Chapter Thirty-six
Joyce threw herself wholeheartedly into the wedding plans, determined to make the best of the situation in spite of her reservations about Buffy’s lack of a normal life. Intellectually, she knew and accepted that without Spike Buffy would be unlikely to live long enough to marry and have children, but in her heart she mourned for the grandchildren she would never have.
Giles was surprisingly accepting of their engagement announcement. Prompted no doubt, by his own rapidly growing relationship with Anya. He still had concerns about the Council’s reaction to the Slayer’s marriage, but hoped they would stay on their own side of the Atlantic and trust her to run her own life.
Everyone had accepted William’s presence in Buffy’s life. And the news that the good-looking young Englishman had moved to Sunnydale to be near his former girlfriend, now fiancée, came as no surprise to anyone who had seen them together. With so much of Buffy’s time tied up in slaying business, she hadn’t had time to cultivate a lot of friends at Sunnydale University and her casual acquaintances accepted William’s presence without question.
In the evenings, Spike patrolled with Buffy, staying out of the slaying unless she seemed to need help or he had some excess energy to wear off. He loved watching her fight almost as much as he enjoyed the battle himself, and could often be found leaning casually against a tombstone and smoking a cigarette while she kicked and punched her way through small groups of vampires.
Spike had accepted the necessity of dressing like William with a reasonably good grace, forgoing his signature black leather coat except on rare occasions. He did surprise Buffy one afternoon by greeting her with a towel wrapped around his head. When he let it drop, she saw that his platinum blond curls were back and she shook her head in mock disgust.
“You are so vain,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You know that hair is going to blow your whole disguise out of the water, don’t you?”
“Been thinkin’ about it, pet. As arrogant and ignorant as the Council of Wankers is, I doubt very much if we’re fooling them about who I am. That’s even assuming they are watchin’ and even care.
“It was the claim that had the Watcher worried, not that you had hooked up with another vampire. As long as they think I’m still harmless to humans, they should be alright about us. And having it known who I am might give you a little more leverage in the demon world. Not that you need it!” he hastened to add as she began to scowl. “But I do have a bit of a rep, if I say so myself.”
He ignored Buffy’s eye roll. “Some big bads might think twice about coming here to face both an experienced Slayer and a master vampire.”
“Humph!” was Buffy’s only comment as she studied his rapidly drying hair. She had to admit to herself that she liked his “bad boy” image more than she cared to say aloud. She wasn’t completely unhappy about seeing glimmers of it emerging from William’s attractive, but less dangerous demeanor, although she was determined not to let Spike know that.
While he went back to fussing with his hair and getting his boots on, she sat in the kitchen eating her salad and thinking about how boring their evening patrols had become. Suddenly, she jumped up and ran back into the bedroom.
“Are you the Master of Sunnydale again?” she demanded of the startled vampire.
“I might be…” he said cautiously, “Depends.”
“On what?”
“On how you feel about being the wife of the Master of the city,” he admitted honestly.
“So, you ARE the Master again!”
“Um, yeah, guess I am at that, pet. There was sort of a vacancy there, you know.”
“When were you planning to let me in on this?” she growled, causing him to raise an appreciative eyebrow at her tone.
“I figured you’d notice sooner or later. Or the watcher would figure it out.”
He looked at her dubious face and said softly, “It’s not a bad thing, love. Means I have the right to say what vamps get to live here. Can whittle the ranks of nasties right down just by lettin’ them know they aren’t welcome here. I’m not trying to do you out of a job; just want to make your life a little easier, that’s all.”
Her lower lip protruded as she mulled over what he’d said.
“What if I WANT to slay things?” she asked petulantly.
He laughed at her bloodthirsty words and pulled her in for a quick kiss. “There will always be fledglings to dust, pet. Just not as many. Not to mention, we’re probably about due for another apocalypse any day now. Evil isn’t going on holiday. Your job is safe, I promise.”
“Well, okay then,” she relented, putting her arms around his neck and stepping closer to him. “Just so I still get to slay things when I want to.”
“That’s my girl,” he breathed, running his lips from her ear to her mouth. “That’s my beautiful, deadly girl.”
