In Thrall by Frau Hunter Ash

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

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

Summary: Adam has been defeated and the gang are recovering. In this one Willow uses her magick to help things along with major consequences for two couples and there's a 'guest' appearance here.

Giles found Tara working over Willow's laptop the next morning as he entered the kitchen for morning tea.

"Yeah," Tara answered with a frown. "Willow, I-I kinda expected her to sleep late but I-I found Buffy in her bed last night?"

"We-we went to bed t-together," Tara tried to explain. "When I woke up, Buffy wasn't t-there. I found her alone in her room."

"Sometimes she does t-that," Tara said slowly. "When she's restless and c-can't sleep but I t-thought she was sleeping fine last n-night."

"We didn't go to bed until the middle of the night," Tara grumbled and Giles had to smile.

"Yes, a lot on both the r-real Dracula and the v-vampire," she answered with a smile.

"Good," Giles smiled, he always felt better when they had research and information when facing an enemy. "Let's get everyone awake and over here and plan our next move."

Within an hour everyone was awake, taking turns in the shower and having breakfast. Buffy had appeared puzzled being in her bed when Tara woke her up but accepted the explanation she was probably restless and tired.

Willow was grumpy and hard to wake up and took up Tara's attention as the blonde witch worked at getting her lover coherent and upright. Tara didn't notice Buffy feeling her neck with a frown.

Tara watched Willow carefully and was ready when the hacker witch's eyes widened with memory. Tara quickly sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around Willow's shoulders.

"Everything I think," Willow said softly. "Outside, confusion, Dracula, fighting back and getting bit. The rest is a blur."

"Not bad," Tara grinned at the short description. "You went into a trance to answer Giles' questions about the attack and fell asleep."

"Where's Buffy?" Willow looked around, confused. She was certain the Slayer would have wanted to be there when Willow woke up after a vampire attack, especially an attack from Dracula, Prince of Darkness.

"In the shower," Tara answered softly. "She didn't sleep well after you were attacked."

"Let's g-get some f-food and orange juice in you, you d-did lose a little b-blood last night," Tara suggested.

Buffy came down shortly to join them for breakfast and for Tara to head for the shower, the Slayer wearing a turtleneck sweater and jeans.

Another hour and everyone was gathered in the living room, including Detective Brad Santiago, another member of the Scooby Gang.

Willow curled up on the sofa with Buffy between her legs on the floor and Tara sitting on the back of the sofa behind her. She blushed a bright red as Giles and Buffy described the attack on the witch the night before to Xander, Anya and Brad.

"Well," Willow said, trying to shake off the feeling everyone was looking at her and possibly judging her for getting bitten by the Prince of Vampires. Carson especially seemed to be watching her closely. "I think we have Dracula factoids."

"Like anything would be enough to fight the Dark Master," Xander mumbled and Anya looked at him strangely.

"A lot of it we already knew from Sunnydale Living 101. Major turnoffs: wood, fire, crosses, garlic. Turn ons: cool clothes, minions…. Uh, long slow bites that last for days…."

"Yeah, well, that bastard hasn't done much for us, has he?" a voice demanded from the doorway and they all turned to find Spike watching them. "Goddamn glory hound's done more harm than any Slayer. Gets himself in a book and suddenly everyone knows our weaknesses."

"Older than your sire," Carson said easily and Spike shifted in his seat, suddenly looking uncomfortable.

"You two quite done?" Giles demanded, silencing both vampires. "Spike, what do you know about Dracula?"

"What about his special powers?" Brad asked, taking notes. Ever since becoming involved in the affairs of the Slayer, the detective had done a lot of research on his own.

"Okay, okay," Spike griped. "He had something special from the start if the rumors are true. He was a bastard in real life, you know that, right?"

"Vlad Tepes, Vlad the Impaler," Willow nodded. "Known for his brutality and his ability to inspire fear throughout several countries. One of the few Slavs who could actually turn the Turks back. He's considered a hero in Romania to this day."

"Right, an entire forest of stakes planted in the ground and at least one or two bodies on each stake," Spike described. "He either was so bloody evil before he was turned, or his demon was so powerful, it gave him special stuff."

