“Marriage is the union of two divinities that a third might be born on earth. It is the union of two souls in a strong love for abolishment of separateness. It is the higher unity, which fuses the separate unities within the two spirits. It is the golden ring in a chain whose beginning is a glance, and whose ending is Eternity. It is the pure rain that falls from an unblemished sky to fructify and bless the fields of divine Nature.”
~ Kahill Gibran
Buffy and Anya’s dresses were in a black carrying dress bag. The guys had arrived with a similar dress bag carrying their tuxes. Spike’s hair had been re-dyed and cut to look deadly and definitely sexy while Xander had just gone with a trim.
Buffy did a twirl in front of Spike teasing him slightly, “What ya think of my hair?”
Spike grinned risking the urge to run his fingers through the curls hoping he’d get a chance to do so tonight as he whispered, “It’s beautiful, luv, very sexy.”
Buffy smiled and leaned up against him. Spike smiled, “I bought something for you.”
Buffy looked up at him and looked curious, “What did you buy me?”
Spike looked slightly embarrassed and he took her aside, “Here pet.”
He gently placed the black box into her hands. She knew it wasn’t a ring because it was a bigger box so she opened it and found inside a string of beautiful white pearls and matching white pearl earrings.
She immediately jumped around his waist giving him a big kiss then whispered, “I wanted to go jewelry shopping but forgot with the excitement of Anya and my hairdos. This is beautiful and perfect! Thank you, thank you.”
Spike grinned very happy to see she appreciated and loved the gift.
Xander cleared his throat, “Um I’d like to get on with my wedding night sometime tonight and I don’t really want to watch you guys get it on so can we get this show on the road?”
Anya stated looking very eager, “I need Spike and Buffy to hold on to each other, Xander you can do what you’ve been doing and I’ll touch Buffy’s shoulder and we can be off. Just Spike and Buffy, don’t let go of each other. I’m hoping it counts you as one. I usually can only carry two with me.” Spike smirked and picked up Buffy to carry her like a baby and she laughed and Anya smiled, “That will probably work better. Ready?”
Xander wrapped his arms around her waist and she touched Spike’s shoulder and Buffy closed her eyes as they disappeared from Columbus, Ohio.
Anya was sitting on the windowsill looking outside as Buffy fluffed the lace around her dress one more time. Both girls looked stunning.
Buffy looked at Anya and whispered, “Nervous?”
Anya shook her head, “I’ve already been through this almost. Xander assures me this time it’s for keeps and I trust him. We love each other and I think losing me once and having me die once is enough to make him realize I’m the one for him. It won’t be easy but it will be what we want. Think you and Spike will ever get married?”
Buffy got a far away look in her eyes and then looked at Anya and nodded, “I do and what’s surprising is that I really want it. I regret all the time I’ve wasted being mean to him. It was such a waste. This is our hundredth try. It will be better this time. I just know it.”
Buffy heard the music signaling them and she whispered to Anya, “Ready?”
Anya nodded and Buffy walked slowly down the aisle stepping back to make room for Anya to stand in front of Xander.
Spike gasped when he saw how beautiful Buffy was. She looked amazingly perfect. He couldn’t wait until their wedding day. She would be his finally.
He toyed with the rings for Xander in his suit pocket and toyed with the other box in his other pocket. He would be carrying that in his pocket until the time was right.
Anya also looked pretty. He was really glad to see the demon girl getting with the whelp. They were really a cute couple. She was nice and deserved someone good and he hoped that Xander would meet the bill. He had questioned Xander today and his heart seemed to be in the right place. He even cried for a few minutes when talking about Anya’s death and how hard it was on him. He compared it to how Buffy felt and said the two of them fed off each other with their pain, which is why they went to separate corners of the world.
Anya and Xander were getting their second chance like Buffy and he were. He heard the words of the whelp was saying, “I, Xander, take you, Anya, to be my partner, loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not yet know. I eagerly anticipate the chance to grow together, getting to know the woman you will become, and falling in love a little more every day. I promise to love and cherish you though whatever life may bring us.” He smiled as he thought about the fact he wanted to write his own vows with Buffy. Those vows were pretty but not meaningful enough for him. He’d want something pretty and special.
Buffy was listening to the vows being said. She heard Anya say, “I, Anya, take you, Xander, to be my partner loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not yet know. I eagerly anticipate the chance to grow together, getting to know the man you will become, and falling in love a little more every day. I promise to love and cherish you though whatever life may bring us.”
Buffy smiled and looked over at Spike noticing he was smiling at her as well.
I looked up seeing Spike standing against the wall. He looked up at me, “Hello Buffy.”
His voice was so sexy and he looked so sad so I tried to put up a smile, “Hey.”
Spike said, “It’s a happy occasion. Did you meet my friend?”
I shook my head deciding to call him on it, “No, not yet but she seems like a very nice attempt to make me jealous.”
He sighed, “Is it working?”
He almost looked so hopeful that I knew I couldn’t lie to him so I replied, “A little. It doesn’t change anything but if you’re wildly curious, yeah it hurts.”
Spike looked so sorry as he offered an apology, “I’m sorry.” Then he changed his facial expression remembering it was his goal, “Well good.”
He still didn’t seem to believe himself and I couldn’t help but show the pain on my face so he asked politely, “Do you want us to go?”