*****************
At that night’s Scooby meeting in the Magic Box, no one blinked when Buffy introduced Spike as the “Master of Sunnydale”. She stamped her foot in frustration when Giles just nodded and went back to the book he was studying. Anya glanced up and said cheerily, “Oh yes, I already congratulated him, Buffy.”
“Am I the only one who didn’t know about this?” she asked with a pout.
“Well, Buffy,” Willow said gently. “He IS your fiancée. I guess we all just assumed you knew it first.” Tara couldn’t suppress a giggle at Buffy’s poor attempt to pretend that she had.
“Does this mean you will be inviting demons and vampires to the wedding?” Anya inquired innocently. “Cause you’ll have to really have a good caterer if you—“
Buffy turned a terrified look on her boy friend, then sighed with relief when he shook his head.
“It’s alright, pet. I’m not one of those wankers that wants everybody bowing and scraping to him. You invite who you want to invite, and don’t worry about anybody else.”
The four girls put their heads together and began working on a potential guest list to give to Buffy’s mother, while Giles and Spike adjourned to the front of the shop to share a bottle of scotch.
“So, Watcher,” the vampire said casually, “has the whelp been sniffing around demon-girl lately?”
“Don’t call her that,” the older man snapped. “And, no, oddly enough, he hasn’t tried to reach her for several weeks now. It’s quite strange, actually. I don’t think anyone has been in contact with him, except perhaps, Willow.”
“Rupes, I’m about to tell you something that would get me staked before the weddin’ if you tell the Slayer. So I need your word that you won’t go all glasses polishing and coughing on me.”
“You have my word, Spike,” he gritted out. “I have no intention of polishing my glasses. They are quite clean, thank you!”
A skeptical eyebrow was the only response as Spike leaned forward to share with his fellow Brit the news that he and Anya had provided Buffy with images she was still trying to erase from her mind.
“Oh, dear Lord!” he muttered, automatically reaching for his glasses. A quick gesture from the vampire stayed his hand long enough for Spike to add, “We weren’t the only ones at the window, Watcher.”
“Wha-? Oh my. You don’t mean…? Oh, Bugger!”
“Indeed,” Spike sat back in his chair and lifted his glass. “The question isn’t where is the whelp, but what is he doing? There’s no way he’s going away quietly. Not with the look he had on his face.”
“Oh dear. This is going to be bloody awkward.” His eyes flew wider and he had to fight the overwhelming urge to whip off his glasses for rapid polishing. “Buffy saw? What…what did she see?”
The vampire was grinning from ear to ear. “Let’s just say she knows much more about your talents that she ever cared to,” he answered with a leer, causing another round of, “Oh dear Lords" and hand wringing. When it began to look like the ex Watcher was going to begin shredding his own skin, Spike snorted in disgust and said, “Blood hell, mate. Just polish the soddin’ glasses before you break everything in the room.”
Fortunately for the discombobulated man, the girls were too engrossed in the wedding plans to notice the conversation going on behind them and by the time they turned around to see what the men were doing, Giles had regained some control. However, the first sight of Buffy’s face destroyed all his hard-won composure and he turned almost purple when he met her questioning eyes.
Which flew immediately to the vampire for confirmation of what her watcher’s face was telling her. One look at the amused twinkle in Spike’s eyes and his apologetic shrug had Buffy turning bright red and spinning around where she couldn’t see Giles at all. Which, of course, left her facing Anya who was staring back and forth between them in confusion.
“Buffy? Is something wrong? What have you done to Giles?” she demanded possessively.
Spike’s barely suppressed belly laugh forced a glimmer of light into her puzzled eyes and she quickly looked at her lover to see if she was correct. The sight of his still-darkened face and the way he was pinching the bridge of his nose told her she had guessed right and she colored prettily before saying, “Well, they had to know sooner or later, Rupert. I don’t know why you are making such a big deal out of it.”
Giles ventured a look at the table full of young women and saw only mild curiosity on their faces. Buffy was still avoiding his eyes, but had lightened up to a pink shade and was looking at Anya somewhat sympathetically.
She reached a hand over to cover Anya’s hand, ignoring the ex demon’s surprise at the gesture, she said softly, “Xander knows, too, Anya.” Buffy gulped hard and continued, “I…we…he…we were all on our way to see Giles a couple of weeks ago – it was the night we got engaged, and Xander was coming here too for some reason…”she paused to frown at that thought, remembering that he’d never said why he was going to the Magic Box.
