A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reading my story. I do appreciate feedback also...
Before the Storm
The curtains were drawn with opaque fabric making the kitchen look dull. Breakfast always tasted better when the morning sunlight was peeping through the blinds, but Buffy was just going to have to enjoy cereal without it. Dawn stood across from her rattling her nails on the island counter. She wore a bright smile.
"So? What was it like?"
This was Dawn's usual way of starting a conversation. One never really knew what the topic was at first. "What?" Buffy said through a mouthful.
"YOU know. Seeing Angel finally. Were the googly eyes googling? Was there groping, was there kissing? Do tell."
"Well, the eye stuff was definitely there," she grinned. "But we didn't get any farther," she looked down at her milk. "Spike was there and I think we were a little busy with the demons trying to kill us."
Dawn looked sweetly disappointed. "What a complete bonehead! Not even a peck on the cheek! I mean after being, you know, you'd think he'd break down that emotional wall of his."
"Dawn, it doesn't change what happened between us, we're still..."
"What do you mean? He's a vampire, you're a vampire. Get on with the vampire love already. There's nothing to think about. I mean, isn't this what you've always wanted?"
Buffy raised a quirky eyebrow.
"Not that. I mean - what I mean is, the reason why you two broke it off was because he would live forever and you wouldn't right? Well, that isn't an issue anymore so what reason is there to be apart?" She stared Buffy in the eyes. "You still love him?"
"I..." Buffy found herself unable to answer. Her sister was being a prying monkey, but her question brought back a wave of emotion and memories that Buffy didn't want to have to deal with, not now anyway.
"Is it Spike?"
Buffy almost overreacted but she managed to keep a nonchalant voice. "Please Dawn."
"What?" Dawn giggled. "You two have been spending a lot of time together, and I don't have to remind you that he was infatuated with you ever since Glory, probably even earlier than that." She took a sip from her orange juice. "Spike has actually been really good lately. He looks after me and stuff, not that I need to be looked after or anything, but I guess I just like it when he's around. Buffy, if you have feelings for Spike, it wouldn't bother me at all. Whoever you choose, I just want you to be happy and not have to keep it a secret or anything. Because we know that never turns out well." She grabbed her school bag and gulped the last of her juice. "I should get going."
Buffy smiled warmly but didn't want to say anything she would be admitting to herself. "You taking the bus?"
"Yep."
"Where's Willow and Tara?"
"Oh I don't know. I think they were out all night or something. You know, they've been acting kinda weird lately." She shrugged. "Maybe they need to cut back on the magic weed." She went to leave through the door.
"Weird how?"
"Can't talk gonna miss the bus, bye Buffy!" She was gone.
Buffy wanted to talk to Willow about the ritual she was going to perform to try and find answers about her vampire rebirth, but if she was busy taking care of Tara then there was no reason to rush it. She still hadn't gotten used to sleeping in the day like a normal vampire, so she was faced with the question of what to do next to pass the hours. Housework seemed like the responsible approach, but she didn't feel like it. Even after breakfast she felt hungry still and it hit her that she hadn't drank any blood for a while. It was like craving sugar, raw sugar, only you couldn't get your fix from the local corner store. The butcher shop where Angel had gone came to mind, but she wasn't ready to be asking for bags of blood from complete strangers. There was only one alternative.
. . .
Xander wiped the sweat from his forehead and with a few more jerks of the saw, the wood plank was cut cleanly.
"Hey Xander!" A co worker called.
The noises of engines and banging muffled the words. Xander looked up seeing a worker in a yellow head hat waving at him. "Huh?" he shouted back.
"Boss says we gotta move those foundations to the other side!"
Xander made a frustrated sound. "Again? Really?" He tossed the saw down and started walking. "The guy thinks we're steel robots or something. And let me guess, the forklifter's still broken." The worker grinned back. "Greeaat."
The steel beams weren't long but Xander could only carry one at a time. His mouth dropped seeing his co worker carrying four, two over each shoulder. "Hey Sam, you're not secretly the green Hulk are ya? Because, no offense, you'd need five times the muscle you have to carry those."
Sam chuckled. "It's all in the breathing."
Xander carried on in disbelief. "That's some breathing."
"If you really want to know." Sam's voice dropped to a whisper and he leaned forward. "Look, I don't want the other guys to know cause we get paid by the hour."
Xander was in no real mood to listen to what anyone had to say. Tara getting hurt from that demon the other night, something he could have prevented, was eating away at him. Still, he didn't want to be rude. "Go on."
