers. That two who have 
been touched by the dark are so attracted to one with the light, is 
surprising."

"Willow accepted that darkness to save me from a werewolf bite," 
Buffy protested. "It was a good deed thing."

"Yes, but it opened a door to something none of you wished," Dracula 
smirked. "Follow her through that door."

"No, no dark stuff, I'm a good guy," Buffy protested.

"You think you know what you are but you don't," Dracula said 
softly. "You, whose powers are so close to ours, fighting against 
what is to come, what is inevitable. Reject Tara, the lover of light, 
and follow me to your other mate, the one in darkness. Together we 
will be fantastic and will rule the vampires."

"Tara?" Buffy whispered and shook her head. "No, not Tara," she 
muttered. "Won't let go of Tara."

///Buffy?///

///Tara? Help me! He has me!/// Buffy screamed mentally. ///I can't 
fight!///

///Yes you can!/// Tara's voice insisted. ///Find the light in you 
and hold onto it!///

"Enough!" Dracula suddenly shouted, backing handing Buffy several 
yards away. The Slayer tried to sit up and screamed as Dracula 
landed on her, sinking his fangs in her throat.  

Buffy fought but was quickly weakened until she couldn't move.

Her blue eyes looked up at Dracula standing over her.

"You will submit, Slayer," he growled. "Your kind always does."

Buffy tried to struggle but couldn't as he held a bleeding wrist to 
her mouth. Buffy wondered if she was dying.

* * *

Buffy moaned and felt someone placing a cold cloth on her forehead.  

"It's okay, baby," someone said softly.

Buffy tried to smile when she opened her eyes and saw Tara looking at 
her and holding her hand.  

"Hurts," Buffy whispered, touching her throat.

"Apparently it does when he takes it by force," Tara said softly.  

"I'm sorry, Tara, I'm so sorry," Buffy whimpered and broke down as 
Tara wrapped her arms around the Slayer.

"I know, I'm trying to understand," Tara cried along with her lover.  

"He has Willow and is trying to seduce her to dark magick," Buffy 
said when she pulled back after a few minutes of crying.  

"What else, Buffy?" Giles' voice brought the Slayer's head around and 
she saw Giles sitting on a stool near the end of her bed.

Bed, strange bed ? beige blanket, white sheets, tubes, machines = 
hospital. Tubes running from her arms to clear IV bags and one 
containing blood. Buffy turned pale at the sight of it and fought 
back the urge to retch.

"Its okay, Buffy," Tara said again.

"How bad?" she asked.

"He almost drained you enough to kill you," Giles answered. "Xander 
gave me a pretty good headache and he broke Brad's jaw."

"Oh God, Xan," Buffy cried, "He's totally under Dracula's control."

"Figured that after he hit me with a pipe," Giles growled. "What 
happened, Buffy?"

Buffy lowered her head and wouldn't meet their eyes. 

"Xander whacked you two and Dracula came out of the shadows," Buffy 
tried to explain.

"You knew he was there," Giles said, almost accusing.

"Yes, I sensed him but I couldn't say a word," Buffy admitted.  

"Why are the fang marks torn at the edges and why did he just leave 
you?" Giles asked.

"He was mad at me," Buffy said softly.  

"Why?" Tara asked softly, encouraging her lover to talk.

"He wants me to accept him and become a vampire," Buffy 
explained. "Dracula wants me to beg him and not force it. To do 
that I have to reject my bonding with Tara."

"Me? What about me?" Tara asked. "I-I'm not powerful."

"Yes you are," Giles said thoughtfully. "I think I understand.  
Dracula needs Buffy and Willow to accept his darkness for some reason 
and you represent the light in their lives."

"No, I-I'm just me," Tara protested. "They're the ones that are 
powerful, not me."

Buffy smiled slightly. "Honey, you are stronger than you give 
yourself credit for. You're the one that saved Will when she tried 
to kill herself with that silver knife."

Tara frowned, looking at Giles with a confused expression.

