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Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's chapter four for you. Hope you like it!
I don't own any of the characters.
Thanks to my beta, Nichole.
4 I do


“So, what is this master plan of yours?” Buffy asked a few hours later, as they laid in bed.

“Well, I know we can’t have a traditional wedding or marriage, but there are other things we can do.” Spike said and Buffy raised a questioning eye brow. “Talked to Red, she said there’s a Wiccan ceremony called handfasting, that is like a wedding ceremony. It’s performed by a High Priestess, and it just happened she and Glinda knew one. They talked to her and she agreed to come here next weekend.”

“Next weekend!” Buffy sat up. “We’re gonna do it now?”

“We can move it if you want, love, no problem.” Spike reassured her. “I just thought you’d want to do it before the baby gets here, make it all good and proper, y’know.”

“Oh.” Buffy laid back down and was quiet while considering what he had said. “I guess that would be good. It’s just, when I imagined my wedding when I was little, being eight months pregnant wasn’t really a part of it.”

“I know, baby.” Spike gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Things don’t always turn out the way you expect them to.”

*****

“I am never going to find a dress that doesn’t make me look like a hippo!” Buffy declared after the fifth store. She, Willow, Tara, Dawn and Anya had been at the Sunnydale mall for over three hours now, and they were all getting bored. The other girls had already found their dresses, and only Buffy’s was left. She, however, had discarded every dress they had looked at so far, claiming they made her look fat.

Buffy had decided not to go with the traditional wedding clothes. After all, it wasn’t a traditional wedding. Buffy had, however, decided that she wanted them all to match, so they had decided on various shades of purple. Other than that, Dawn, Willow, Tara and Anya, who were going to be bridesmaids, had been allowed to pick out their own dresses.

“I need to sit down for a while.” Buffy announced. “Let’s get something to eat.”

They made their way to the food court and got what they wanted to eat before finding a table. Buffy sighed as she sat down and Willow gave her a concerned look.

“You OK, sweetie?” The red head asked, and Buffy nodded.

“Just my back, as usual.” She said. “It’s killing me.”

“Are you using the electric pad that we got you?” Tara asked and Buffy nodded.

“Yeah, it’s great. But, you know, not so portable.”

Dawn, who was sitting next to Buffy, used her right hand to rub her sister’s lower back. Buffy moaned at the feeling.

“That feel better?” Dawn asked.

“Much much better.” Buffy replied, eyes closed. “Thank you.”

“Is everything planned for Saturday?” Anya asked before she bit into her hamburger.

“Pretty much.” Buffy answered her. “Spike’s got everything he needs, he and Xander, believe it or not, got suites the other day. I was surprised they didn’t kill each other.”

“Xander has been really... OK with all of this, hasn’t he?” Willow said.

“I think he’s finally realized that if he wants to stay in your life he’s going to have to accept that Spike is a part of it too.” Anya said, and Buffy gave her a suspicious look.

“You sure about that?” She asked. “Cause that doesn’t sound like the Xander we all know and love.”

“Well, he hasn’t said anything really, it’s more a feeling I get.” Anya replied. “Besides, he hasn’t called Spike Dead Boy or Captain Peroxide in weeks.”

*****

“OK, break over, time to go!” Buffy announced and used the table for support as she stood up, the others following her lead. “We’ve got a dress to find.”

They went through another thee stores before Buffy finally found a dress she liked. Then they started looking for shoes and accessories and before they went home, they stopped at a beauty parlor to make appointments for the following Saturday. It was past nine P.M. when Willow dropped Buffy and Dawn off at Revello Drive, and they had left at three.

“Find everything you were looking for?” Spike asked as he met them in the hallway. He took the bags from Buffy and she followed him into the living room.

“Yep, found it all.” Buffy replied.

“After about a million stores.” Dawn added as she passed them on her way to the kitchen.

“Oh, come on, Dawnie, it wasn’t that bad.” Buffy called after her and Spike gave her a demanding look. “OK, it was that bad.” Buffy admitted and sat down on the couch. “It’s not my fault I look like a whale. Nothing looks good on me.” She whined.

“You do not look like a whale.” Spike said and sat down beside her. “You have never been more beautiful.”

“You only say that because it’s your fault I look like this in the first place.” Buffy countered.

