“I saw you when you came in,” Isabel explained. “I didn’t want to disturb you…I’m here with friends…Are you getting married?”
Spike nodded, feeling very much struck dumb by seeing his past before him when he had just thought of her that day.
“She’s most beautiful, William.”
Spike smiled then. “Yes, she is.”
“David died,” she told him flatly.
Spike’s eyes widened. “I’m so sorry—when?”
“Two years ago, he had a heart attack.”
“I’m really sorry, Isabel.”
“I knew he’d work himself into the ground…that husband of mine…” she looked up at him sadly. “I almost called you.”
“Called me, why?”
“To tell you. To talk with you.”
“Isabel--”
“You know I was never good at realizing what I had until it was gone. How old is your girl?”
Spike gulped, “Twenty-five.”
“You love her?”
“Very much.”
“Like you did me? Or more?”
“Isabel, I don’t want to answer that.”
“Why not?”
“Cause the way I love Buffy is much different.”
“So B, we ready to go?” Faith asked, sauntering over to where Buffy was chatting with Wesley.
Buffy smiled up at her friend. “Yeah, I think so. Let me just go tell Spike. I think he went out for a smoke.”
Willow came up, “We going now? Did I hear right?”
“Yeah,” Buffy stood. “Just got to tell Spike.”
“I’ll come with you,” Willow told her, “I could use some air, it’s hot in here.”
Wesley stood, “I will see you tomorrow then, Buffy.”
Buffy smiled. “Yes you will, Wes. If Fred and the little one want to come, please bring them.”
Wesley grinned. “Will do. I’m sure they’d both enjoy it.”
“I’ll wait for you here,” Faith told the girls. “Don’t be long!”
Patting Wesley on the back, Buffy started for the exit to the parking lot in the back, which was attached to an empty reception room. Buffy could see the top of Spike’s head.
“Are you getting nervous, Buffy?” Willow asked as they made their way across the large room.
Buffy nodded, “Oh yeah.”
“Second thoughts?”
Buffy smiled, “No. I mean…I’m nervous and all, but…well, I don’t know…just other stuff besides the wedding.”
“Like what?”
Buffy hedged, “Tell you later. Maybe,” and she smiled secretively, placing her hand on the door to go out. Looking up, she froze.
Willow gasped.
“Hey, what’s taking so long?” Faith called to them.
Buffy stared at the scene before. Stared at Spike kissing another woman. The walls were closing in and she felt as though she were not in her body; in fact, she felt as though she’d left her body and her spirit was hovering outside her, watching everything going on and desperately trying to make Buffy the Body react in some way.
“Fuck me,” Faith whispered, having finally caught up.
“I – I can’t breathe. I think I’m gonna be sick,” and Buffy ran back to the restaurant, Willow following her.
Faith burst outside. “What the fuck is this?” she demanded, ready to punch someone, preferably Spike.
Spike pushed Isabel off him and faced Faith. “Faith—“ he started.
“Who the hell are you?” Faith demanded of Isabel.
“She’s--” Spike started.
“I’m Isabel, his ex,” the older woman answered stiffly.
Faith’s eyes widened. “I know about you. The married chick, right?”
“Not any longer. My husband is dead.”
“Isn’t that interesting?” Faith mused, turning to glare at Spike. “Good job, asshole. Buffy just saw you mackin’ on your ex.”
“Sh-she saw--?”
“Yeah, she saw,’” and she turned tail and headed back inside, hoping Buffy was all right.
Jogging into the restaurant, she found a sobbing hysterically Buffy trying desperately to get out of the restaurant while everyone hovered around, trying to get her to talk. Willow was trying to pull her to the door, while Anya held it open, and Joyce was pulling her back inside. It was a tug of war, literally.
“I need to go!” Buffy was shouting. “I can’t be here!”
Faith elbowed her way in, placing a hand on Joyce’s arm. “Joyce just let her go. The girl needs to get out of here right now.”
“Buffy, wait, honey, please!” Joyce exclaimed, releasing her daughter, but begging her to stay.
“Just let her go right now, dear,” Hank said calmly and spied Spike entering the room. With anger bubbling forth, he strolled up to Spike whose eyes were intent on Buffy’s retreating form, and decked him.
Buffy was crying her heart out; at least that’s what it felt like. She just couldn’t stop, the tears just kept coming and coming…the image of Spike kissing that woman and then finding out from Faith it was Isabel – his first love—that made her feel sick, as if seeing him kiss her wasn’t enough, but then finding out who she was on top of it. She still didn’t feel attached to her body.
After all this time, they meet two days before the wedding? How the fucking hell did that happen?
“It doesn’t,” Faith said wisely when Buffy put voice to that question. “Bet he’s been seeing her on the side and she got punchy with keeping it secret. Funny how things change when the shoe is on the other foot.”
“Faith! I do not think he has been with her all this time,” Willow admonished. “Buffy, honey, coincidences happen--”
“And you’re the one who says there are no such things as coincidences,” Anya pointed out.
“Well it is one this time!” Willow exclaimed getting fired up. “I refuse to believe, with as devoted as William is to her, that he would do something like this. God, do you guys pay attention at all? He looks at Buffy as if she hung the moon!”
“Then why was he kissing another woman—his fucking ex Willow?” Faith demanded, pulling into the parking lot of the bar they’d chosen to be their first stop. Of course, that was when they’d all been excited to go out and now…now Buffy wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Willow, it appeared, had no answer to Faith’s question.
Buffy rummaged in her purse and then Faith’s glove compartment for more tissues and Anya jutted her hand in her face with a handful. “Thanks,” she mumbled through snot and tears.
“Why didn’t you talk to him?” Anya asked.
“I couldn’t move!” Buffy cried. “I just felt…frozen. I just felt as though I couldn’t breathe and as if everything was closing in on me. And then I felt like I was going to throw up. I just couldn’t think, all I wanted to do was get as far away from that sight as possible.”
“Come on girls,” Faith said, climbing out of the car. “It’s time to go inside. I think Buffy needs to get her drink on.”