"Buffy is the Slayer and Willow is the powerful witch, not me," she 
insisted.

"You are the stabilizing power in their lives," Giles 
countered. "Willow invited darkness into her through magick and 
Buffy deals with darkness every day and night of her life."

"Dracula said my power is rooted in darkness," Buffy commented with a 
frown.

"I don't believe that," Giles shook his head. "You fight against 
evil; I don't believe the powers of the Slayer can come from evil to 
fight evil."

"And where do Slayers end up?" Buffy demanded, raising her head 
abruptly.

"What do you mean?" Giles hedged.

"We either end up dead at a very young age or we become the very 
thing that we spend our lives fighting against," Buffy said 
bitterly. "Ironic, huh?"

"Why does he want them to submit willingly?" Tara asked, trying to 
change the focus back to the original questions.

"I'm not sure unless it's an ego thing," Giles admitted.

"Dracula said that he's not like any other vampire that I've ever met 
and that his gift of immortality is different," Buffy said, 
remembering the conversation. "I wouldn't reject Tara and he threw 
me across the graveyard and attacked me."

"Did you drink his blood?" Giles asked seriously.

"Yes, I think I did," Buffy whispered, dropping her head again as 
Tara wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Shhh, it'll be okay," Tara urged. "You were able to call out to me, 
that's a good sign."

"Yes, you actually fought back and resisted him, Buffy," Giles 
pointed out. "We have got to kill him soon though."

"Soon?" Buffy asked.

"He's bitten you twice and you've drank his blood," Giles said 
wearily, touching the bandage wrapped around his head like a 
headband. "If the legends and stories are true, then he can call you 
to him easily now and he already has Willow."

"She's fighting back," Tara protested. "I can feel it."

"Willow doesn't have the two of you there to help," Giles shook his 
head. "For some reason he needs both of you to submit before he 
turns you?. Maybe it has to do with the amount of self realization 
left to the victim."

"Giles?" Tara asked as he muttered to himself.

"Dracula's brides are described as typical vampires," Giles said, a 
little more eagerly. "Blood thirsty, no soul, no compassion and 
little intelligence or self motivation."

"Like a low level minion in Sunnydale," Buffy added and Giles nodded.

"Exactly, in the book `Dracula,' the brides were almost mindless 
except for their lust for blood and one would assume they were at 
least a few years old as vampires."

"Unless they submit and embrace the darkness, they turn out to be 
morons?" Buffy ventured.

"Well, I'm not sure I'd describe the process in that manner, but 
probably," Giles responded.

"What's the difference between holding someone in a thrall and 
turning them or willingly submitting?" Tara demanded, losing her 
stutter in her anger.

"I'm not sure," Giles grumbled, "this is all theory with little to go 
on. He seems to be holding Willow and Buffy in thrall until they 
agree to what he's offering. Dracula doesn't play fair, I'm not 
saying that. He's willing to kidnap, drain them of blood and energy 
to keep them off balance and enthrall them until they do submit."

"Sorta like holding someone's arm behind their back until they agree 
to what you want," Buffy suggested as a comparison and Tara grinned.

"Yes, exactly," Giles managed to smile. Leave it to his Slayer to 
turn to a violent image for comparison. "If Buffy can continue to 
deny him, we might have a chance."

"How so?" Tara asked.

"Well, it'll give us time to search and find Dracula and then destroy 
him," Giles said calmly. "The longer Buffy holds out, the longer he 
has to keep trying."

"And Will?" Tara demanded and Giles turned his eyes away. 

"Dracula has total access," Buffy said softly as Tara turned to glare 
at her as well. Buffy felt her cheeks flaming with a blush of 
embarrassment. "I can say truthfully that I wouldn't last two days 
and nights with him."

"She is not lost to the darkness!" Tara protested. "Willow is 
strong!"

Neither Giles nor Buffy would agree with her and Tara ran out of the 
room crying.