"Besides the fact your girlfriend has fang marks in her neck and I can sense him all over her?" Spike taunted. "Thought you didn't go for the boys anymore."

Tara tightened her arms around Willow as the witch looked away, ashamed and Buffy growled.

"And what about you, Slayer?" Spike demanded. "He loves Slayers, has he moved on you already?"

"Enough!" Giles shouted. "Now, Spike, what can you tell us that would be helpful or should I pour those five bags of blood in the refrigerator out?"

"No! Uh, well you're not going to catch him napping in a crypt. Dracula has to have his luxury estate, bug eaters, protectors, brides and special dirt, don't he?"

"No, you should go home to your wife and kids and the Slayer should get out of town," Spike said seriously. "Willow's been bit and you're all over your heads with this one."

"You're welcome to leave, Spike," Buffy growled. "Why did you come back, anyway?"

Spike snarled, flashing his fangs. "Like I care about any of you, I just like the free blood."

"Only that as a human he was a monster, as a vampire he was a nightmare even for us," Carson confirmed. "Those titles of King of Vampires, Prince of Darkness and all of that were earned."

"He makes a Master Vampire look like a Sunday school teacher," Carson advised. "Useful stuff, he likes to live in style. Which means you can rule out the usual dumps vampires haunt."

"Will you stand with us?" Willow asked softly and Carson shook his head, looking away from her eyes.

"I won't be able to reach any vampires while he's in town, they'll be at his beck and call," Carson said slowly. "I…I don't know if I could stand against his call. I'm leaving town for a while, probably to LA. I won't be of any use to you and could be used against you."

Willow got up and knelt down in front of the vampire. She took both his hands in hers as he looked up, an expression of misery on his face.

"Well, Dracula's smart enough to figure that we probably know his habits and he's lying low," Xander suggested.

Willow returned to the sofa and climbed over Buffy, back to her original position. "Actually, my research backs Carson and Spike up; he's not the lay-low type of guy."

"Well, his modus operandi is different from other vampires. He will kill to feed but he'd rather have a connection with his victims. Those damned mental powers to draw them in."

"He…we know he can control minds, appear in dreams, or make you think it's a dream when it's really real life," Willow rambled with a frown. "And that stare. He just kinda…looked right through you. Did you feel it, Buffy?"

"See," Xander said eagerly. "Buffy didn't feel it. I think you're drawing a lot of crazy conclusions about the Unholy Prince."

"Well," Giles said slowly, chewing on an earpiece of his glasses. "The point is, though he goes through the motions of an intimate seduction, the end result is the same. He turns his selected victims into vampires."

"Wow, that is intimate," Xander said in a quick voice. "Dracula's gifting these ladies with his own blood, and blood is the life."

Xander noticed the strange looks everyone seemed to be giving him and shrugged. "Well, according to vampires!" he corrected.

When everyone turned back to Giles for answers, Xander's hand shot out onto Buffy's bookshelves, grabbing a spider and stuffing it in his mouth.

"Well, we must be aware that he, well, he tends to form a relationship with his prey. It's not enough for Dracula to take them; she has to want to be taken. The victim must…burn for him."

"Yes, pet," Spike nodded. "Unlike the rest of us, he doesn't just grab someone, drain them and decide whether to turn them or not. He picks his 'brides' carefully and he adores Slayers. You also seemed to have gotten his attention and gotten him all randy for you."

Carson and Spike were on their feet in a flash and Willow shot out her hands. Both vampires snarled and struggled but found they couldn't move.

Giles almost fell out of his chair as he took in the sight of Willow's black eyes and the energy dancing from her hands.

The vampires found they could back up but not move forward. They reluctantly sat back down and Willow dropped her hands and collapsed back into Tara's arms.

"That burst of magickal energy just drained her," Giles explained. "She shouldn't have done that after losing that blood last night."

"I'm okay, just weak," Willow whispered and struggled to sit up. "Stop it, both of you. Carson cares for me but understands I am Buffy and Tara's, no questions. Spike, on the other hand, has it bad for Buffy but won't admit it. Now, both of you leave it alone. Dracula said he wanted me and Buffy," Willow admitted. "Because she's the Slayer and because I've dealt with dark magick. He's not getting me and he's not getting Buffy."

