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Chapter 23

Buffy walked off the plane and the first thing she noticed was the heat, the glorious, stifling California heat. Just a few hours ago she was chipping ice from the windshield of her Bug and cursing herself because she’d lost one of her mittens. But now, joy of joys, she was in a freakin’ tube top! Her state of dress was enough to put a bounce in her step and it even helped her forget why she was back in good ole sunny California. Well, maybe not completely forget.

Buffy made her way to the baggage claim and she nervously worried the inside of her mouth. Coming to Sunnydale seemed like such a great idea in Cleveland but now, well now she wasn’t so sure. "Buffy?" She spun around and saw her mother standing apprehensively behind her. The two women stood and for a moment just looked at one another. Suddenly she was in her mother arms and they both cried.

While Buffy and her mother cried across town Angel and Spike went for their final fitting. Both men smiled as they admired their reflection. Angel had been given the unpleasant task of telling Spike that Buffy would be in town for the ceremony. The dark haired man dreaded telling his friend, fearing his reaction.

"So what’s wrong." Spike asked suddenly. He turned to watch his friend silently pull at his tie. Spike notice Angel taking pains not to make eye contact with him. "The cheerleader not pregnant is she? We’re still trying on these bloody monkey suits, so your not getting cold feet. So what’s the pro--."

"Buffy’s coming to the wedding." Angel stared at Spike, waiting for the explosion that came whenever Buffy’s name was mentioned. But none came. "Did you hear what I said. Buffy’s back in town and she’s not only coming to the wedding but she’s going to be in the wedding party."

Spike caught Angel’s eye in the mirror and with a shrug of his shoulders simply replied, "so?"



"SO?!!" He said, so?" Later that evening Cordelia asked her soon to be husband incredulously. "Did you explain to him in little words that he would be seeing her a lot over the next week. And that he can’t be mean to her or make her cry or anything?"

"Yes, Cordy," Angel said with a sigh. "I told him that. He just said so and then he asked me about the band."

"The band?"

"Yes Cordy, the band.” He repeated patiently. “ I was so thankful that he wasn’t making a big deal out of the whole Buffy thing that I agreed that he can sing with them at the reception."

"You WHAT??" Cordelia screeched.

"Now that’s the reaction I was expecting from Spike." Angel laughed as he dodged the pillow Cordelia tossed at him. He leap and gathering her in his arms began kissing her. Soon Spike and Buffy were the last thing on the brunette couples minds.


Cordelia and Willow sat in an almost deserted Bronze.
The girls were going to meet with Buffy but they wanted to discuss the possible Buffy/Spike situation before she came. "So, that’s a good thing right?" Willow asked over the sounds of Oz and the band warming up in the background. "He doesn’t care that she’s in town. That he’s going to be around her. I mean before he couldn’t even stay in the same room with her. So, one down right?"

"Oh, I don’t believe him." She waved a hand dismissive at her friend. "Remember I had a front row seat to ‘Spike, the Drunken Ass’. I see that I’m going to have to handle those two myself. Obviously Angel didn’t know what to look for or what to ask. You know what they say, ‘never send a man’. All I know is if they ruin my wedding, so help me, there will be hell to pay." She took a long sip of her drink and continued, "Besides I have to talk to Spike anyway. I have to tell him that he is not allowed to rock out with my band."

"Do I even want to know what you are talking about?" Willow asked.

As the two young women laughed over the idea of Spike trying to get the string quartet Cordelia hired to do a medley of Clash, Buffy quietly slipped in the door. Back in their senior year Willow and Cordelia would have never been accused of being close, but it was obvious that the years had been kind to the pair. While Buffy was running and licking her wounds in Cleveland, life went on without her. She sighed and wiped a tear from her eye. At the table Willow said something really funny as Cordelia threw her head back with laughter. Buffy covered her mouth as a small sob erupted from her throat. It had been an emotional taxing day for the tiny blond, and she was rethinking this reunion when Willow caught sight of her.

"Buffy!" she yelled jumping up from the table. Cordelia whipped her head around and seeing Buffy in the doorway followed the redhead. Willow wrapped her arms around one side of her high school friend and Cordelia the other. "I missed you so much, Buffy."