* * *

Willow screamed as her body arched on the bed of silk and velvet.  
She could feel her fangs ripping at her lips as she fell back, 
totally exhausted.

"Master," Xander's voice reached her through the haze. "That looks 
like fantastic sex but you're not touching her except on the 
forehead? That's a really weird erogenous zone!"

"Silence, rat-boy," Dracula's voice commanded and Willow felt the 
waves building again and whimpered.  

"No please, no more," she begged, opening her black filled eyes as 
Dracula smiled at her.

"Enjoy, Scarlet One," he urged and Willow cried out as the magickal 
energy hit her system again. The only thing better was being loved 
by Buffy or Tara.  

Willow had no idea how long she was riding the waves or how long she 
had been screaming in pleasure that was bordering on intense pain.

"Master?" 

"She still resists accepting the total darkness but it won't be 
long," Dracula said confidently. "Release her bonds and walk her 
around a bit, there is food in the kitchen, make her eat with you. I 
want you both healthy."

"Why don't you turn her, Master?" Xander asked as he hurried to 
unlock Willow's bindings.

"I wish her alive, especially until after I have the Slayer," Dracula 
said calmly. "Once she accepts the darkness then that magickal power 
will be at my command and there is no fiercer protector than a 
werewolf."

"I can protect you, Master!" Xander protested.

"Not like a werewolf," Dracula countered. "Put the laundry out for 
pick up as well."

"Yes, Master," Xander agreed quickly as he lifted Willow into a 
sitting position. Seeing his best friend's eyes totally black was a 
little unnerving, Xander thought. But then again, eating bugs hadn't 
been in his life plans either. Asking Anya to marry him had been the 
plan, not serving Dracula and eating bugs.

The young man frowned as he pulled Willow to her feet; the witch 
seemed barely coherent enough to keep her feet under her.

Xander continued frowning. This wasn't what he wanted for his 
friend. Will was his best friend since pre-school. Never mind that 
Barbie Doll incident, or when he was possessed by the spirit of a 
hyena. Willow was always there for him.

* * *

//Tara?// 

///Willow?/// "Willow?" Tara asked, sitting up from leaning on 
Buffy's shoulder in the hospital. ///Where are you, Will?///

//Don't know?.hurts?.fuzzy?.help me.//

///Will, how can I find you?/// Tara asked as Buffy and Giles watched 
the blonde witch carefully.

//I'm lost?darkness?pleasure.//

///Will, focus!/// Tara screamed mentally. //Send me a line!//

Tara could feel Willow frowning and trying to concentrate. The witch 
sat up quickly, her eyes distant, as if looking at a TV across a 
large room.

"Giles, follow me," she said softly and stood up.

"Tara?" Buffy whispered.

"Willow is screaming for help, she's lost," Tara said softly.

"It could be another trap," Giles complained.

"No, it's not," Tara said firmly and walked out the door.

"Giles!" Buffy yelled.

"I'll take care of her!" he promised as he rushed after the witch.

//Tara, help me!//

///I'm coming, lover!///

//Gotta focus?not let?.him in?Goddess, it hurts inside?//

///Stay with me, Will!///

Giles followed Tara out of the hospital, trying not to let his 
concussion interfere.

It was a maddening hour of trying to find the witch. The psychic 
beacon wasn't direct or strong as they made several wrong turns and 
had to back track many times. Tara was getting frantic as the sun 
sank lower in the sky and Willow began to weaken.

Finally, Tara looked confident and rushed into a downtown alley. She 
stopped at several doors and a loading dock as Giles caught up with 
her. The witch concentrated for a moment and pointed to the loading 
dock.

She rushed up the stairs and moved inside what appeared to be an 
industrial laundry cleaning service. Giles, muttering about being 
killed for trespassing, followed her.

He found Tara tearing through several industrial size laundry bins, 
the kind with wheels for transporting goods back and forth. Giles 
moved closer, watching at the same time for workers or security 
guards.

