Chapter 17: Plans
A week or so later
Buffy stared down at the long list in her hand with a look of horror. Decorations, hair, makeup, dinner party, host guests, bachelorette party, listening to the bride bitch…the list just kept going.
“You want me to do all this?” She asked, her eyes wide.
Anya, who was moving table arrangements, glanced up, “Of course. Those are your duties as the maid of honor.”
Both girls were sitting in Anya and Xander’s apartment late Tuesday evening working on wedding details. Buffy was at lost at what to do, seeing as the only wedding she’d ever been to was her Aunt Lyz’s when she was five.
“Oh! Buffy,” Anya reached over for her list, “Make sure you add something about practicing your speech with Spike.”
Buffy froze, her pen in hand, “Uh…practice?” She vaguely remembered Anya mentioning it before.
Anya gave her a weird look, “Of course! How else are your coordinating speeches going to work?”
Before Buffy could protest, the phone rang and Anya jumped up to answer it. “Hello?”
There was a pause before Anya’s face brightened, “Oh Hallie, hi! Did you see the dresses? I wasn’t sure whether…”
Buffy tuned out Anya’s bubbly chatter, her mind drifting. It was only ten days to the wedding and everyone was rushed, especially her and Anya. They’d finalized the photographer and the party arrangers, or whatever Anya called them. Buffy had triple-checked with the catering service and with the bakery. Anya had confirmed with the bridal shop for the dresses and tuxes. Now all that was left was to successfully host the dinner and wedding.
Joy, Buffy thought glumly. A sudden vibration on her hip made her jump slightly and she pulled out her cell phone, flipping it open and saw ‘Home’ flashing on the screen. “Hey Dawn. Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” Dawn replied with a yawn, “When are you coming home?”
Buffy glanced over at Anya pacing rapidly, her mouth moving a mile a minute. “Probably not for at least another hour. Go to sleep, I’ll come in and say good night when I get back.”
Dawn made a sympathetic noise, “Have fun.”
“Oh, you know I will,” Buffy replied, her voice tinged with sarcasm. The sisters said their goodbyes and Buffy placed her phone back into her pant pocket.
“Buffy?” Anya called, “Can you get me my phone book?” Buffy let out a sigh and trudged over to Anya, book in hand.
Will this ever end? Buffy wondered.
**************************
Spike sat in his seat on the airplane, shifting uncomfortably. Bloody airplanes, he thought with a wince. He’d never liked airplanes, being so high in the air always made him feel unsettled and nervous. And that’s not the only reason you’re feeling nervous now, he told himself.
It was because of Buffy. He’d resisted the urge to call her since he’d been in England, trying as hard as he could to give her space. A part of him was furious at her for brushing his declaration of love for her as a drunken slip all because she liked to live in denial when things didn’t go her way.
But god he loved her.
Spike exhaled noisily, rubbing his head. He still couldn’t wrap his mind around the way he felt about her. She was amazing. As simple as the statement was, it summed up everything about Buffy Summers. Her determination, her loyalty, her kindness, though it wasn’t usual directed at him, and her all-around strength both physical and mental. And, he thought with a chuckle, the fact that all that came in a tight little blonde package didn’t hurt.
Spike had always been attracted to her. The first time he had met her, the spark of anger in her eyes and the sway of her hips had entranced him. But as the years progress, he’d made himself believe all it he felt was hatred for her.
Until that night.
Something in him snapped and an inkling of hope had seeped back into his mind. The idea that maybe…maybe they could be together, that there was something more there. And till Buffy gave him the cold brush off, he’d thought she’d felt it too.
Then he’d made the choice to return four years later, figuring they’d both matured, overcome their petty annoyance and he could try again. Spike knew everything had been going fairly well, except for Buffy’s lunkhead of a boyfriend, till he blew it. His hope had been crushed once more, but at least this time it was a legitimate reason. Spike could fully admit he’d buggered everything up, but he wanted to try again. After all, third times the charm and Spike Giles wasn’t one for giving up.
Suddenly the loudspeaker crackled to life. “Please fasten your seatbelts and we will arrive in Sunnydale, California shortly.”
*****************************
The next afternoon, Buffy and Dawn entered their house, tossing bags and coats on the floor.
“Blech!” Dawn grumbled, “I can’t believe how much homework I have!”
Buffy settled herself on the couch, propping her feet up on the table. “Ugh, tell me why I applied for this job?”
Dawn reclined her head on the sofa and closed her eyes, “’Cause we need to pay the bills.”
Buffy nodded slowly, “Right, forgot about that.” She let out a loud yawn. Anya had kept her till past midnight, fine-tuning all the seating and living arrangements. Buffy was now saddled with two of Xander’s relatives who were too lazy to pay for a hotel. She winced; having guest meant preparing her old room into a mature-looking guestroom with clean sheets.
