My deepest apologies at the delayed non-posting of this story. I was deep into my other stories for a while and then I had a huge creative spurt and wrote the rest of Before The Storm Comes in just a few days. Only to lose the entire lot along with my computer, including my separate backup drive, when I was doing a backup. Over 100 stories lost and/or corrupted. I have since lost a lot of my suspicion of online archiving.

Filled with just a bit of disappointment, I lost all interest in writing for a long while. I have since rewritten the rest of this story (of course or I wouldn't be here, lol) but I no longer love it. Parts yes, but the entirety of it... meh. I wrote out my rage and dislike of the characters the first time round and have really struggled to find that feeling again as I rewrote it all. I have tried to keep to the original plan as much as I could, but I also find that once I dig a story from my brain and write it down, I no longer have any interest in repeating it. So it isn't as I had originally intended. I can only hope it works just as well.

So I hope it is okay. I have an idea for a followup short story but will wait to see if it percolates properly.

I will be posting the remainder of Before The Storm Comes daily. It is now complete and there will be 29 chapters in total.


With a few words from Faith, she had everyone's attention. She lounged back on the couch, but Buffy could see that she was angry, really angry.

"That info of Melis'? Bit late but it was that someone had been nosing around the warehouse -magical like- we kinda guessed that already but Melis wanted to know it was definitely happening. Someone's been a nosy bastard. But it gets worse, Melis' was attacked."
The boys had been told of Melis and her assistance to the group and like Buffy, knew that she was the reason the vampires were back amongst the sane again. Buffy hadn't seen her since but knew that she had been talking to Faith.
"Do we think it was because of us?" Angel asked, his forehead crinkling in worry. Faith nodded grimly, her lips pursed in a scowl.
"Well, she sure as fuck thinks so! And let me ask you, who the hell would do that? That woman makes me wanna piss my pants when she's angry and she is PISSED!" Faith shuddered at some personal memory she apparently wasn't going to share.
Buffy chewed on her lip and straightened slightly.
"What does she know Faith? Is she ok?"
"She's a bit banged up, a bit light in the magics department but she says she's ok. Basically B, she was at some coven meetin and they were all off floating around in their heads and out of nowhere, she was hit. Magic hit, like a magical exploding armour piercing bullet she said. Whoever did it apparently knew exactly what they were doing. If Mel hadn't been prepared, it would have topped her off and all the others there would have thought natural causes or some shit."
Buffy felt the rage bubble away and breathed it back. She gripped Spike's leg, vaguely feeling his hand cover hers and squeeze in return.
Faith saw and nodded.
"Yeeaah. She's hiding with the help of her coven. As far as anyone outside her group and now us, is concerned, that hit was a success and we are now down one powerful ass ally. Whoever did it seriously underestimated their target and let me tell you, Melis is pissed AND so is her coven."

Faith stood and grabbed her knapsack and pulled out four bags on strings.
"They made us these. They're hex bags. They will distort anyone trying to spy on us with mojo – which Melis is now positive is happening and will protect from most low level attacks. Melis said that if she made them any stronger, it would scream that we have serious help and not the local white witch at the school bake sale. She doesn't wanna tip them off she's still kicking. But she's weak for now, needs a couple more weeks to get back to full strength."
They all put them on straight away and tucked them away under shirts and jackets to hide them as much as possible from eyesight as well.
"She also said that when the time comes, she can boost them remotely but it only lasts a couple of hours so we gotta be sure or we will blow our wads too early. And this gal here hates a premmer." She finished with a dirty wink and chuckle.
Buffy played with the hex bag and glanced around the warehouse. It had been home for a while and now it felt as though the comfort and security had been ripped away.
"These working now Faith?" Faith nodded in response. "Good, so they won't know this conversation then."

Buffy looked at the small group.
"I've had just about enough of this. I need something to hit. I've been sitting in this dusty warehouse waiting for everyone to come to me and you know something? That's not me." She could feel the ever-present rage tugging at her control, burning at her restraints. Reminding her that no matter how long she managed to forget it, it was always there, waiting to explode from the banks of her control and spill over. She looked at the vampires.
"You guys have been lazing around a fair bit. Well, guess what? Holiday's over boys, wanna kick some ass?"
Spike grinned and threw his hand behind his head and leant backwards.
"Oh I dunno about Gramps over there, but I am going stir-crazy here woman! Let's go!" Buffy grinned back and looked at Angel. The dark-haired vampire shook his head and smiled at his eager childe.
"Boy, one of these days with an attitude like that, you're going to get dusted and you WON'T be coming back." But he stood to his feet and held his hand out to Buffy and pulled her to her feet. "But you're right. I always did enjoy a good fight and it has been a while." All four grinned at each other.