I wanted to still see him. I wanted to apologize and go with him. I wanted us to work but I couldn’t. My friends and sister’s life were in my hands and I had to do the right thing and give up my life for theirs. So I took a deep breath, “No, you have every right to be here. I pretty much deserve…”
Spike cut me off though, “That’s not true.” Then rolled his eyes looking miserable, “God this is hard.”
I couldn’t stop myself from admitting, “Yeah” and meaning it. I hated doing this to him.
So he stated, “I think we’ll go.”
I couldn’t stop the words from coming out of my mouth as I asked in a desperate voice, “Go where? Your place?”
I wanted him to take me aside and make me listen to him and be with him but instead he admitted, “Yeah I suppose. That was the idea.”
I couldn’t stop my pathetic, “Yeah.”
He looked kind of torn as he continued, “Evil.” As though that explained it all away.
So I replied, “Of course” knowing that wasn’t the excuse.
I had brought this down on myself. He must have seen my face as he tried to will away my pain, “But I won’t. err” as he rolled his eyes frustrated with himself. He finally said in defeat, “I’ll just go. Give my best to whatever, happy couple.”
I knew it was for the best even if it wasn’t what I wanted so I gave a gently nod, “I will” with my thoughts drifting back to us.
God this was so hard but I had to be strong. I did this to myself. So I tried to focus on Spike’s voice, “It’s nice to watch you be happy, for them. I don’t see that a lot. You glow.”
He looked so in awe that I wanted to jump him right there but instead I tried to lighten the mood, “That’s because the dress is radioactive.”
Spike and I both shared a laugh and it made me long for the times we spent together even more. I knew I had duties to do, “I should…”
And he only replied with, “Yeah.” He stopped me in my tracks as he asked again as his eyes reflected the pain he felt knowing my eyes shined with it as well, “But it hurts.”
I knew he deserved a full answer. Tears welling up in my eyes and all, I took a deep breath and turned around admitting, “Yeah” knowing the pain would show in my eyes.
He looked miserable as he said a quick, “Thanks” and walked away.
It took all my power in me not to curl up in a corner of the room and cry. I watched him walk away and whispered softly, “You’re welcome” knowing he couldn’t hear it. I knew even with his advanced hearing, there was no way he could hear my voice.
I watched him take his date’s hand and told her, “Let’s go.”
She replied, “What about the wedding?”
He was upset and said in a voice that was barely controlled with anger, “Let’s just piss off” and slammed out of it.
I took a deep breath and wiped my eyes stopping the tears before they messed up my makeup too much.
Buffy’s thoughts faded away with the memory. She took a deep breath and looked up at Spike who was noticing her mood change and offered a gentle smile to attempt to cheer her up. She smiled at him and decided that she would do anything in her ability possible to make sure this time their relationship was different. It would be easier without all the hassle from Xander being against it.
She looked at Anya who seemed to glow with happiness as she looked down at the ring Xander had just put on her finger and she watched Xander’s expression looking at the ring on his finger. He looked totally happy and he didn’t look a bit nervous. She listened to the preacher talking and then heard, “I know pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Xander and Anya didn’t have to be told twice and Spike and Buffy as well as the preacher clapped as a few photographs were snapped again. He had been snapping pictures all through the wedding. She wondered if they were free or were expensive. She smiled as Xander stated with a big grin plastered on his face, “Let’s go to the Diner and pig out.”
Anya slapped his arm, “Don’t go pigging out and then getting all sleepy on me. This is my night for many orgasms as an honest woman. I won’t have you refusing my rights as a wife!”
Spike wagged an eyebrow at Buffy who laughed knowing Xander was in for it now. She just hoped he knew what he was getting into for the ride of his life but Xander only laughed and gave her a gentle kiss, “It will be perfect, I promise.”
Spike took Buffy’s hand and Xander took Anya’s and the two couples went to eat at the restaurant in the hotel where they had just gotten married.
Xander barely finished his meal before Anya was dragging him off to go upstairs. Anya stopped to give Buffy a big hug saying, “Thank you so much for sharing this day with me. It means a lot to me. If you and Spike ever decide to take the leap of faith let me know. I’ll be right there cheering you on and I imagine Xander will be there probably not cheering but he will be there.”
Buffy smiled and gave Anya another hug whispering, “Congrats Mrs. Anya Harris.”
Anya got tears in her eyes whispering, “I’ll never be Anya Jenkins again. Now I’m all yours Xander.” She threw herself into his arms and he chuckled.
He had been slapping Spike on the back thanking him for his help in making today special for both he and Anya. Spike had actually been being nice and telling him he was glad he could be there. It was a male bonding time between Xander and Spike and Buffy was amazed by it. She could see it was already all different.
She watched as Xander carried Anya into the elevator and Spike turned towards Buffy asking, “Ok pet. What do you want to do? We can either catch a flight back to Columbus tonight even though you had told Faith you wouldn’t be back tonight. We could have a night out on the town full of dancing, bar hopping, pool playing before coming home and making love until the morning. Or we can just skip all that and go straight to the love making.”
Buffy took Spike’s hands in hers, “What do you want to do?”
Spike looked surprised, “I’d like to go somewhere where I can dance with you in public. So I can show the world that we are really together. I know it won’t be like the Bronze…”
He trailed off and Buffy smiled at him, “Sounds perfect. I need to do some burning of energy tonight. Can we do a round in the cemetery after and show these vamps how you and me enjoy a night out on the town?”
Spike laughed out loud taking her hand to walk out into the night, “Dancing, violence and sex. What more can a bloke ask for?”
Buffy shook her head and they walked hand in hand in perfect sync.