Yay, Buffy thought sarcastically, more work.
“Are we meeting everyone at the Magic Box later?” Dawn asked, turning on the TV.
Buffy sighed, “Yeah. Anya and I are finding-“ Buffy stopped, her eyes wide. She cleared her throat, glancing at her sister quickly. “Uh, flowers. We’re finding more flowers.”
Dawn raised an eyebrow, giving her sister a ‘that didn’t fool me’ look. “Uh-huh.”
Buffy rolled her eyes, “Okay! We’re finding strippers for the bachelorette party. A party which you are in no way under any circumstances invited to.”
Dawn scoffed, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder. “Please Buffy, I’ll be eighteen in three months. I could order my own strippers then.”
Buffy’s eyes went round and Dawn quickly added, “Not that I would. No siree.”
Dawn’s cell phone rang and she jumped up to answer it, grateful for the interruption. “Hello?” she asked.
Dawn paused for a minute, before gesturing to Buffy she was going upstairs.
Probably her Janice and her latest boy problem, Buffy thought dismissively and search the TV for a different channel, anything to get away from the hideous noise of the latest boy-band. Moments later, her stomach grumbled and Buffy stood up to ask Dawn if she wanted a snack as well. She climbed the stairs and paused outside of Dawn’s room, unintentionally catching bits of her conversation
“…Just trust me, okay? This will work out fine. I know what I’m doing.”
Buffy rapped on the door, “Dawn, do you want a snack? I’m having a major craving for popcorn.”
She heard something crash accompanied by a high-pitch yelp and the door flew open, revealing a breathless Dawn. “Jeez! Startle much?”
Buffy rolled her eyes, “Maybe if you weren’t such a spaz. So, do you want something to eat?”
Dawn nodded, “Sure, I’ll be down in a sec.”
Buffy nodded and headed back downstairs to fix herself and Dawn some apples and popcorn. As she was slicing apples, Buffy’s mind drifted off to her main concern lately. Spike.
He was supposed to arrive with in the next couple of days for the wedding and her nerves were shot to hell. She had no idea what she was going to do when she saw him. They still needed to have that talk. Buffy sighed. If she’d thought things had been confusing when Spike left after high school, then this was ten times worse.
In the past month, Buffy had tried to come up with a clear definition for what Spike meant to her, but he just fell in the murky, gray area that she hated so much. Maybe, Buffy thought optimistically, talking to him again at the wedding will help. And maybe, they could really move on, no more lingering strings.
“Hey Buff, ready to go?” Dawn asked as she entered the kitchen, snagging a couple apple slices.
“Huh?” Buffy blinked and shook her head to clear her thoughts. “Yeah, let me just grab my bag.”
Buffy’s distraction seemed to affect her driving and Dawn said a quick prayer of thanks to whatever god spared her.
“God Dawn, melodramatic much?” Buffy snapped, feeling a little embarrassed as she almost hit a little old lady crossing the street.
Dawn’s mouth dropped and her eyebrows shot up, “Buffy you almost hit the poor lady!”
Buffy scoffed, “She was still on the sidewalk!”
Somehow they made it to the Magic Box in one piece with just a little dent on the door.
Dawn had informed the others of her horrific driving and the group teased her mercilessly and Buffy sat down the chair, sulking.
“Oh sweetie,” Willow said suppressing a little giggle. “You know we love you but if your driving was worse than usual…”
Xander sniggered and even Giles broke out into a small grin, which he tried to keep hidden. Anya seemed to be the only not laughing; she was too occupied talking to Hallie, who had arrived that morning, about the flowers.
Buffy felt a twinge of guilt and she notice Xander’s face fall at the sight of a very stressed out Anya.
Xander nodded his head in his fiancé’s direction, “I’m gonna go see what that’s about.”
Buffy gave him an encouraging smile, “You should. I think she’s kinda freaking.”
Xander let out a little laugh, “She’s not the only one. With half of my family here, I don’t think I’ve had so much alcohol missing since Spike decided to have a massive drinking contest junior year.” His reference to his family was tinged with bitter, something Buffy picked up on and gave him a sympathetic smile.
She tried to look positively for him, “Think they’ll be gone by the end of the week and you and Anya will be in Hawaii soaking up the rays.”
Buffy paused as his words replayed in her mind, “Wait, what drinking contest?”
“Well,” a very familiar accented male voice drawled, “I think it was ‘round the end of the year and the whelp here thought he could drink me under the table. Fairly certain I won when Harris wouldn’t come out of the bathroom.”
Buffy turned, her words caught in her throat, to see Spike standing in the enterence of the shop, thumbs looped through his belt loops.
Spike’s eyes caught hers and he flashed his patented smirk, “Hello Buffy.”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
thanks to my new beta! Enjoy this chapter, I posted 2 at a time cos I felt so bad about the delay.