“No, I said it because I mean it. Look at me.” He turned Buffy’s face so he could look into her eyes. “You are beautiful. Yes, I may be a little partial, but that’s not the point. I would love you if you weighed ten pounds, and I would love you if you weighed a thousand, OK?”

Buffy nodded, tears filling her eyes. She wiped them away, annoyed.

“I am so emotional right now, I’m sorry.” She leaned her head against Spike’s shoulder.

“You have every right to be.” Spike said, placing a kiss on top of Buffy’s head.

“Damn right I do.”

*****

Spike looked around the garden. Willow, Tara, Anya and Dawn had spent almost the entire afternoon decorating, and now, as the sun had set, it was beautiful. There were lanterns in the trees and in one end of the garden an alter had been set up. Serena, the high priestess, was standing behind it arranging candles and flowers. From the back porch, a long, white piece of silk had been laid on the ground, leading up to the altar and acting as an aisle, lined with dozens of candles.

“Getting cold feet?” He heard Xander come up behind him.

“No way.” He replied and turned to face the other man.

“Good. Cause this is the real thing. No backing out now.”

“Could never do that.” Spike said, his voice deep with emotion. Xander gave him a pat on the shoulder.

“Know the feeling, man.” He said with a longing look. “Know the feeling.” Spike gave Xander an evaluating look. He knew that Xander and Anya had been talking a lot lately, and Dawn seemed to think they were getting back together. Time would tell.

“OK, they’re ready.” Giles said, peaking out through the back door before closing it again. The girls had been helping Buffy get ready inside, and Giles had gone in to check how it was going a few minutes ago.

“Here goes.” Xander said before leading the way up to the altar, Spike following a few steps behind. At the altar, they both turned to face the back door, waiting for their girls to come out.

The back door opened and Anya came out, dressed in a strapless, dark purple dress that came to her knees. She was followed by Tara, in a dress of a paler shade of purple. The dress was full length and had long sleeves decorated with small flowers. After Tara came Willow, her red hair standing out against the almost white dress she wore. Then came Dawn, who was wearing a three-quarter length dress in a shimmering fabric. The four girls stopped at the bottom of the porch stairs to wait for Buffy and Giles.

When they exited the house, Spike’s mouth dropped open and his eyes went wide. Buffy was absolutely gorgeous. She was wearing a dress made up of two layers, the bottom layer a light purple, and the top layer darker, in a see through material. It split in two right under her chest, and billowed behind her as she walked. Her hair was decorated with small purple flowers, and she looked like a vision.

Spike snapped out of his trance as Buffy and Giles stopped next to him at the altar. Buffy smiled at him and he returned the smile before they both turned to face the high priestess.

“We have come together here in celebration of the joining together of Buffy and Spike.” Serena smiled at the couple before continuing. “There are many things to say about marriage. Much wisdom concerning the joining together of two souls, has come our way through all paths of belief, and from many cultures. With each union, more knowledge is gained and more wisdom gathered. Though we are unable to give all this knowledge to these two, who stand before us, we can hope to leave with them the knowledge of love and its strengths and the anticipation of the wisdom that comes with time. The law of life is love unto all beings. Without love, life is nothing, without love, death has no redemption. Love is anterior to Life, posterior to Death, initial of Creation and the exponent of Earth. If we learn no more in life, let it be this.”

Spike sneaked a peak on Buffy as the priestess talked, her words having a different meaning to him. Buffy was his life, his redemption. She had made him into the man he was today, because she had treated him like a man.

“Marriage is a bond to be entered into only after considerable thought and reflection. As with any aspect of life, it has its cycles, its ups and its downs, its trials and its triumphs. With full understanding of this, Spike and Buffy have come here today to be joined as one in marriage. Others would ask, at this time, who gives the bride in marriage, but, as a woman is not property to be bought and sold, given and taken, I ask simply if she comes of her own will and if she has her family’s blessing.” Serena turned to Buffy. “Buffy, is it true that you come of your own free will and accord?”

“Yes, it is true.” Buffy said.

“With whom do you come and whose blessings accompany you?” Serena asked.

“She comes with me, her father, and is accompanied by all of her family's blessings.” Giles said, a proud look on his face. They had all talked to Serena before the ceremony, explaining the situation. She had said that it didn’t really matter if Giles wasn’t Buffy’s father, and that if Buffy wanted him to, he could say something else. But Buffy had insisted.