Tara whimpered and Giles glanced in a basket and saw familiar red 
hair mixed among the dark sheets. The blonde witch turned the basket 
onto its side and Willow tumbled out into her arms.

"Oh my God," Giles muttered as they saw her black filled eyes, barely 
half open.

"Will?" 

The red-haired witch was shaking all over and seemed incoherent.  
Tara frowned, taking in Willow's trembling body and raggedly cut hair.

"Willow?" she asked softly.

"Let's get her out of here!" Giles insisted.

"She's needs an ambulance," Tara urged, showing the ex-Watcher the 
fang marks on Willow's neck.

"No, they can't help," Giles shook his head and grabbed Willow's feet.

"What's wrong with her?" Tara demanded.

"Her eyes, oh God. I don't know how but Dracula has been feeding her 
pure magickal energy," Giles muttered as they carried Willow onto the 
loading dock. "Wait here, we'll put her on my shoulder."

The Englishman moved down the short flight of stairs and stood in 
front of Willow and Tara. The blonde witch gently helped him place 
the non-coherent red-head over his shoulders in a fireman's carry.

"What do you mean?" Tara demanded as they began to walk towards 
Giles' car.

"Some magickal energy, if it isn't used and grounded properly it 
feels like a drug in the system," Giles explained. "You've felt some 
of that. When you feel like you can take on the world after a good 
ritual working."

"Yes," Tara nodded in agreement.

"This is worse, Dracula was sending the energy through Willow and 
back and through," Giles tried to explain. "It's like the two of you 
were on the same level as marijuana and she moved onto cocaine after 
doing that werewolf spell. Now Dracula has been feeding her the 
magickal equivalent of pure heroin."

"Are you saying she's a magick junkie?"

"It's quite possible," Giles panted. "It is possible to become 
addicted to almost anything within the first few tries. Right now 
she's hitting withdrawals."

"But he only had her for a night and a day!" Tara protested.

"Doesn't take much," Giles grumbled. "Given the fact she escaped and 
called for you is a good sign, which means she didn't give in 
totally."

"Oh Goddess, Willow!" Tara whispered as she opened Giles' door.

* * *

Buffy's blue eyes flashed brilliantly when she walked slowly into 
Willow's bedroom and found her tied to the bed by her wrists. The 
Slayer spun on Giles, her face enraged.

"What?" she demanded.

"Buffy, she's detoxing off some major magickal energy and is under 
Dracula's control," he tried to explain. "We can't take the chance."

"Are you going to tie me down to my bed tonight or do Willow and I 
get the share the same bed and the same ropes?" she demanded, 
shouting.

"Enough!" Giles snapped. "I'm supposed to figure out how to protect 
all of you and I've failed!"

The Englishman's anger faded quickly and he sank into a chair as 
Willow thrashed and whimpered on the bed, sweat covering her body.

"He anticipated everything, Buffy," Giles said softly, trying not to 
let the tears filling his eyes escape. "He took Xander before we 
even thought of protecting ourselves. He got to you and Willow the 
very first night. Dracula used Xander to find out where we would take 
you and he was waiting for us. The only thing he didn't plan on was 
Willow escaping, I think."

"Has she said anything?" Buffy asked, sitting down on the edge of the 
bed and stroking Willow's now shaggy red hair.

"No, just cries and whimpers," Giles muttered.

"Tara is downstairs fixing everyone breakfast," Buffy said, crying as 
she watched Willow struggling. The witch whimpered and pulled at her 
bindings and Buffy's whimper matched Willow's when the witch opened 
her eyes. There still wasn't anything but black showing.

"Oh God," Giles muttered.

"I'll be right back!" Buffy muttered and scampered out the door and 
down the stairs.  

Tara looked up with a surprised expression as Buffy skidded to a stop 
in the kitchen.  

"Buffy! What is it? Willow?" 

"No, she's okay, I mean, she's the same," Buffy stammered. "Still 
miserable and out of it."

"What is it?"

