Author's Notes: This is both a prequel and a sequel to my trio of Dark Shadows Crossovers with Ironside. Dark Shadows Among Us, Dark Shadows in San Francisco, and Dark Shadows: Back to the Past. This edition will explain how Dracula and Angelique got together before those events and what happens when they returned home after the conflict in San Francisco ended. Again, it is written so it can stand alone on its on merit. However, the three mentioned will help if read first.

Kaleen1212

Dark Shadows: Revenge of the Vampires

Chapter 1

1

Angelique woke up in her bed chambers. The sun was shining in the window. Vlad, of course, would be in the cellar of the great castle. As soon as dawn approached, he would have left her to retire to his coffin for the daytime sleep of the undead.

The witch couldn't believe it. She really loved Vlad! She was free of Barnabas Collins at last. Angelique never thought she would be happy living in the castle, but she had been proven wrong. She was happy. All this time she hadn't realized she was pursuing the wrong vampire. She sat up in bed, leaned against the pillow and remembered when she first met Vlad.

In the past . . .

Dracula couldn't believe his fortune. For centuries the vampire searched for his eternal mate and never found her. Then he met a witch named Angelique Bouchard. She was the most beautiful woman the count had ever met. Even more beautiful than Mina.

The vampire met Angelique in the village in Romania. When he saw her for the first time, she took his breath away. From experience, the count knew he would have to hide his vampiric condition from her. He wanted a mate, one that truly loved him. Of course, he could force his will on any woman. He did so in the past. It took him several hundred years to learn it didn't work. Vlad had turned more than one woman, only to find out they resented him for turning them into vampires. Being the most powerful vampire, he could easily have made them stay with him, but what would be the sense? They would never love him as he loved them.

When he finally realized after several women that it wasn't going to work, Dracula decided he had to find his eternal mate another way. Yet, he didn't know how to go about it. If he revealed his true nature immediately, he would terrify the woman. Ultimately, he would end up destroying her to preserve his secret. Yet, if he didn't reveal his true nature, a woman would shun him when she found out. Many times Dracula turned them anyway, believing they would come to understand the advantages of being an immortal with the powers of a vampire. Unfortunately, that was never the case. They always ended up resenting him for turning them and removing them from the mortal society for which they had been accustomed.

The count just didn't understand. He gave them a power that was shared by so few in the world, but he lost them anyway. He finally gave up, or at least he thought he had. Dracula stopped searching for his mate. It didn't seem he would ever find her. He spent many lonely nights for several centuries, living a loveless existence. That was until he met the beautiful blonde woman with the bright green eyes.

There she was in the village. She stood at a vendor stand feeling and admiring the fabric she held in her slender fingers. Dracula couldn't take his eyes off her. He knew he should just walk away knowing how badly all his other relationships had turned out. Surely, a woman as beautiful as this one would have no interest in becoming an immortal cursed to prey on the village people, drinking their blood. Still, he couldn't help himself. She was so beautiful. Before he had time to think about it, he walked up to her. Standing behind the beautiful blonde beauty, with his thick Transylvania accent, he said, "It would make a beautiful dress fitting a woman as beautiful as yourself."

Angelique turned to face her suitor. She looked up at the man who just paid her the compliment. He was tall, handsome, and brooding. Yet, the witch couldn't do anything but laugh. The man supported a cape with the collar turned up. His face was pasty, but those eyes were mesmerizing.

"What do you find so amusing?" Dracula asked. He didn't understand why she wasn't affected by his eyes. He was always able to draw women in with his gaze alone. He never met one that could resist him. Although he didn't want to force her, he did want her to at least be taken with him.

"Don't you ever look in the mirror and see the way you are dressed?"

Dracula glanced down at his clothing. "I have no mirrors in my castle. I see nothing wrong with my attire." Using a slow casual wave of his hand, the count pointed out it was no different than anyone else.

Angelique looked around at the other people mingling who were looking for bargains. The stranger was correct. He really wasn't dressed much different than those around them. What was it then that made this man so different. He was handsome and his manner contained considerable charm. Then Angelique was used to charming men. She could have any man she wanted.

She grew up an only child and lived a lonely childhood. That was until she met the woman who taught her the ways of witchcraft. Angelique became fascinated with the ancient art and immersed herself in the craft. She eventually gave herself over to the dark lord himself and was rewarded eternal life. She soon found out, that despite her love of the practice of witchcraft, it was not enough. She still had to earn a living. It was not easy for a woman in 1783. A woman were the property of a man. Her father tried to marry her off more than once. As far as she was concerned, there was nothing more beneath her than an arranged marriage. Angelique would have no part of it. She would not be ruled by any man. She would not spend her life having babies and yielding to the whims of a husband. That was when she decided to leave the family home and set out on her own. Angelique was independent and would take care of herself. She would never admit that she actually longed for love. Angelique had been involved in several affairs, able to have any man she wanted. They all fell to her powers of witchcraft. She soon tired of them and turned them out. The witch still hadn't met the one man she wanted with her through eternity.