“We never saw you that night,” Anya said. “I would have remembered.”
While Buffy blushed and stammered, Spike strolled over and whispered in the ex demon’s ear. She sat up with a start, looking first at him, then at Buffy’s blushing face and finally at her embarrassed-looking lover for confirmation. She started to shrug it off, then her eyes flew back to Buffy’s as she realized who had been with them.
“Xander was here? Here, as in, peeping in the window with you?”
“We WEREN’T peeping!” Buffy said indignantly. “I was just trying to see if anybody was in here and then we…you…I WASN’T peeping!”
“I was!” Spike said cheerfully, holding up his hand. “Quite a show, I have to say.”
A glower and a Ripper-like curse from the older man had him stepping behind Buffy just in case a stake came in his direction. The two witches quickly figured out what was going on and giggled in sympathetic embarrassment.
Suddenly Willow’s eyes went wide and she looked at Buffy as she said, “Did you say Xander was there too? Oh Goddess.” She moaned as she slumped back in her chair. “That explains it.”
“Explains what?”
“He called me that night – well, morning really. About three or four AM, I guess. He was really drunk and I didn’t pay much attention to what he was saying at first. He was all, ‘demons this’ and ‘demons that’ and ‘normal people need to stick together’. Stuff like that.”
She blushed lightly, looked apologetically at Anya and Spike, and continued, “Then Tara woke up and asked me what was wrong and he heard her…I thought he knew…I mean I didn’t actually tell him, but he’s with us all the time, and I…” She sighed softly. “I guess he didn’t, because he got real quiet and then he said, ‘So, it’s just me, then. I have to fix this myself.’ And he hung up.”
Tara reached over and put a comforting hand on Willow’s arm, murmuring in her ear soothingly.
“And you haven’t heard from him since?” Giles frowned slightly, his embarrassment forgotten as he sensed potential danger.
Willow shook her head “no” and said softly, “I tried to call him back the next day, but he isn’t answering his phone. I think he got fired from his job, cause when I tried to call him there they told me if I saw him, I should tell him not to bother coming back. I hope nothing bad has happened to him,” she said anxiously. She and Buffy exchanged looks as they flashed back to tenth grade and the loss of Xander’s friend Jesse when he became a vampire.
“He’s probably fine,” Anya said with a touch of asperity. “He’ll surface when he runs out of money for alcohol.”
“Sure,” Buffy said. “He’ll be fine. He knows how to take care of himself. He’s just really upset with all of us right now and probably doesn’t want to see us. I bet he’ll show up at the wedding,” she finished brightly.
The ex-Watcher and the vampire exchanged a look that said neither of them was as optimistic about Xander’s ability to forgive and forget as the girls were.
“We can only hope he will not do anything foolish in the meantime,” Giles said quietly. “Nothing that will get anyone hurt.”
“Giles! It’s Xander!” Willow’s shocked voice provoked another exchange of looks between the two men in the room. “You know he wouldn’t do anything to hurt any of us. He loves us!”
“He loves his vision of you, Red. All of you. And I suspect, in his eyes, right now none of you are living up to that perfect image.” Spike spoke quietly, but with conviction.
Even as Giles nodded his head in agreement, Buffy and Willow protested the uncharitable view of their friend’s temperament. Anya just looked thoughtful, and did not leap to support her ex-boyfriend’s character the way the other girls did. Since Tara did not really know Xander all that well, having only been around him in groups, she could only go by what she’d seen in his aura and that tended to make her agree with the concern being expressed by the vampire.
Stubbornly insisting that the angry young man would show up at the wedding, sober and contrite, Buffy and Willow went back to their planning for the happy event.
AN: Okay, for all wedding purists/aficionados/etc. – I am NOT a wedding person. (Although I DO like the after-wedding parties!) Didn’t get much into my own ? years ago, to my mother’s chagrin, and, to my daughter’s disgust, I’m not much into planning hers. So this was a very hard chapter for me to write, as was the next one. I hope I’ve put enough hearts and flowers and atmosphere into it not to disappoint, but for those of you who want detailed descriptions of wedding gowns, bridesmaid’s dress, the bouquets, etc., I’m sorry. It’s just NOT happenin’!! Spike and Buffy didn’t seem to care, anyway…..