“Please join hands with your betrothed and listen to that which I am about to say.” Spike took Buffy’s hand in his, and their eyes locked together.

“Above you are the stars, below you are the stones, as time doth pass, remember... Like a stone should your love be firm like a star should your love be constant. Let the powers of the mind and of the intellect guide you in your marriage, let the strength of your wills bind you together, let the power of love and desire make you happy, and the strength of your dedication make you inseparable. Be close, but not too close. Possess one another, yet be understanding. Have patience with one another, for storms will come, but they will pass quickly. Be free in giving affection and warmth. Have no fear and let not the ways of the unenlightened give you unease, for God is with you always.”

Serena turned to Spike.

“Spike, I have not the right to bind thee to Buffy, only you have this right. If it be your wish, say so at this time and place your ring in her hand.”

“It is my wish.” Spike said and put his ring in Buffy’s left hand

“Buffy, if it be your wish for Spike to be bound to you, place the ring on his finger.” Buffy placed the ring Spike had just given her on his finger.

“Buffy I have not the right to bind thee to Spike only you have this right. If it be your wish, say so at this time and place your ring in his hand.”

“It is my wish.” Buffy gave Spike her ring.

“Spike, if it be your wish for Buffy to be bound to you, place the ring on her finger.” Spike placed the ring on Buffy’s finger.

“Spike, repeat after me.” Serena said. “I, Spike, in the name of the spirit of God that resides within us all, by the life that courses within my blood and the love that resides within my heart, take thee Buffy to my hand, my heart, and my spirit, to be my chosen one.”

“I, Spike, in the name of God that resides within us all, by the life that courses within my blood and the love that resides within my heart, take thee, Buffy to my hand, my heart, and my spirit, to be my chosen one.” Spike repeated, and almost chuckled at the words.

“To desire thee and be desired by thee, to possess thee, and be possessed by thee, without sin or shame, for naught can exist in the purity of my love for thee. I promise to love thee wholly and completely without restraint, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in poverty, in life and beyond, where we shall meet, remember, and love again. I shall not seek to change thee in any way. I shall respect thee, thy beliefs, thy people, and thy ways as I respect myself.” Serena continued, and Spike repeated after her.

“To desire thee and be desired by thee, to possess thee, and be possessed by thee, without sin or shame, for naught can exist in the purity of my love for thee. I promise to love thee wholly and completely without restraint, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in poverty, in life and beyond, where we shall meet, remember, and love again. I shall not seek to change thee in any way. I shall respect thee, thy beliefs, thy people, and thy ways as I respect myself.” Serena turned to Buffy.

“I Buffy, in the name of the spirit of God that resides within us all, by the life that courses within my blood, and the love that resides within my heart, take thee, Spike to my hand, my heart, and my spirit to be my chosen one.”

“I Buffy, in the name of the spirit of God that resides within us all, by the life that courses within my blood, and the love that resides within my heart, take thee, Spike to my hand, my heart, and my spirit to be my chosen one.” Buffy looked deep in Spike’s eyes as she repeated the words.

“To desire and be desired by thee, to possess thee, and be possessed by thee, without sin or shame, for naught can exist in the purity of my love for thee. I promise to love thee wholly and completely without restraint, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in poverty, in life and beyond, where we shall meet, remember, and love again. I shall not seek to change thee in any way. I shall respect thee, thy beliefs, thy people, and thy ways as I respect myself.”

“To desire and be desired by thee, to possess thee, and be possessed by thee, without sin or shame, for naught can exist in the purity of my love for thee. I promise to love thee wholly and completely without restraint, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in poverty, in life and beyond, where we shall meet, remember, and love again. I shall not seek to change thee in any way. I shall respect thee, thy beliefs, thy people, and thy ways as I respect myself.” Buffy repeated after the high priestess.

Serena took a chalice from the altar.

“May you drink your fill from the cup of love.” She said and handed the cup to Spike.

Spike took the cup and held it while Buffy took a sip from it before handing it to Buffy so she could do the same. She then handed the chalice back to Serena who put it down on the altar again.

“By the power vested in me by God and the State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. May your love so endure that its flame remains a guiding light unto you.”



The handfasting ceremony is taken from the website http://www.angelfire.com/realm2/amethystbt/handfastingceremony.html, it does not belong to me.





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