"I got an idea," Buffy said. "Giles says you're the light in this 
mess. Can you lend me strength when I face Dracula again?"

"You mean like the Original Slayer spell?" Tara asked as she flipped 
pancakes.

"Yeah but without the spell thing, I mean just us," Buffy 
stammered. "I mean channeling light stuff to me?"

Tara seemed to think for a moment.  

"Yes, I think so," Tara said slowly, absently working on 
breakfast. "When?"

"Tonight, I think," Buffy mumbled and gave Tara a quick kiss and 
dashed back up the stairs. She skidded into Willow's room. "Giles, 
what would happen if you untied Willow?"

"I'm not sure," Giles said thoughtfully. "I seriously think she 
might try and get back to Dracula right now. Willow managed to call 
for help?but, she?she's hurting so bad."

"Could she make it back to him before dark?" Buffy asked, turning to 
look at her lover.

"I don't know, I'm not sure she can make two blocks in that 
condition," Giles muttered. "She's so weak."

Buffy frowned as she sat down and stroked Willow's hair.

"Wonder why he cut it shorter?" she muttered.

"Maybe easier to care for while she was out of it," Giles suggested.

"What about how Tara found her?" Buffy asked, feeling Tara walk in 
the room.

"What are you thinking, Buff?" Tara asked, going around to the other 
side of the bed as Willow thrashed.

"We put her in the car, she should have some kind of a reaction if 
we're in the right area," Buffy suggested.  

Giles' eyes brightened. "Yes," he said slowly. "We have a good idea 
where Dracula might take up residence."

"Will she react if we do it now? We could find him before dark," 
Buffy suggested eagerly.

"And you'll both end up in his hands!" Giles protested. "Brad is in 
the hospital with a broken jaw; Xander is already Dracula's; Anya 
will be useless against Xander; Willow is worse than a junkie; and 
all Dracula has to do is snap his fingers at you!"

"I think I can help protect Buffy, channeling light to counter his 
darkness," Tara said softly as Willow whimpered and twisted, her 
muscles contorting. "And Brad is on his way over, he's being 
released. His jaw is wired and he's upset."

Giles became thoughtful.

"Only Anya, Brad and I will be able to fight," he said slowly. "Tara 
will be busy trying to keep you balanced and we can't count on you 
being able to resist him."

"I know that but we have to try or we lose Will," Buffy reasoned, 
stroking Willow's cheek. "All he has to do is mentally tell us to 
invite him in tonight or tomorrow night."

"Or he'll pick t-the rest of us off one by one," Tara added, "l-
leaving Buffy alone."

"Alright, let's have breakfast," Giles said firmly. "I want everyone 
in the best shape we can."

"I'm not hungry," Buffy muttered, watching Willow's face contort with 
pain.

"You'll eat," Giles said flatly. "We're not going to let you slowly 
fade away to his vampiric bite either."

* * *

Giles was uncomfortable with the situation but couldn't see any other 
options. The only other plan was to look for Dracula in the daytime 
and lose Willow and Buffy by night.  

The ex-Watcher glanced over the seat at Willow in Tara's arms. The 
red-haired witch still was incoherent and her suffering was getting 
worse. They had tied her hands together to keep her from tearing at 
her own skin and it broke his heart to see her thrashing against the 
seat.

Both Buffy and Tara had tears streaming down their cheeks.

"Drive, Giles," Buffy said softly.  

Buffy had no idea how they got through the rest of the day. It was 
an agonizingly slow process, even worse than when Tara had been 
looking for Willow. One by one they eliminated potential houses and 
areas until the possibilities were narrowed down.  

Willow had gone into convulsions when they had reached the southern 
part of town and her muscle twitching had eased up when they started 
back north.

Everyone was at the end of their frazzled nerves. Buffy and Tara 
weren't sure how much more they could take and Giles was ready to 
scream or drive the car at full speed into a brick wall and get it 
over with.

"Buffy, we need to get back," he finally said. "It's almost sundown, 
Dracula will know where we are before we know where he is."