Chapter Thirty-seven
As the evening approached for the wedding of Buffy Anne Summers and William (the Bloody) Carlisle, worries about Xander and his possible response to the anticipated event were pushed to the background. With the guest list consisting only of those humans who would be comfortable mixing with supernatural beings and those few vampires and demons that Spike considered friends, Joyce had decided they should hold the wedding in the back yard. A portable arbor, covered with ribbons and night-blooming jasmine would serve as the backdrop for the simple civil ceremony.
The Justice of the Peace was a life-long denizen of Sunnydale and he didn’t blink an eye at the unusual collection of guests, even greeting one of the demons by name as they nodded to each other. Buffy had met Clem some time ago and wasn’t surprised to find that the affable, wrinkled, demon had many friends, including some humans. She gave him a quick smile from the window as she peered out to see how close they were to beginning.
She saw Justin and his mother finding seats on the folding chairs provided and smiled to herself at the way they blended in. Proof positive that humans and demons could co-exist and even raise families together.
Less well blended was Teddy, the gentle, but huge, vampire she’d met the night she moved in. He stood uncomfortably at the back of the garden, arms folded and human face to the fore. There was no mistaking what he was, though, and most of the humans gave him a wide berth. Buffy saw the hurt on his face when he smiled at one of her mother’s employees and the woman almost cringed as she scuttled to her seat.
(Note to self. Need to find a nice vampire girl for Teddy.)
She turned at the sound of the door opening to find her mother standing there gazing at Buffy with tears in her eyes. Immediately, the Slayer’s eyes were wet also as she ran to her mother to hug her.
“Thank you for doing his for us, Mom,” she whispered into her mother’s corsage. “I know it’s not what you wanted for me, but—“
Joyce pushed her daughter back so that she could look into her eyes and said firmly, “The only thing I want is for you to be safe and loved. And I know William is the…man…to do that. Of course I wish I could look forward to grandchildren some day, but it is much more important to me to know that you are going to be loved and cared for after I’m gone.”
She walked Buffy over to the dresser and stood beside her as they gazed into the mirror. She saw an attractive blond woman in a sea-foam blue dress standing next to a radiantly beautiful blond girl dressed in an elegantly simple, fitted, white gown and an antique lace veil. Joyce had used all her contacts in the art and antique world to locate a wedding veil from the Victorian era and she was confident she’d found the perfect one.
Buffy’s wide eyes and generous mouth were framed by the intricate lace pattern. Small tendrils of blond hair peeked out from behind it, softening the stark look of the simple gown and upswept hairdo.
“You are very beautiful,” her mother whispered, smiling damply into the mirror.
“I inherited it from my mother,” Buffy quipped, trying to lighten the mood.
“Well, of course you did!” Joyce said brightly. “Now, let’s go get you married!”
Downstairs in the kitchen, the man who had taken the place of Buffy’s too-often MIA father paced back and forth as he waited for his slayer/surrogate daughter to come down. He knew that, had her father been in the country, her mother would have insisted the man at least be asked to give his daughter away. However, since he wasn’t, Buffy was able to follow through on what she’d wanted to do when under Willow’s spell and have the man who did his best to fill the role of loving father be the one by her side today.
When he looked up at the sound of footsteps to see Buffy walk timidly into the room, he felt the prickle of tears behind his eyes at the sight of her. Taking her hand and kissing it gently, he managed to get out, “You are without a doubt the most beautiful bride in the world. And if that vampire doesn’t take good care of you, I will personally torture him for all eternity.”
“Uh, gee, Giles. Thanks. I guess.”
Buffy basked at the love in the room coming from her mother, her watcher and her best friend. Willow was waiting impatiently at the door, clutching her flowers and smoothing her pale green dress.
She beamed at Buffy and began a mentally rehearsed string of sentences completely uninterrupted by pauses for breath. “Ok, Buffy. I’m all ready to do the maid-of-honor thing. I can carry your train. Or your flowers. Or hand you a hankie if you start to cry. Remind you to say “I do, smile for the photographer, and…and…stopping now. No more babbling. Out of air,” she gasped, leaning against the counter.