Cordelia grabbed hold of Buffy’s hand and the trio made their way back to the table. "How was your trip, Buffy. When I saw the weather I was worried that you’d get snowed in again."

"Oh no, she was going to make this wedding, even if I had to drive to Cleveland myself to get her. I need my bridesmaid and the groomsmen numbers to be even." Cordelia smiled warmly at her long distance friend.

"Oh Cordy, I can’t be in the wedding! It’s in a week and I don’t even have a dress! I mean my hair," She ran her fingers through her blond mane and then looked down at her hands, "my nails! I figured I would just going to be a guest. I’m sure there are girls you’re closer to then me that are just dying to be in Cordelia Chase’s wedding of the century!"

Buffy stared at Cordelia as she again reached for her hand. "Honey, I didn’t want to get married without one of my very best friends right by my side." Buffy eyes teared up and she hugged her friend tight.

"I was so scared ," Buffy whispered. "The whole way over here I wondered if you guys hated me."

"Buffy, why would you think we’d hate you," Willow asked.

"I don’t know," Buffy wiped her nose on a napkin Cordelia handed to her. "I know you two were upset with me because we were suppose to do the whole college thing. Instead I chose to go clear across the country." Buffy looked down at her hands as she nervously shred the napkin. "I read all the letters you guys sent me and I know I could have written more myself. But everything just hurt."

"Why didn’t you just say that. We would have understood." Willow looked over to Cordelia. "Well I would have understood, at least." Buffy gave her a watery smile.

"When that whole mess with--um. When I decided to--you know, leave," Buffy sighed trying to get her emotions under control. "It was just so hard after Spike found out the truth. Up here," Buffy tapped her forehead, "I knew I should have rode it out. But here," her hand rested on her breast, "It was easier to deal away from everyone and everything."

"But did you really deal with it in Cleveland. The letters that I read were always so sad. When the last time you went out on a date, did anything fun?" Cordelia asked. "We would have helped you, Buffy. I mean Willow, Xander, Angel--"

"Would have felt sorry for me," Buffy finished. "You guys would have watched everything I say and did, whispering about me whenever I left the room. ‘Look at poor Buffy. Got what she deserved.’ I just couldn’t deal with your pity. It was stupid to think that whole Spike thing was going to work out but I love--loved him very much." Buffy caught Cordelia quirking her eyebrow in Willows direction. "Wow, was that a Freudian slip or what?" Buffy laughed sadly. "I would be lying if I told you that I didn’t still have feeling for him, even after all this time. That I’m completely terrified of looking up and actually seeing him instead of imaging it."

"Buffy, um, you do realize that Spike is seeing someone. Has been seeing her for over a year. They are pretty committed, hon."

I figured that much, I mean he wouldn’t have spent that much time mourning a kid, right?" Buffy asked bitterly. The three sat for a moment in silence when Buffy questioned. "What is she like?"

Cordelia turned briefly to Willow who began slowly," Well I never spent a lot of time with Spike to begin with. And, um once he moved out I saw him even less."

Willow looked at Cordelia to continue.
"Even though Angel and Spike are close their friendship seems to be stronger when they are, how can I put this, ---apart. Spike comes over to dinner occasionally but to be honest with you, I’ve only met her four or five times and she was always pretty quiet."

"She’s very smart, she’s in the PhD. program over at Sunny U. I think she’s from Texas--kinda on the scrawny side, if you ask me,’ Willow added.

"Is she nice? Does she make him happy?" Buffy whispered.

"Honestly, Spike never seemed to do the whole happy thing. Snarky, yes; English, of course, but happy?" Willow rambled. "Cordy, would you use the word happy to describe Spike?"

Cordelia ignored Willow’s question. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Buffy. She sighed and said softly, "he’s happy Buffy. He’s happy. I don’t think Spike will ever be caught doing the Snoopy dance. But Fred and him have a good thing.

Buffy blinked and a solitary tear escaped. "Well then I’m glad. He deserves to be happy."





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