It had been a while since she had chosen a man to spend her time with. None of the men she came across sparked her interest. She looked into the eyes of this stranger. It was just possible he was a candidate for her next dalliance. She was afraid she insulted him with her laughter. After all, she supposed he was right; he really wasn't dressed much different than anyone else. Maybe it was because he was dressed all in black with the exception of the white shirt worn under what appeared to her to be a dinner jacket. Both of those were covered by the cape he had on to ward off the cold air that was beginning to nip at everyone this time of year.

Angelique wasn't certain becoming involved with this stranger was appropriate at this time. She was scheduled to go to Martinique where she would become the servant of Josette Dupree. Her mistress was a member of a very wealthy family. Angelique didn't really like the thought of being anyone's servant, but she had been unable to earn a respectable living. Despite being a witch, she really had no other skills, and most people didn't hire women for anything other than the type of job she finally was forced to accept. Job! It was nothing of the sort. She wouldn't be paid a salary. She would receive her room and board. For that she would be at the beck and call of her mistress, Josette.

Angelique found out Josette would be traveling to America to be married into another wealthy family in the newly formed American country. America had won its independence from England and was struggling to exist on its own. The Collins family lived in Collinsport, Maine. They were in the shipping industry. Joshua Collins headed the shipping company and it was very successful since the American Revolutionary War. Josette was to marry the son of Joshua and Naomi Collins. Angelique of course hadn't met the son whose name was Barnabas Collins. In fact, she had even yet to meet Josette Dupree. Still, she envied her soon to be mistress. She had found the love Angelique truly longed for. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of man this Barnabas Collins was to win Josette's heart. He was a product of the American colonies. From everything Angelique learned about the Americans, they were uncouth, undisciplined, and lacked the class of their English cousins. She admitted she admired their intense desire to be free of King George. And free they were, after fighting a long war to earn their independence. She wondered if Barnabas Collins fought in the war, or did he sit it out because he was the son of a very rich man. It always seemed the poor were forced to do what the wealthy refused to do. But then, why should they? They could enlist the poor souls who were at the mercy of the wealthy.

Angelique was now one of them. She was at the mercy of the wealthy Dupree family. She returned her attention to the tall handsome stranger. Did he say he had a castle? If she heard him right, then the man was one of the wealthy class. She changed her demeanor toward the stranger. He could be a pleasant diversion until she had to leave for Martinique. "Castle, you have a castle?"

"Yes, I do." Dracula pointed off into the distance at the castle that was just barely visible. "You may see it from here."

The witch looked off in the distance where the man pointed. She could see the outline of a castle, but an outline was all she could see from the light of the moon behind it. "That is your home?"

"Yes."

"Are you royalty then?" she asked. This was becoming interesting.

"Of a sort," Dracula answered.

He was definitely becoming more interesting by the moment. She put out her gloved hand. "My name is Angelique Bouchard."

"Angelique, ah yes, a beautiful name for a very beautiful woman." Dracula took her hand and kissed it. "I am Count Dracula. You may call me Vlad."

"Count Dracula! I have heard of you," she said with a twinkle in her green eyes. "There are many rumors in the village about you."

"Indeed. Are you accustom to listening to rumors, Angelique?" Dracula asked.

"Actually no. I find they are the ramblings of those who have nothing more to do with their day than to be jealous of others."

Dracula smiled. "I was certain you had too much class to listen to rumors. Would you like to take a walk with me?"

Angelique didn't need anymore encouragement. She was taking a liking to this man. It would surely give her pleasure to spend time with him until she had to leave for Martinique. She took his arm and he led her away from the crowd.

"Tell me about yourself, Angelique?" Dracula said.

"I was raised an only child. I left home because my father was constantly trying to marry me off to a man of wealth in order to further his own standing. I wanted nothing to do with being in a loveless marriage."

"Then love is important to you?" Dracula asked, encouraged.

"Love is important to every woman, Vlad," she responded.

Dracula loved the sound of his name as it rolled off her tongue. She was beautiful with a mind of her own and love was important to her. Dare he take a chance? Had fate finally intervened? Was this the woman who would accept him for who he was, and come to love him? "Would you like to see my castle, Angelique?"