This is what she was meant to be doing, Buffy thought. She ducked a punch and swung a leg out, catching Angel's knee. He went down, but not before grasping her foot and bringing her down as well. As she rolled away, she saw Spike take a hit to the face from Faith and stagger back, only to spit out a mouthful of blood with a gleeful look.
"Hey! Mind his face Faith, I like that face" Buffy called to the other slayer as she drove her elbow towards Angel's chest.
"It really is a pretty face." Faith tossed a sultry wink at Spike as she answered Buffy. "Maybe I'll kiss it better when we're done here."
Buffy swung a hand out and Spike grasped it and in a blink of an eye they had spun and traded places. Buffy now facing off Faith and Angel facing Spike.
"Maybe not, huh?" Faith laughed and traded blows with Buffy as Spike tackled Angel around the waist.

Hours later, they were sitting back on their couches, ice on sore spots, blood in mugs and pizza on a new wooden crate coffee table. Smiles were now on faces that had previously been tight with worry. Bodies sat languidly as food was consumed and talk was idly traded back and forth.

The training they had started earlier had quickly turned from practicing to sparring to full out traded fighting. Then when beating up each other for practice got boring, they headed out for the first night out since the vamp's return. It had taken some Intel from Cleveland HQ but they had found a nest of Ghoeeda demons – nasty buggers with poisoned spines in their noses that were due for a mating session within the fortnight. They only mated when the males, once in their rutting heat, had gone out and gathered enough bone marrow to fill their nasal cavities. Once filled, they used their spines to snort the marrow over their females. If the females were suitable impressed with the amount and quality of the bone marrow and the snort, they permitted the males to mate with them in a mating pile.
Buffy had sworn long and loud when she heard. She may not have nice quality high street boots anymore, but goddammit, she loved her worn combats and snot monsters were not nice to clothes and shoes ever. EVER! She quietened down to mere grumbling when Spike reminded her that he didn't even HAVE his beloved boots or coat anymore and was making do with Kmart boots. Kmart! She couldn't have gotten in a decent pair of docs while she was waiting for them to not be insane?
But it was a good fight and halfway through, Spike had yelled out how many he had managed to kill which meant the Buffy of course had to beat. Which lead to Faith and Angel also joining in and by the end of the battle, there were smiles and grins and blood and snot everywhere.

It served its purpose though. It showed that Buffy and Spike were still that incredible fighting pair. They moved around each other as though in a perfectly choreographed dance. As though each knew exactly where the other was at all times. As though each knew what the other needed at any one second. Several times Faith and Angel had paused to watch them flow around each other, destruction in dance form. It was mesmerising!

But it also showed that Spike and Angel still had a fair way to go healing, both of them tiring by the end and Spike had a bad case of the shakes by the time they got back to the warehouse.

Now they were slumped on the couch, Buffy draped along Spike like a boneless doll. He sat with his back to the arm of the couch and feet resting on the other armrest. His left arm was wrapped tightly around Buffy who was set between his legs, her back on his chest and her head on his shoulder and her legs alongside his. His right hand held his mug of blood and hers held a diet coke and a slice of pizza.
Bliss was what both of them were thinking.

Food was gone and Slayers were dozing by the time the sun started to rise. The patrolling Free Rangers had switched shifts and their pod was locked down for the next 8 hours, which made Buffy's bones ache in memory of soft bed and clean sheets. But with 3 bodies and 1 bed... but she was the smaller one and fit the couches better so it was only fair that she took them instead of the boys.
But neither Angel or Spike seemed to be making moves to Buffy's pod, both seemly happy to slump silently on the couches with the two Slayers.

Movement caught Buffy's attention as Angel leaned over and snagged one of the blankets and dragged it over the now fast asleep Faith, her head on his lap and her hands tucked between her legs like a 9yr old on their mother's lap.
Buffy watched as the brooding vampire gently stroked Faith's hair, his face tender as he gazed down.

A glance up at Spike showed he was asleep as well, exhausted so Buffy carefully shifted over until she could look straight at her first love without straining her neck.
By the time she was still again, she had caught his attention and their eyes met. Silence filled the spaces but it was a soft, gentle quiet that didn't make either of them feel the need to break straight away.
Buffy finally flicked her eyes to Faith and back up to Angel, the unspoken question clear.

Angel looked down at the brown-haired sleeper resting in his lap and almost appeared surprised that he had been stroking her hair. His hand poised mid stroke for a moment, before with a shrug, he continued the soothing action.
He spent a long while just watching his hand as it smoothed the dark locks of hair before he looked back up to Buffy.
"Once, maybe?... now though? No. We don't have that kind of love." He paused as though checking what Buffy would say but at her silence, continued. "It's hard to explain, to put it into words. But we are the same in a way, redemption and all that, and that's what makes up our connection. Not many understand our world I guess you would say."
Buffy knew what he meant. This life, regardless of how you came to be here, is not one that anyone outside will ever understand. Oh, they may try, they may even think they know, but...
She smiled as Angel met her eyes once more. A smile that conveyed her understanding and he nodded his own understanding back.

It wasn't surprising when Buffy was the recipient of her own eye flick question from Angel.