"He's not awake yet, I can tell," Buffy said absently. "He fed last 
night and slept heavy."

"Any other time and I'd want to know how you know that," he 
muttered. "I'm too tired and I'm turning the car around."

Giles glanced in the rearview mirror and was reassured to see Brad's 
car with Brad and Anya still following them.

"Willow?" Tara's voice stopped the ex-Watcher and Giles pulled over 
to the curb so he could turn and look at the witches.

Willow's eyes appeared to be more focused and she was attempting to 
sit up without much success in her weakened condition.

Buffy looked around and tugged on Giles' sleeve.  

"You know, I've lived in Sunnydale for awhile now," she said, 
pointing up a slight hill. "You know, I've never seen a castle in 
Sunnydale before."

"A castle?" Giles muttered and opened his car door and looked over 
the roof at the reality of a castle in Sunnydale. "Well, yes, that 
is a castle, isn't it? Looks like something out of Rocky Horror."

"Rocky Horror?" Buffy questioned. "You, Giles? You know Rocky 
Horror?"

"I was young once and that was my era, young lady," Giles growled.

"I can't see you in fishnet stockings!" Buffy mumbled, shaking her 
head. "Nope, scary visual place. I am so not seeing that in my 
head!" 

"Buffy!" Tara's voice brought the Slayer back to the inside of the 
car.

Willow was staring at the castle and clawing at the door handle.  

Giles pulled out a large pocketknife and cut the leather holding her 
wrists together. Willow whimpered as Buffy opened the door from the 
outside and the red-haired witch fell to the sidewalk.

"Shouldn't we lock her up in the car, like with handcuffs from Brad?" 
Buffy demanded.

"Yes, we should," Giles agreed. "Buffy, I need you to trust me and I 
need to trust you, can you face him?"

Buffy started to respond immediately and then hesitated. "The sun is 
going down, he's beginning to stir."

"Can you face him and hold him off from turning you?" Giles pressed.

"Yes," Buffy answered firmly.

"I want you and Willow to go up there," Giles said slowly. As the ex-
Watcher had expected, Tara was out of the car in a flash and holding 
the shaking Willow in her arms and glaring at Giles.  

"No!" she shouted. "You're not risking both of them!" 

Brad and Anya trotted up from Brad's car and stood back, watching the 
interaction between the lovers and their mentor.

"They'll be the distraction, Dracula knows Willow is missing and 
having both of them show up will surprise him," Giles 
reasoned. "He'll have to get Willow stable and then he'll turn his 
attention to Buffy, giving us time to get in, find them and kill him."

Brad grunted and nodded his agreement to the plan as Buffy and Tara 
glared. Tara finally lowered her head and looked at Willow. After 
expending her energy getting out of the car, Willow was as weak as a 
newborn kitten, one hand clawing at the sidewalk to get to the castle.

"Buffy, do it," Tara said finally. "I'll be with you; I'll try and 
stay connected."

Buffy frowned but knelt beside the two witches. She gently stroked 
Tara's cheek and kissed the blonde witch. "I love you," she said 
softly and picked Willow up in her arms.  

Giles held out a hand to Tara and helped her to her feet. They 
watched with sinking hearts as the Slayer and lover walked towards 
Dracula's lair and into hell.

Giles turned and went to the trunk of the car, ignoring the fading 
sight of Buffy and Willow. He threw a blanket aside and handed Brad 
a box of bullets. The police raised his eyebrows in question, 
drawing his own gun and spare clips.

"Silver tipped bullets," Giles explained. "Dracula might have more 
werewolves other than Willow."

Brad nodded and emptied two of his ammo clips and replaced the 
bullets.  

Giles handed Anya a crossbow and a quiver of wooden arrows with 
silver tips. Bottles of holy water and gold crosses came next. Tara 
received a pistol with silver bullets and a stake. Giles took an axe 
coated in silver, three stakes and a cross.

"Lets' do it," Anya said firmly. "I want my Xander back!"