"Not if all three of us stick together," Tara said firmly. "Our love and light conquers any darkness each of us has."

"I don't think you should go by yourself, Dracula is a serious threat," Giles protested.

"Don't worry, it's daytime and I'll be fine," she said as she opened the door. Spike yelled in surprise and dived out of his chair as sunlight hit it.

Tara somehow extracted herself from around Willow and dashed out the door behind Buffy, catching her lover at the bottom of the stairs.

"Something's off," Tara frowned as well. "Part of you is shielded. You fell under Dracula's thrall!"

"This is ridiculous," Buffy snapped and tried to pull out of Tara's grip but the witch muttered something in Latin and Buffy couldn't move her hand. "What? Let go of me!"

Tara could hear and feel the others coming out of the house, watching them closely. The blonde witch could feel Willow's confusion, fear and growing suspicions most of all.

Tara, saying a quick prayer to several Goddesses, ripped at Buffy's turtleneck, tearing the neck away, revealing fang marks to everyone.

Buffy looked as if she had been punched and left dazed. She sat down slowly on the stairs and put her head in her hands, beginning to cry.

"She didn't want to worry us," Xander suggested quickly. "Just scratches, right, Buffster?"

"Right, two deep, puncture type scratches that look just like mine," Willow said bitterly.

Buffy sought out Tara and Willow's eyes. "I'm not sure why I tried to hide it. It…uh…there was just this voice, telling me to cover it."

"You're saying that Dracula has some sort of freaky mind control over her?" Xander demanded. "No other vampire can do that and she's even faced a Master. You're watching too many Creature Features, man."

"But," Buffy said slowly. "It does seem like he has this…control over me, I…even though a major part of me is resisting."

Xander, unseen by anyone else, saw a fly on a nearby hanging plant and grabbed it. It followed the spider into his mouth and down his throat.

"I swear to you both that I am yours! I am your girl and I'm going to stay that way!" Buffy said firmly and almost desperately.

"It's just not easy," she said softly, tears flowing down her cheeks. "Both my loves bitten by the same vampire. Neither of you are getting near him again!"

"Tara is right," Giles nodded. "You should, you should both stay out of sight. The rest of us will look for Dracula."

"You can stay with us," Xander volunteered. "I'll make sure they stay put and protect them."

"I'm going back to my place and grab my stuff," Carson said softly as they walked back into the Summers' house where Spike and Carson waited. "I'm outta here at dusk."

"Think I might go with you, mate," Spike said and shrugged at the surprised look on everyone's face. "With this damned chip in my head, Dracula will just brush me aside. Bad for the reputation, right?"

"Or he'd kill you for being against the natural order of vampires?" Carson suggested and Spike's eyes flashed.

"Alright, let's plan," Anya suggested and everyone gathered around the family table.

"Tara, you do a protection spell on the house to prevent him getting back in," Giles instructed and Tara nodded.

"Well," Giles hesitated and glanced at Willow. He removed his glasses and began cleaning them.

"Mind control," Brad reminded them from his notes. "You said he can make real life seem like it was a dream. Maybe he told you not to remember, like he told Buffy to hide her bite."

Willow was horrified and it showed. "I don't remember? What don't I remember? This is so not cool!"

"Will!" Tara said sharply. "We'll handle it! We…we'll keep you both safe until w-we track him down in the d-daylight and kill him."

"Buffy and Willow will go to Xander's," Giles continued. "Before you go, Willow, can you research on the web what parts of town he might take up residence in? We can mark the most likely places on the map."

"I can do that," Willow said, her eyebrow furrowed in 'resolve' face. "I can be useful."

"Brad, Tara, Anya and I will look for Dracula," Giles continued. "Joyce will drive Carson and Spike out of town shortly, in the trunk. I don't want him getting his hands on them at dusk."

"I am not leaving town, Rupert!" Joyce protested. "Not with everyone in danger! My daughter and Willow were bitten by Dracula!"

