Author's Chapter Notes:
A HUGE thanks to my beta Immortalangel08 (Megan) for Beta-ing this chapter *Hugs*. Also a MASSIVE thanks to Edgehead (Mel) for making the awesome banner.
Chapter 12.

We invite you to Faith and Riley’s wedding.

Buffy looked around the convention room Faith and Riley had hired out for their wedding reception. The wedding had been beautiful on the beach, late afternoon just as the sun was going down. The wedding ceremony, in itself, was a private ceremony where Riley and Faith had said their vows in front of family and friends.

Buffy was Faith’s maid of honor, with Willow and their cousin Tara as her bridesmaids. Riley had no family, his father Adam had left when he was only a child and his mother Maggie had passed away three years ago in a freak lab accident.

Riley had been an only child and had no other siblings that he knew of, so after spending time with all the guys he had asked Spike to be his best man and Xander and Giles to be his groomsmen.

Now Buffy watched as they shared their first dance as a married couple. She had never seen Faith this happy and to be honest, she had never though Faith would ever settle down. Faith had always been a bit of a wild child and after Faith’s father had abandoned her and her mother when she was just seven for another women Faith had lived by a strict rule to never let anyone get to close.

She had stuck by that rule until she met Riley. He was meant to be simply another one night stand, but when she had given him the brush off the next morning he had stood his ground and after a few weeks of being around, his persistence had paid off. Faith admitted that she wanted to be with him and they hadn’t looked back since.

They were both there for each other when each had lost their mother. Buffy had worried that all the hurt and loss might tear them apart but it only made their love stronger.

“May I have this dance?” she heard Spike whisper in her ear, she couldn’t help but shiver at the feel of his hot breath on her neck. She turned smiling up at him as he led her to the dance floor, now that the first dance was over the dance floor was packed with happy couples dancing lovingly in each other’s arms. Buffy and Spike joined the couples wrapping their arms around one another, dancing slowly.

Yesterday I died, tomorrow's bleeding
Fall into your sunlight
The future's open wide beyond believing
To know why hope dies
Losing what was found, a world so hollow
Suspended in a compromise
The silence of this sound is soon to follow
Somehow sundown


Buffy laid her head against Spike’s chest listening to the soft thump thump of his heart, loving the feel of his arms around her body, holding her close. It was moments like this that made it easy to forget what they had put each other through, the pain, the betrayal on both parts, but still Buffy loved him, wanting nothing more than to be with him, if only she thought if only he felt the same way for her too.

And finding answers
Is forgetting all of the questions we called home
Passing the graves of the unknown


Spike inhaled deeply, he had missed that smell in their four years apart, vanilla he had decided then and there that it was the best smell in the world. He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head; he wished this was their wedding, that they were enjoying the first dance as a married couple tonight. He was jealous of Faith and Riley, they were where he wanted to be, if only Buffy would love him if only he thought sadly.

As reason clouds my eyes, with splendor fading
Illusions of the sunlight
And the reflection of a lie will keep me waiting
Love gone for so long


They had gone through so much together, been so close for so long, Buffy had missed him so much after she left. Every part of her wanted to pick up the phone and call him but every time she went to dial the number her heat would pound in her ears, her palms would sweet and she would hang up Coward! her mind would yell at her.

This day's ending is the proof of time killing all the faith I know
Knowing that faith is all I hold


Buffy looked up at his perfect blue eyes, she loved him so much and in that moment she wanted nothing more than to kiss him.


And I've lost who I am
And I can't understand
Why my heart is so broken
Rejecting your love
Without love gone wrong
Life
Less words
Carry on


She held back afraid to lose him, placing her head back over his heart they continued to dance. Spike couldn’t be sure but when Buffy had looked at him he had seen something different in her eyes, the same thing he saw that night they made love.

But I know
All I know
Is that the ends beginning


Could it be that she felt something for him, anything other than pure friendship or was he just dreaming? He really hoped not because when he had looked into her green pools he had seen truth, love and now more than anything he wanted to do something about it.