She smiled at him, her green eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "I would love to."

Under normal circumstances, Dracula would simply turn into a bat and fly back to his castle. That wasn't possible. It was obviously too early to reveal himself as a vampire. He wouldn't take a chance that she would turn from him in horror. Dracula would have to reveal his true nature soon enough. He hoped when he did, this beautiful creature would embrace his condition and join him in an eternity of love and happiness. If she was looking for love, she came to the right place. Dracula had centuries of love pent up inside him. He would give his all if she would accept it.

The vampire called for a carriage. The driver stopped the horses, held them in place as Dracula helped the green-eyed beauty inside. The ride was long, cold and damp. It became even colder as they ascended into the mountains. Dracula kept the conversation going throughout the journey. He was encourage at the interest Angelique displayed with his every word.

When they arrived at the castle, servants came out and paid the driver who was happy to be on his way. If the driver realized who hailed his carriage, he would have turned in another direction long before he ever came near Dracula. He was never so nervous in his entire life. The driver heard all the stories about the count. He didn't know if they were true or not, but he wasn't waiting around to find out. The man was simply happy to escape with his life. Many others were rumored to have traveled to Dracula's castle and never to be seen again.

Angelique continued to hold the arm of Dracula as he led her into his castle. He proudly showed her throughout it, minus the room below the castle where his coffin was hidden, and were he slept the sleep of the undead. When they had completed the tour, Dracula asked her, "What are you thinking, Angelique?"

She smiled up at him. "I am thinking how beautiful your home is and what a fascinating man you are. I have been longing to meet someone like you all of my life."

This was too good to be true. Dracula hadn't used any of his vampiric powers on her and he was winning her over immediately. He was now certain he finally had met the woman who would become his eternal mate. He would take it slow and reveal himself to her when he felt she was ready.

"You must be tired after our long journey here. I will have a servant show you to your bed chambers."

"I would rather you do so," Angelique said.

"I didn't feel that would be appropriate," Dracula said. "I wouldn't think of taking advantage of you as we have only just met."

"I feel like I have known you forever. We are both adults, Vlad. You will not be taking advantage of me. Perhaps you feel I am taking advantage of you?"

"Nonsense. Have I given you that impression?"

She smiled at him. "Of course not."

"Then I will show you to your bed chambers immediately." He felt excitement he hadn't felt in years. This was the first woman who stirred him in a long time. He didn't want to do anything that would ruin the mood of the evening. Being a perfect gentleman was something he had perfected over the centuries. Yet, it didn't seem to be a virtue Angelique valued. Was the chemistry between them that strong?

He walked her down the corridors of his castle to the many guest bed chambers. Choosing the most feminine and the one his Mina had once occupied, Dracula opened the door.

Angelique stepped inside. The room was beautiful. The bed was huge with a golden canopy draped over it. Drapes of the same matching golden color covered the windows. The floor was made of porcelain. The furniture was a rich cherry. The witch felt like she had died and gone to heaven. She almost laughed at the thought.

"Does the room meet with your expectations?" Dracula asked.

"Vlad, it is absolutely beautiful!" she explained.

The vampire smiled at her. "Then you shall stay in the room for the duration of your stay with me. I shall leave you alone to get some rest."

Angelique was not about to allow him to leave. She knew now he was the distraction she needed to forget about being the servant for the wealthy Dupree family. She found Dracula fascinating, but she wasn't looking for anything permanent. Although he lived in this wonderful castle, she couldn't bear living way up in the mountains. How could she possibly practice her witchcraft. There wasn't anyone up here to practice on except his servants. Angelique enjoyed forcing people to bend to her desires. She would force Dracula to do so.

As he turned to leave her, Angelique took his hand. "I did not come here to stay alone in this room. Stay with me, Vlad."

His eyes widen. He wanted her. Dracula never dreamed it would come this quickly. He led her over to the bed, gently set her down, and began kissing her. They undressed each other and spent the next four hours making love over and over again.

2

Present time . . .

Barnabas Collins awaken and pushed the lid to his coffin up. Julia Hoffman was there to greet him with a smile. "Barnabas, I have been waiting for you to awaken. I have made some progress on the serum."

"Oh?" he said excitedly. "And what would that be?"

"I have injected the serum into bats. Some of them are not hiding in the dark. They are coming out in the light," she said.

"You have been working with bats?" Barnabas asked.

"Of course. I don't want to test it on you again until I am certain you will not be harmed. I don't want a repeat of last time," Julia said.

"Then you think if the bats are willing to come out of the dark, that it may be the answer to me being able to walk in the daylight. But, Julia, you already have me walking in the daylight for an hour a day, my dear."