Giles nodded and walked up to his fiancé. "I know, but they'll be safe with Xander. A vampire can't enter a place unless invited and Dracula is very, well, he doesn't bite males often."

He noticed the glare he was suddenly getting from his best friend, the Slayer and their other girlfriend. "Uh, not that there's anything wrong with it!" he tried to backtrack. "Especially women! Women together is so cool! Just not me! Not that some guys aren't kinda cute, not that I would notice, of course."

"Its okay, Mom," Buffy said softly. "I'd feel better if you were out of town. I don't know if I can handle him."

"We'll handle him," Tara said firmly, and leaned between Buffy and Willow, wrapping her arms around their shoulders. Both Slayer and Witch leaned into her.

Willow shuffled her feet as Joyce backed the family car as close to the house as she could get. The station wagon was loaded with thick blankets and the back windows had been blackened out with black trash bags. Brad thought it was subtle enough that Joyce might not get pulled over for the dark windows as long as the back window and windshield was clear.

"No," the former Father Karnstein shook his head. "The others won't admit it and the thrall won't let you see it, but you are Dracula's already, Scarlet."

"No," Willow whimpered, quickly glancing around to see if the others were listening but everyone was moving around. They were either packing Carson's things they had retrieved from his crypt, or Spike's stuff in the car, or hovering over maps of the city.

"Ja," Carson insisted. "Dracula can call me to him with that magick of his and I would rather die than hurt you and the others."

"I fought back last night!" Willow hissed, trying to keep her voice down. "I know I did!"

"Yes, and that makes you even more intriguing to him," Carson said ruefully. "Willow, my friend, Dracula is going to grab you again, use that magick of his and bring out that dark side we've been fighting against. He will do exactly what An... that other vampire did to my Siobhan and I can't go through that again."

"You won't have a choice, Scarlet," Carson said softly, pulling her into his arms and holding her. "He's too powerful, even for a Slayer and two witches."

"You knew that would come when you called that spell. You may not believe that a vampire can pray," Carson said softly. "But I will be praying for you and the others."

Willow, knowing that was as far as he could go to get away from the conversation without actually stepping into the sun, dashed up the stairs to her room.

Tara and Giles watched Willow run up the stairs, Carson dash into the kitchen and Buffy sitting in the shadows, frowning and both were worried more than they were saying aloud.

With Joyce, Carson and Spike gone, the remainder of the gang sat down in the living room for a moment.

Giles, watching from the kitchen doorway, noticed Buffy and Willow sitting in separate chairs, both looking miserable. He looked over and saw Tara watching her two lovers closely, the worry apparent on her face.

Brad and Anya were looking over the city maps and circling potential Dracula sites and Xander paced restlessly.

"Okay, I've never seen those two looking so miserable," he commented. "Not even when Buffy was bitten by Oz. What's going on inside with them?"

"I don't know," Tara admitted. "Their shields are up and they won't let me in or each other."

"We've never entered a fight this fragmented and shaky," the ex-Watcher muttered, sipping his tea.

"I…I'm not sure, truthfully," Giles admitted. "The three of you are becoming so powerful that it's frightening and we've formed a fantastic team. But look at it, two sides of your triangle have been bitten and are possibly under control of the most powerful vampire we've ever seen."

"I-I think they are under his t-total control, even if they d-don't realize it," Tara agreed.

"What I g-get from t-their thoughts and emotions are s-so jumbled," Tara tried to explain. "Willow is f-feeling hopeless and Buffy isn't thinking, she's in a daze."

"Let's get started," he said finally, setting his half finished cup of tea down. The ex-Watcher hated having sent Joyce out of town but felt a lot better knowing she was out of reach from Dracula and the fight. "Xander, why don't you walk Willow to your place and then Buffy?"

"He's afraid we'll run off and Xander won't be able to stop both of us," Willow said bitterly.

Giles looked defensive. "Actually, that's correct. I have to figure out how to protect all of you with Dracula already having his fangs in two of you."

Buffy's eyes flashed angrily, finally showing some sign of life and coherent thought.

Buffy frowned, watching Willow stand up and grab a backpack of her things. "Will?"