Brad motioned with his hands, first together and then moving apart 
and around in a circle.

"Split up in teams?" Giles translated and Brad nodded. He pointed at 
Anya and himself and motioned to the left of the castle and then at 
Tara and Giles and motioned them towards the right.

"Yes, I agree," Giles agreed.  

* * *

A vampire in full game face opened the door but failed to get a 
reaction out of Buffy except for the Slayer to shove past him into 
the foyer. She quickly put Willow down on a sofa and turned to the 
main hall.

"Dracula!" she shouted. "Come out, damnit!"

A door opened and Buffy was surprised to see Xander rush out towards 
her. She cautiously held up her hands in a semi defensive position 
as she took in Xander's condition.

The young man had recently been beaten. His clothes, the same he had 
been in for days, were filthy with grime and blood and his hair was 
unkempt and matted to his head. He was holding his left arm close to 
his body and moving as if he were hurting from his ribs to his legs.

"Buffy?" he asked softly as the vampire leaned against the front 
door, smirking at them. "You brought her back? Why?"

"You helped get her out, didn't you?" it suddenly became clear to 
Buffy why Xander was surprised to see Willow and why he looked a mess.

"I?why did you bring her back?"

"She's too far gone, Xander," Buffy tried to make it sound 
reasonable. "She'll die without him now."

Xander frowned and squeaked, moving behind Buffy as they both turned 
to the stairs.

"Go back to your corner, Xander," Dracula ordered. "I'm not done 
punishing you."

"Please, Master," Xander begged. "She's back, they're both here! 
Don't hurt me again! Please!"

Buffy fought any emotions down from her face and tried to keep her 
mind blank.

Dracula waved Xander aside as the young man cringed and moved away, 
staying out of Dracula's reach, disappearing into the shadows. The 
vampire Prince approached the women slowly, his blue eyes drilling 
into Buffy's.

He stood over the Slayer for a moment and seemed satisfied when he 
reached out she moved her head to one side, baring her neck for him.  
Dracula glanced down at the twitching and moaning Willow.

"Help her, please," Buffy begged.

"You came to me," Dracula said, ignoring her plea. "I did not call."

"Willow is hurting! Please help her!" Buffy begged, letting those 
emotions come through in full force.

"You are willing to join us then? Her pain will stop and she will be 
one of the most powerful humans on earth," he said easily.

Buffy's face was pained with conflicting emotions and tears fell as 
she looked at her lover.  

"Yes, just help her," Buffy said.

Dracula smiled and motioned to the other vampire who was at his 
master's feet in a moment.

"Take her to the library," Dracula ordered.

"Yes, Master," the vampire said quickly and gathered Willow up in his 
arms.

Buffy started to follow but Dracula grabbed her and stopped the 
Slayer.

"First you take care of her and then we deal," Buffy said firmly.

Dracula surprised Buffy by laughing and releasing her. "I'm glad you 
haven't lost that fire, Slayer."  

"Willow!" she snapped.

"Yes, come," he agreed and they followed the vampire into a large 
room.

Buffy had been expecting a medium sized room with a desk and maybe a 
couple of easy chairs surrounded by shelves of books. What she 
didn't expect was a room the size of a small school library with 
shelves and rows of books. There were three desks, five easy chairs 
and two tables with wooden chairs surrounding them.

Willow was lying on the one sofa in the room.  

Buffy and Dracula approached the witch slowly and Buffy tried to keep 
her heart from pounding out of her chest when Willow opened her 
eyes. Again they were totally black, with no color or white. The 
witch looked straight through Buffy but saw Dracula and tried to sit 
up.

When she was unable to sit up she rolled off the sofa. Buffy 
whimpered but Dracula held out an arm, stopping the Slayer from 
approaching her lover. Willow turned over and got to her hands and 
knees slowly. Buffy hissed in anger as her mate began to slowly 
crawl across the floor towards Dracula.

"Damn you!" she growled.