"That is true, but I believe this will be the answer to reversing the blood disorder the vampire bat caused when it bit you. I believe the answer lies with the bat. After all, it was a bat that turned you into a vampire." She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I have a favor to ask of you, Barnabas."

The vampire guided her up the steep stairs and into the foyer. "What is it?" He continued to walk with her into the drawing room where Willie Loomis was lighting the candles.

"Good evening Barnabas. Did Julia tell you the good news?"

"We were just discussing it. Willie, why don't you take some money out of the desk and go over to the Blue Whale and enjoy yourself for the evening?"

Willie knew what that meant. Barnabas wanted to be alone with Julia. The vampire's servant removed some money from the desk where Barnabas kept it for him and left the Old House.

"Now, tell me more about this favor," he said as he sat down in a chair by the fireplace.

Julia excitedly told him about her experiment with the bats. He waited patiently, but still she did not mention the favor she was going to ask him. "Julia, all of this is very encouraging, but what is the favor you are asking me."

"I want you to contact Count Dracula."

"Dracula, whatever for? What does he have to do with the experiments?" Barnabas asked in bewilderment.

"Barnabas, Dracula controls the vampire bat."

"I am aware of that, but I still do not see what that has to do with anything."

"That's just it; I believe it has everything to do with it. I believe the vampire bat is the answer to curing you."

His eyes widen as she knelt down beside him. "Exactly what has the vampire bat to do with it?"

Julia took his hand. "Barnabas, it was the vampire bat that is responsible for your condition. When it bit you, it changed your blood. That is why you died and woke up a vampire. With the success I have had with the bats in the laboratory, I think all I need to do is study the vampire bat's venom. I believe it is much like the venom in your bite. Incidentally, I am going to need more of your venom. I am running out."

"I will give it to you right away. Julia, I am not sure this is such a good idea," Barnabas told her.

"Why not?"

"What if the vampire bat turns on you. It could bite you. Do you want to end up a vampire like me?"

"Of course I don't, but I believe it is worth the risk," she said.

"Well, I don't. I would not forgive myself is something happened to you. I would suggest you continue your experiments on the bats you have and see if you can come up with the cure without the vampire bat. Besides, why do you think Dracula would be willing to allow you to experiment on the animal?"

"I don't think Dracula has any particular affection for the vampire bat. After all, it attacked him and turned him into a vampire.

"Ah, but Vlad enjoys being a vampire. I believe you are incorrect. I think he has considerable affection for the animal."

"Will you at least try to call him and ask? Really, Barnabas, I think it is very important for the cure."

The vampire looked into her eyes. He had grown to love this woman. The thought of the vampire bat attacking her and turning her into what he was scared him, and Barnabas didn't scare easily. "I will speak to Vlad. I will see what he thinks about the subject. That is all I can promise you."

"That is better than what you said at first. Now, what do you want to do for the evening?" she asked him.

"I thought we would go to Collinwood and visit Cousin Elizabeth," he said.

"You didn't mention Roger. Don't you want to see him as well?" she smiled, knowing Roger Collins quite often got on Barnabas' nerves. Still, Roger was a Collins and Barnabas would protect him the same as the others.

"I am not happy about the way he treated me over the haunting Quentin Collins was doing," Barnabas revealed. "I was not responsible for the ghost sending David back in time, but Roger blamed me anyway instead of putting the blame on Quentin where it belonged."

"He was just worried about David. He really didn't mean to blame you. Besides, you were able to change the past. Quentin is now living in San Francisco with Eve."

"That also bothers me. How could he change his name? He is a Collins, yet he changed his name to Sam Dwyer? How could he do that?"

"He wanted to leave his past behind him, Barnabas. You, of all people, should understand that."

"Yes, I do understand wanting to leave the past behind, but I didn't change my name. I am Barnabas Collins, and I'll always be Barnabas Collins. Quentin should have stayed here as a member of the family or returned to his own time. It is as if he is ashamed to be a Collins."

"I don't think that is the case. I believe it has more to do with the fact that he is in love with Eve Whitfield. She lives in San Francisco. She is a detective there and works for the most famous detective in the country. Quentin knows she is not going to give that up."

"Eve could have stayed here," Barnabas argued. "If she really loves him, her place is with him where he chooses to live."

Julia smiled. "That is old-time thinking. Thinking from the 1700s. Men move to other cities when their wives are offered jobs. Is Quentin more of a man of this century than you are?"

Barnabas chuckled. "I suppose I do sound old fashion, don't I? Then again, many of the old customs are better than those of today."