She sighed and watched as her own fingers gently caressed the t-shirt on which her cheek rested, the chest beneath it slowly rising and falling with Spike's unneeded but rhythmic breathing as he slept.
She brought her eyes back to Angel and studied his countenance, looking for any hint to how he felt about her and Spike. Even if he and Spike were closer now than they had ever been, that didn't mean a lot to Buffy, who only had the past history of hatred and fighting to go on. But it was as stoic as ever.

She smiled gently, letting the love she felt shine through and she knew the second Angel saw it. He flinched, as though struck and turned his face away momentarily. With an exhale and a rueful smile and head shake, he turned back and met her eyes again.
"Angel, I will always love you. You know that. But Spike... Spike..." The words seemed so inadequate, nothing felt big enough to express how much she loved him. She stopped trying and breathed for a moment.
"I did so much wrong Angel. So much. And I hurt him very badly. I think at one point, I broke him." She barked out a harsh scoffing cough of a laugh. "No, I know I did. I can never fix that, or make it better, or do anything that changes just how much I fucked up. And it took truly losing him, the one person in the entire universe who never asked anything of me but just to let them love me, to realise that I never deserved him in the first place." She felt the tears gather and refused to allow them a place. "When I look back, I am so ashamed that I can feel my very soul cringing and crawling away." She broke the faraway stare she had going and focused on Angel's stormy face.
"Buffy, if you're with William because of some sense of guilt, you'll kill him..." Angel started, whispering angrily, but Buffy waved her fingers in a brushing motion and cut off his tirade mid breath.
"Angel. I'm not. I was just..back storying, I suppose. Please, understand that when I say I love Spike, it's not the Romeo and Juliet love we had when I was a child, it's not the tainted bad boy/good girl fantasy. It's the one where I want to stand by his side when we go patrolling because he makes me better. A better person, a better sister, a better fighter. Just better. And together? He makes us better together. I love Spike because if I know he will always, Always, have my back no matter what. I win the lotto or I end the world, I know he will always be by my side." She flattened her hand on his chest, right over his heart. "I love that we can just sit together and not have to talk, but when I do, he listens like I'm talking about the most important things possible." She paused and considered what she was trying to put into words. "When people look at Spike, they see this brash, mouthy vampire, impulsive and immature and automatically discount him. And he definitely plays on that! I've seen him do it. I have also seen him be wickedly clever, stunningly cunning and even cruel and devious. And what I love, what draws me to him, is not only all that, but also how smart he is, strong, versatile - he never lets anything hold him back. He's impulsive? Yes and he's adaptable. He grabs hold of life, of the situation and holds on and makes it submit to him. He is the most alive person I know!" Angel blinked at the passion he heard in the Slayer's voice and witnessed on her face. "I think about him gone again Angel and it's like someone has just plunged a stake into my heart. Just the thought makes me breathless and everything hurts again." Angel pressed his lips together at the 'again'. "And the worst bit is, I have no right whatsoever to ask anything of him. Not a dime, not a second of his life, yet here he is,' she lovingly stroked his chest as she gazed up at the sleeping vampire. 'letting me try. And that, that makes me feel as though I could fly through the sun." Buffy finished, moving to stare at the now somber vampire opposite her, her eyes bright with tears and feeling.

Angel studied the blonde Slayer closer than he ever had. He could see the years and life had not been kind to the Californian Girl, the tiredness was now etched seemingly permanently on her face. Her once trim, lithe body was now a study in thin, even gaunt female shape. But through it all, he could see the love she held for his Childe. It glowed from her like someone had lit a floodlight inside her.

He only hoped it would be enough for them both.

The sun had risen and the Free Range Slayers were off doing whatever they did, and all four Champions slept. They didn't see the almost invisible fog like swirl appear as a wisp in the corner and grow slowly. None of the inhabitants witnessed the rift as it opened and a face look through, searching past the swirling silver fog, trying to search out its prey. No one of the heroes witnessed the fury or heard the scream as the rift snapped shut.
But the others in the room did. They ducked as a heavy tome flew past, pages fluttering to the floor as screams of rage echoed around the large office.
"SHIELDED? HOW? I KILLED THAT EMO'ED EXCUSE OF A WITCH BITCH!" More books were destroyed as rage was vented.
Soon there was only harsh breathing to be heard, until a disgusted voice broke the stillness.
"Are you Quite done with your disgusting little tantrum now? Those books were irreplaceable." The voice tsked snottily. "It doesn't mean anything. Buffy was always one for out of the box thinking. It merely stands as a reminder that we need not underestimate her when we convince her to rectify her actions. And I for one, am over this self-exploratory period of hers."
Eyes met and studied each other until the rage fled and they nodded.
"I think you mean Buffy always was a vamp whore and let's face it, she was never too smart when it comes to this stuff. I'm gonna go with Angel and his contacts here. I TOLD you…"
"Yes all RIGHT! This is NOT the time for 'I Told You So's'! While this was all very amusing, it's getting beyond the pale now. We MUST end this before something irrevocable happens!"
"You are both right. Time to end this little "Find Myself" excursion of hers before serious damage is done."