"Quiet! She has to want this," Dracula growled back.  

Willow reached Dracula's boots and tried to claw up his legs.

"Please, help me!" she begged, tears streaming down her face.

"You accept the power, all of it?" he asked softly.

"Yes!" Willow hissed in answer. "Please!"

"You reject your lover, Tara, and your connection to her?" Dracula 
asked softly.

"Tara?" Willow whispered, frowning and hesitating.

Buffy saw that Dracula was actually surprised at her hesitation and 
getting angry.

"Reject her!" he ordered. "Reject her and you will feel what you 
felt before, incredible power that makes sex seem pale. Claim the 
darkness in you!"

"Tara?" Willow whispered again and Buffy struggled to keep her 
emotions hidden behind walls in her mind and soul. Willow looked 
puzzled and glanced at Buffy.

"You want this?" Dracula asked, waving a hand in front of Willow's 
face and Buffy gasped at the energy shooting from his hand into her 
lover. Willow's head and arms snapped back and out. It looked like 
she was being shocked.

It was over in a flash and Willow collapsed to the floor, shaking.

"Oh Goddess, please! Don't stop!" she begged, reaching for the 
vampire again.

"You're a witch vampire?" Buffy whispered.

"I was a sorcerer before I turned myself into a vampire by sheer will 
alone," Dracula bragged. "The vampires you deal with were turned by 
another and lost their souls when turned. I had no soul left to lose 
when I was wounded and dying. I simply refused to die and became 
this."

"Please!" Willow begged.

"Tara!" Dracula hissed, kneeling down on one knee in front of 
her. "Sever the connection!"

Willow screamed and curled up in a fetal position, sobbing. "No, 
never!"

"Fine!" Dracula growled as he stood up. "Another night and day and 
you'll accept."

"Why do you need our submission so badly?" Buffy demanded as Dracula 
turned to her. "You could just keep hitting her with that magick 
drug thing until she's totally mindless and you could have turned me 
several times."

"I need your consent for the magick to work properly," Dracula 
shrugged, turning his back on the witch. Buffy struggled slightly as 
he wrapped an arm over her shoulders and started guiding her towards 
the door.

"Willow? We had a deal," Buffy growled.

"Don't worry, my people will make sure she lives," Dracula said 
easily. "She'll accept us tomorrow night."

"Us?" Buffy asked softly, fear and excitement gripping her heart.

"Yes, tonight you are mine, Slayer," Dracula nodded, smiling at her 
confused face. "She'll accept your fangs tomorrow night along with 
the darkness. We'll keep her alive for a few years; she has much 
power to mature into. Then you will take her as your mate, forever."

"Forever, with Will?"

"Yes, I am not a fool, Slayer," Dracula laughed as he opened the 
door. "I know you feel nothing for me. We will make good companions 
for eternity. Most royal marriages are arranges as such. I even 
married a King's daughter and changed my religion to regain political 
power."

"Will?" Buffy called softly, suddenly very confused and not trying to 
hide it.  

Dracula led her to a large dining room.

"With your consent your soul blends with the demon your vampires talk 
about," Dracula explained. "Your personality remains the same but 
you lose some of that human guilt that has held civilization back for 
centuries. Oh, man has progressed beyond belief over the last few 
centuries but he has lost something that you and I understand all too 
well."

"What?"

"The killer instinct," Dracula smiled, pouring two goblets of wine 
and handing one to Buffy. "The need to hunt and the thrill of the 
kill."

"Children of the night comment coming at this point?" Buffy quipped.  

Dracula laughed. "Yes, if there were wolves in Sunnydale.  
Werewolves don't howl a lot."

Buffy frowned, realizing she was losing her will to fight.

"What about Tara?" Buffy questioned, trying to remain focused.

"She will fight us for the Scarlet one and for your soul, she will 
die," Dracula said casually and merely smiled as Buffy frowned. "She 
will die, Slayer!" he said firmly. "At your fangs, your Tara will 
die."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++