"I think we both need a break from all of this. Let's head over to the Great House."

The vampire stood up, took Julia by the hand, and pulled her into a standing position. "You are right. Let's go see Elizabeth and Roger. I want to make sure David has not shared my condition with anyone."

They walked into the foyer together. Barnabas helped Julia into her coat and put on his cloak. Picking up his wolf head cane, he opened the door as the two of them went out into the night.

3

Ramon watched as the Collinsport vampire left his mansion. He had come a long way to find out certain information, and he wasn't leaving Collinsport until he did. Barnabas Collins, along with Count Dracula had destroyed his and Andrew Adell's plans for the vampire race to take over the world. Ramon realized now that Andrew should never have been the one to lead the vampire council in that venture. His hatred for Robert Ironside had clouded his judgement. Instead of concentrating on the goal they set forth, he became obsessed with killing Ironside and destroying Count Dracula and Barnabas Collins. Unfortunately, the opposite had taken place. Those two very powerful vampires had destroyed Andrew Adell, and with him, the dreams of the vampires becoming the master race.

However, Ramon hadn't given up the quest. It was still possible, although he admitted only a slight chance existed. Morgan and Miranda led the vampire council now with Damon also on the board. The old guard of vampires who followed Andrew Adell were removed from the council, staked, and destroyed. Ramon virtually stood alone. Not for long. He knew there were others who also wanted the vampire race to become dominant over the mortals. He already was in touch with some of them. Ramon would not give up until vampires ruled the world.

He didn't buy the excuse that kept all vampires in line. It was said if vampires were allow to kill and turn others into there kind, they would eventually run out of people to feed on. All the council had to do was monitor the number of people that were turned and keep the rest for feeding the vampire race. They didn't need to be killed. They only had to reproduce and provide more food for the superior vampires. Why was it necessary for them to stay in the shadows in fear of the mortals? The mortals couldn't stand up to them. That was proven. Vampires only needed to have slaves who protected them during their vulnerable time . . . daytime when they had to return to their coffins.

Did Morgan, Miranda, Dracula, and Barnabas really believe that mortals wouldn't kill all of them if they knew of their existence? Of course they would! They would consider the vampire race a threat to their mortal world. One day mortals would learn of the vampires. They would come to destroy them. Ramon couldn't allow that to happen. Andrew was right about them becoming the dominant race on the planet. If they were, then the mortals would no longer be a threat to them.

Ramon was confident he could raise an army of his own to stand against Morgan, who was now the head of the council - the illegal head of the council. He was not elected as the head vampire. He was installed by Dracula and Barnabas Collins. How Ramon hated both of them with everything within him. They ended the existence of his closest friend, Peter Adell. Andrew had sent Peter to San Francisco to drain their blood and kill women to catch the attention of Chief Robert Ironside. He didn't believe the man would keep their secret forever. He also knew Ironside would call Barnabas into the conflict. It was Andrew's idea to send Dracula after Peter to bring him back in one piece.

It had been the perfect plan . . . until it all fell apart. Andrew made the mistake of sending an army of vampires to San Francisco to destroy Dracula and Barnabas. Morgan and Miranda left Romania and went to the United States to join the fight with Dracula and Collins. The combination of them together turned out to be too powerful for the entire group of Adell's vampires. The war ended when Ironside ended Andrew Adell's existence.

Ramon hated everyone of them. Once he was able to rebuild the council to destroy Dracula, he would travel to San Francisco and end the cop's miserable life. First thing first, he had to deal with Dracula. He was the biggest threat to his plan. Confronting the count head on would only lead to his destruction. There had to be another way. Ramon believed he found it. It was known throughout the vampire world that Dracula had taken a woman. Her name was Angelique Bouchard. She was called back from the underworld to help Dracula. When he finished terminating the army of vampires, the witch went back to Romania with the count.

From everything Ramon was able to learn, Dracula loved the witch. That is were he was vulnerable. Ramon would find a way to kidnap her. Then he would force Dracula to trade his existence for hers. Naturally, he would not keep his word. As soon as Dracula was destroyed, Ramon would kill Bouchard, simply because she was the count's woman.

Right now, he had to find out more of what Barnabas Collins was up to. He had to keep him out of the fight. Ramon looked around him. Barnabas Collins' servant had left earlier. Barnabas and the woman were also gone. He had cased the house enough to know they were the only people living in the mansion. He would never have a better opportunity. Ramon went up the stairs to the mansion and tried the door. It was locked. That might keep mortals out, but it couldn't keep a vampire out. He disappeared and reappeared on the other side.