Outside, a nervous vampire stood behind the hedge, smoking his tenth cigarette and fidgeting with his tie as he waited for the signal to come out.
“What the bloody hell is taking so long?” he grumbled, stubbing out his butt and immediately lighting another one. “How long can it take to put on one dress?”
“Relax, Spike,” Clem answered calmly. “It’s not time yet. Guests are still arriving.”
“Here we go now,” he said, touching Spike’s arm and waiting for him to drop another half-finished cigarette onto the growing pile.
They walked out to their designated place under the arbor, joining Willow in front of the Justice of the Peace. They stopped where he indicated and turned to look toward the house. Over the heads of the seated guests, the vampire caught his first look at a vision in white lace floating out the kitchen door on the arm of an older man who was visibly fighting back tears.
The sight of Buffy in her gown and veil hit Spike like a falling building and if not for Clem’s steadying hand he was sure he would have dropped to his knees. His gasp of surprise and wonder was audible to everyone in the small yard.
Demons and humans all stood as Giles and Buffy came down the few steps from the porch and began to walk toward the waiting groom. The torches that were burning around the edges of the yard seemed suddenly unnecessary as the full moon took that moment to come from behind a cloud and cast a silvery glow over everything.
Buffy stared at her future husband, admiring the way the light seemed to form a halo around his platinum head and the grace with which he wore the tuxedo she’d insisted upon. The expression on his face as he watched her walk toward him made her shiver all over. The mix of adoration, lust, possessiveness and awe was almost overwhelming. For just a second, her innate insecurity about men caused her to falter and wonder what she’d done to deserve such a look.
Then her surrogate father’s grip on her hand tightened and she picked up her head and smiled at the man waiting for her. When she got to the arbor, Giles gave Spike his best “I’m the Ripper and you’d better take good care of her” glare, then kissed her forehead and left to join Joyce in the front row.
When the moon came out and illuminated the entire yard, it picked up the silken threads in Buffy’s lace veil, giving her a sparkling aura that everyone could see. There was a collective gasp as she entered the yard surrounded by a silvery shimmer. Spike felt rooted to the spot, wanting at once to throw her to the ground and ravish her with his lips and fangs, and, simultaneously, to fling himself at her feet, declaring himself unworthy.
While the demon and William battled for the appropriate response, inertia held him in place until Giles placed Buffy’s hand in his and her nervous smile released him from his paralysis. Giving her hand a gently squeeze, he returned her smile and they turned together to face the smiling Justice of the Peace.
(This has got to be one of the most unusual and beautiful couples I have every married. And, one of the most in love, if I can go by their expressions.)
The justice was so entranced by the couple in front of him, he almost forgot to start the ceremony. Only Clem’s cleared throat jolted him out of his stupor.
(The expression on Spike’s face was worth every second and every penny I spent to find that veil. I’ll have to remember to tell him that was my wedding present to him, as well as Buffy. I guess he’ll find out about my other presents later tonight.)
Joyce smiled quietly to herself, as she thought about the other items she had bought for Buffy to wear at her wedding.
As the justice began the short legal ceremony, there was a stir just outside the yard and just as he reached the part where he asked if anyone knew of a reason the couple should not be joined, there was a collective groan when Xander burst through the hedges shouting, “Hell yes, there’s a reason. Tell them, guys!”
He stood aside and gestured to the very British-looking man right behind him, smiling triumphantly as he did so. Buffy’s face went white as the man stepped into the yard and the light hit his face. He was accompanied by several burly men in business suits who strode into the yard as though they owned it and positioned themselves around the perimeter.
“Who the hell is that?” Spike growled, his eyes flashing amber as he heard Buffy’s heart beat speed up and caught the scent of her fear.
“It’s Quentin Travers,” she whispered nervously. “The head of the Watchers’ Council.
Giles had risen to his feet as soon as he recognized Travers and the look on his face caused the closest bodyguard to move closer and reach into his jacket. Travers stopped him with a raised hand and fixed his eyes on the Slayer and the tense vampire standing beside her.
Beside him, Xander was gesturing toward the interrupted couple and panting, “You see. I wasn’t lying. She’s marrying William the Bloody.”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
I'm trying to get this all posted before the weekend, so updates will contain multiple chapters probably. I hope that doesn't confuse anyone.