Sam held up his hand showing a black featureless ring around his finger. "This is what makes it possible."
"You're saying that ring gives you super human strength."
Sam looked around and nodded. He put down the beams and took off the ring. "Here."
Xander hesitated and then slipped it on.
"Go ahead pick them up."
He lifted one beam over his shoulder. Unsurprisingly it didn't feel any lighter. He wrapped a hand around the second beam, but he couldn't lift it. Xander grinned. "Yeah, this isn't happening."
Sam tapped his head. "Part of it is in here. You have to believe you can do it. Try one more time."
Using all of his strength, Xander lifted two beams over his shoulders, but he lost his balance and fell backwards. The beams made a loud echoing sound as they crashed to the ground and workers from all around turned to look at the commotion. A few of the men chuckled as Sam helped Xander to his feet. "Somehow I don't think the feats of my strength are impressing anyone, and I think I've just killed what's left of my pride."
"I know what it's like to have bad days Xander. Keep it. You'll eventually get the hang of it."
"You won't need it?"
"Nah, my cousin's an enchanter, I can get another one. Oh just one thing. It has a tendency to make you, well..."
"Well...?"
"Reckless. Just don't wear it all the time."
Xander kept the ring on as he worked and despite not having super strength, he started to enjoy the labour. He didn't find it strange or supernatural. He was doing solid and productive work and by the end of it, he no longer saw the day as one of his bad ones.
. . .
The sky was a perfect blue. The clouds were sparse and the cool air was invigorating as it swept past Willow's skin. She looked back at Tara who held her hand. She was smiling.
"How long have we been up here?" Tara said.
Willow smiled at her. "I've completely lost track of time. I wanted to take you over the pacific islands, but I think I'm getting hungry. You hungry?"
Tara nodded. She let go of Willow's hand and they descended in a quiet park in the outskirts of San Francisco. They ordered drinks and sandwiches from a restaurant and sat in the patio area.
Willow swirled the ice cubes around with her straw. "You okay?"
Tara looked anxious. "I'm just a little woozy after flying around. First time and everything you know?" They shared smiles. "I mean, my entire life as a witch, I never thought I'd even come close to this kind of power."
"It's not too scary for you is it?"
"Oh no no. It's just, you giving me all of this magic, that demon inside of you must be pretty powerful." Tara always masked her worry with an even tone, but Willow was used to spotting it out. There was something the way her eyes shifted which gave it away.
Willow's tone dropped. "So the demon's still bothering you."
"Willow, please don't get mad. All of this," she looked around the beautifully scenery, "it's perfect. Let's just enjoy today okay?"
Willow's expression softened and she held Tara's hand. "Flosera." A white pedaled orchid appeared in Tara's hand, and she smelled it intently.
. . .
He couldn't sleep, not after the train wreck that smashed his crypt the night before. At least the TV was unharmed, the problem was that rabbit ears didn't pick up anything worth while watching this time of day. He was glad Buffy decided to visit.
"What brings you here in the middle of the day?"
Buffy rubbed her shoulders as if she was too nervous to ask something. "I was hoping that you'd share some of that... stuff. I don't have the whole secret giveaway at the hospital down just yet."
Spike smirked. "You mean, blood."
She made a frustrated sigh. "I just feel so stupid asking like this. I mean I might as well be holding out a cup with a cardboard sign around my neck saying 'Please Feed Me'. What if Willow can't fix this? What if I'm stuck helpless like this forever?" She sat down on the couch with a pouty face that Spike just adored.
"Don't sell yourself short Buffy. No matter how bad things get, you always seem to figure it out eventually. And don't think for a second that I think any less of you comin here, because I don't. My fridge, is your fridge." He took out one of the hospital blood packs, nicked the corner with his tooth and poured it into a mug, which he gave to her.
She stared at it swirling it around for a moment then she took a sip. "So, what do you vampires do for fun around here?"
"Well eating people is at the top of the list, but seeing as how I have a chip in my head and you have a soul, I think we can scratch those good times off. You, uh, a poker player?" Spike realized it was a dumb question.
"What, you mean go to one of your demon bars and sit at a table with some of your demon friends for a card game betting god-knows-what demons bet with?"
"Y-Yeah."
"Sure."
The quick reply surprised him. He smiled in approval. "I am going to give you the time of your life Summers. Trust me, me you and the guys, we're going to have a blast."
She laughed at his sweet promise to impress. She couldn't stay down over the crap in her life forever. What she needed was a distraction and was confident anything Spike threw at her would not disappoint.