"I…I can't," Willow whined, her eyes filling with tears again. "Come to Xander's tonight after searching, we'll try."

"Let's go and find the Dark Prince," Anya said enthusiastically to Brad. The detective shook his head.

Willow was tired. The mental stress and the blood loss from the night before was getting to her and she basically ignored Xander's ramblings as they got close to the apartment he shared with Anya.

The witch was also worried; she truly couldn't remember inviting Dracula in. If she couldn't remember that, what else wasn't she remembering?

"Master wants you," Xander muttered, dragging her into an alley where a car was waiting.

Buffy began pacing after an hour and Giles was looking at his watch every two minutes.

"Anya, please call your place and confirm that they got there," Giles requested and Anya quickly dialed the phone.

"No answer!" she snapped. "If he's out partying with some other female, I will rip his testicles off!"

"Anya!" Giles snapped and Buffy grabbed up her bag of Slaying items. "Where are you going?"

"Something's wrong, Willow and Xan are missing," Buffy snapped back. "Where do you think I'm going?"

"Do you even have a clue?" Brad demanded. "I'll drive Tara over there and we'll see if they even got there. If they didn't, then we'll back-track and see if we can find out anything on the street."

"Okay," Buffy agreed reluctantly. She was an action type person, she wanted to be doing something but the Slayer also knew she wasn't thinking clearly.

"But would they be able to stop Willow's mental calls?" Buffy asked and Giles frowned.

Willow moaned and wiggled her jaw. "I am so tired of being hit, kidnapped and…and…"

Willow frowned as she looked at the fur-lined leather cuffs around each wrist. A padlock connected each cuff to a length of chain and the chains led to metal rings embedded in the stone walls.

Stone walls? Willow thought she had been transported through time or space and was in some medieval castle. The bed was large with a canopy of dark burgundy velvet. The coverlet on the bed matched the canopy and Willow was pretty certain the sheets she was between were silk. Black silk. Willow looked down and discovered she was in a dark green silk nightgown.

The witch pulled, tugged and struggled against the leather cuffs and growled in frustration.

"Alright, goddamnit! I'm awake!" she shouted, her werewolf senses hearing someone moving in the hallway.

The vampire Prince was dressed in a burgundy silk shirt, black trousers and vest, without the cloak this time. He looked just as he had the night before.

"You are as much as I can hope for at this point," he said calmly. The Dark Prince crossed the room gracefully and sat on the edge of the bed. "You are stronger than I had thought."

"Glad to surprise you!" she snapped and tried to move away from the hand reaching out to touch her legs through the sheet and blanket. "What now? You… you bite me again, t-turn me and send me after my f-friends? Gotta remind you t-that I'm a werewolf, you know, natural enemy of vampires. Don't get along type thing."

"Other and lesser vampires perhaps," Dracula smiled at the witch. "All those that walk in the darkness serve me. You included wolf-witch."

Dracula merely smiled and placed a palm in the center of Willow's chest. The witch's body jerked as if hit by lightning and her eyes snapped open black.

The vampire smiled and laid his hand on her chest again. Willow's body writhed and twisted. When Dracula removed his hand the witch was breathing heavily and staring through black eyes.

"A taste of what you've been denying yourself," Dracula said. "Magick without restriction."

The vampire smiled. "No, I was a sorcerer before I became this, but something more. I wasn't…turned. I was nearly killed during a battle and by sheer will alone I became what you see."

"I wasn't turned by a vampire, I simply turned myself so I could continue to exist," Dracula explained. "Now, I can show you how to have that much power."

Willow cried out and her body jerked as his fangs sank into her neck again. "Please don't," Willow whimpered and tried to struggle until she was light-headed. The witch no longer fought back when she tasted Dracula's blood at her mouth.

"Is she okay," his voice was demanding. "Did you gift her with your immortality?"

"No, she will be useful as a human for awhile," Dracula's voice drifted to her. "Her magickal ability is astounding and she's half way there."

"In time, strange one," Dracula answered. "All of those close to the Slayer will be mine."

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In Thrall

By Frau Hunter Ash

Carrkjar@yahoo.com