Subj: DARK FRONTIER, DS/TOS Crossover, Pt 15
Date: 5/10/01 9:38:51 PM Central Daylight Time
From: JM Lane

Quentin was waiting for his cousin when Barnabas returned. The older man seemed surprised at that, but did not question it because he sensed that Quentin wanted very much to speak with him, although he had no idea on what subject.

"May I speak with you, Barnabas?"

"May I ask what about?" Barnabas inquired.

"The actions of Christine's…friend Mr. Spock. What do you make of him?"

"I understand that he is a noted scholar and scientist, a computer expert, highly intelligent--even genius caliber--and renowned for both his scientific writings as well as his bravery during his military service in Starfleet."

Quentin nodded in acknowledgment. "What else do you know?"

"He is half-Human; his father is the senior Vulcan Ambassador to Earth and his mother a noted educator. Why do you ask?"

"Do you believe that his dual heritage explains his atypical actions regarding Christine? She told us that they were simply friends, but his actions of late indicate deeper feelings. Since she has been…infatuated with him for some years, it's possible that he's now beginning to feel something for her--and if that's the case…" Quentin's voice trailed off, then he took a breath and continued, "…you might lose her."

"I might not, too," Barnabas countered.

"Barnabas, be realistic. You've managed to conceal your…affliction so far, but how much longer do you think you're going to be able to keep it under wraps? If Christine herself isn't already suspicious, I feel sure that Spock is. It's as though he were warning you off," Quentin observed. "It seems improbable, but I would almost swear he was jealous of every moment you spend with her."

"I believe he is," the other man confirmed. "The looks he has given me sometimes when he thinks I don't notice, the way he bristles like an angry cat whenever I touch her in any way. It seems odd, when you consider that he *supposedly* doesn't care about her."

"He could be just in denial," Quentin suggested. "From what I've heard, he has a talent for that."

"Simply because he is half-Human?" Barnabas questioned.

"Not only that, but because he's likely feeling emotions he's always believed that no self-respecting Vulcan has any business feeling…but you remember what she told us about how he regards her."

"All too well, I'm afraid," Barnabas replied. "It is as though she has suddenly become very important, extremely valuable to him, unusually quickly."

"Particularly since you began seeing her," Quentin reminded him. "Do you think he knows you've slept with her? Maybe that's why he's so touchy."

"Quite possible," Barnabas agreed. "Especially since Christine tells me that he is telepathic."

"Do you think he knows what you are? That he's read your thoughts and doesn't want you near Christine, especially not alone, because he's convinced that you'll harm her?"

"Not that I know of, but I have to be careful. As you say, he is already suspicious of me, and I can imagine what the content of his psychic dream must have been to cause him to go into shock--add that to the attack on the Davidson girl and her subsequent death. I warned Christine what would have to be done in order that the girl rest in peace; she has assured me that the matter would be taken care of before the deadline of dusk Friday."

"Their weapons can be set to dematerialize a body; do you think that would work as well as the conventional method? Certainly it's a lot less messy."

"I have no idea--but I also do not think we can afford to take a chance, either," Barnabas opined. "Or I would have suggested it to her."

"Better one of those methods can what you used to do--if not burial, you usually burned the bodies or disposed of them in the sea near Collinwood."

Barnabas winced at the thought of how many times he had done those things over the centuries; he had frankly lost count. Because he had found it so distasteful, he had learned to only attack a person once and take just a small amount of blood, such as a few ounces, so the person would merely become his slave and do his bidding.

However, if most or all of the blood was drained from the person, they simply died and did not rise to become vampires. In order to pass on the condition, blood had to be taken repeatedly until the person was nearly drained. It was also possible when the person did not get transfusions of new blood in time to offset the condition… within 24-48 hours.

It had taken him nearly that long to find Julia after Roxanne's attack on her in 1840 Real Time; Angelique had hidden her away in the old lighthouse a short distance from Collinwood, refusing to tell him where she was after he saw through her pretense of not knowing. It wasn't until her servant, the renegade Gypsy, Laszlo, came to the Old House looking for her, wearing Julia's genuine two-carat sapphire-and- pearl ring on his right hand, a bequest from her late mother, that Barnabas spotted it and strong-armed his knowledge of Julia's whereabouts out of him in order to rescue her. Roxanne had been there when he arrived and had tried to stop him, but Barnabas had stared her down and left, a weak, semi-conscious Julia in his arms.

It had been bad enough that Angelique had forced him to give up Roxanne…and when he had sent Julia to explain to her why he could not come see her, it had prompted Roxanne to come to him, demanding further explanation and declaring that nothing and no one was going to stop them from being together.

A short time later, they had gone into each other's arms and shared a fervent kiss, each professing their love, frantically breaking apart when Angelique had thrown open the doors of the drawing room, immediately deducing what had happened. She neither swallowed anything that Barnabas said, nor was she intimidated by Roxanne's declarations. She had re-opened the wounds he had made on Roxanne's neck, which had been healing, making her bleed enough to kill her, then turning her into one of the living dead and taking control of her once she had risen, once more depriving him of a companion.

Angelique had done some abominable things in their long, unfortunate association, but surely this was among the worst--and all because he had refused her "love". He now doubted that she had ever known the meaning of the word. He was certain that no one who truly loved could possibly even contemplate causing the object of their affections such pain; they should sooner want to hurt themselves.

She had been so paranoid that she had set up Julia to be attacked when Roxanne rose, then hidden her away so that he hadn't been able to find her until it was almost too late…partly because she had believed Julia in love with Barnabas and vice versa, despite his declaration that they were simply good friends, and partly because she, Julia, knew too much--not only about him but Angelique herself.

Even at that, his caring for Julia had betrayed him, at least as far as Angelique was concerned. He had had no idea how Julia truly regarded him for a long time; she had always hidden behind a mask of professionalism--but she was no less a woman in spite of it, even considering the fact that she had eschewed marriage and children in favor of a career. If only he hadn't been what he was…

He had seen no point in initiating a personal, romantic relationship with her because of his affliction, although he had always found her attractive--a most handsome woman. Because of his affection for her, he could never have harmed her…and during their association, there had been relatively few attacks since he had been able to obtain a more-or-less regular supply of blood through Julia, who, as a doctor, had had free access to it.

He had poured his heart out to her countless times, confessed his longing for a permanent companion, his crushing loneliness and his hunger for a day when he and someone special would walk together in the sun, hand-in-hand. Because of this, he didn't like to think how he might have caused her pain, having to stand by while he romanced Victoria, Maggie, Roxanne…all the while longing for him herself, but believing he could never want her. If that had been the case, he was truly sorry--but could do nothing to change matters now.

Her cure had only been a temporary one, but he had been immensely grateful that she had cared enough to even make the attempt to make him Human again. Even when she had been dying for real, he had reiterated that fact--and expressed his envy of her the ability to truly die, truly lie in peace in one's grave. An ability which Angelique had taken from him almost five centuries ago.

Julia's last words to him were designed to extract a promise from him that he would never stop looking for another who could find the proper element to make her cure permanent. So he had promised…but not until Christine did he find someone who made him *want* to be cured.

He had tried his best not to fall in love with her, but it had been impossible, like trying to stop a flood with one's bare hands.

So it had happened--and if she decided against him, something which Quentin had indicated as a distinct possibility if he were reading the Vulcan correctly, Barnabas didn't know how he would stand it. Outwardly at least, he would wish her well, never stand in her way…but inside, he would be devastated--again. All he would have left of her would be beautiful, bittersweet memories, precious yet painful because she would be gone from him. At least physically…but she would always be a part of his heart and never far from his thoughts, no matter how much time went by.