Who I am from the start
Take me home to my heart
Let me go
And I will run
I will not be silenced


Should he just kiss her? Hold her? Or just pretend that moment hadn’t happened? Convince himself that what he saw in her eyes was simply the affection one friend had for another? He was so confused but most of all he was scared.

All this time spent in vain
Wasted years
Wasted gain
All is lost
Hope remains
And this war's not over


Scared he could ruin what they had spent months building a loyal and loving friendship. Afraid of finding out she didn’t actually love him the way he loved her, but most of all he was scared she would run from his arms, his life, and leave him feeling hollow and alone without her once again.

There's a light
There's the sun
Taking all the shattered ones
To the place we belong
And his love will conquer


He knew he had to do something, they couldn’t keep going on like this. One day she would meet someone she would want to get married and he couldn’t let that happen. not unless it was to him. He loved her to much too powerfully to lose her to someone else.

And I've lost who I am
And I can't understand
Why my heart is so broken
Rejecting your love
Without love gone wrong
Life
Less words
Carry on


Buffy couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking, she had been looking at him for a second now and she could see the inner conflict on his face.

But I know
All I know
Is that the ends beginning


Spike knew this was it; he had made his decision, he was going to finally tell Buffy Summers exactly how he felt for her, kiss her. Would she push him away? Laugh at his words? Or would she tell him she loved him too? God how he hoped it was the last one.

Who I am from the start
Take me home to my heart
Let me go
And I will run
I will not be silenced


Taking a much needed deep breath Spike prepared himself for what was to come no matter how this panned out, he knew he was doing the right thing.

“Buffy luv… I need to tell you something” he said looking into her eyes, she smiled sweetly at him.

“What is it Spike?”

All this time spent in vain
Wasted years
Wasted gain
All is lost
Hope remains
And this war's not over


Spike was stuck, he was about to profess his love for her when the words seemed to get caught in his throat his mouth opened and closed but still the word refused to come out so instead he slowly leaned in and kissed her.

There's a light
There's the sun
Taking all the shattered ones
To the place we belong
And his love will conquer all
Yes his love will conquer all


Their kiss was soft and gentle, much like the song they were still swaying too. His left hand ran through her golden locks and his right wrapped around her waist pulling her against him. He felt her arms wrap around his neck as she moaned into his mouth when their tongues brushed against each other.

Spike put everything he felt for her into the one single kiss, hoping she would understand what he was trying to tell her but suddenly she pulled away from him gasping for air. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips were red from their kiss. She brought her hand to her mouth almost in shock before she turned fleeing the convention room.

Yesterday I died, tomorrows bleeding
Fall into your sunlight


He sighed almost defeated when he felt courage flow through him No not this time he thought as he chased after her. He burst out the door seeing her heading for her car, he caught up with her just as she was reaching for the door handle.

“Buffy we have to talk?” he said turning her to face him.

“About what?” she whispered looking down at the keys in her hand.

“Come on luv, don’t play daft, you’re not good at it.” She smiled at this looking into his eyes.

“What do you want me to say Spike?”

“Did that kiss in there mean anything to you?” She looked scared like a deer in headlights and he knew then that she was just as scared as he was.

“Because it meant everything to me Summers… You're all I bloody think about; dream about. You're in my gut; my throat, I'm drownin’ in you Buffy, I'm drownin’ in you,” he confessed, she look shocked but at the same time relieved.

“It meant everything to me too, not just the kiss but when you were holding me, dancing with me, I felt…” she whispered unsure of how to continue.

“Were you there with me?” he asked stunned.

“I was,” he smiled, overjoyed and thankful that he had finally built up the courage to say something. He leaned down to kiss her, pressing his lips on hers gently; they only kissed for a moment nether moving to deepen it just simple, enjoying the feel of one another; pulling back he couldn’t help but notice how adorable she looked as she looked over at him shyly blushing.

That was the Buffy he remembered, the girl he had grown up with.

“Have dinner with me tomorrow night,” her head shot up at this, “So we can really talk about us properly,” she smiled wickedly, leaning into him.

“William Giles are you asking me out on a date?” she smiled up at him innocently.

And this was the Buffy that had come back to Sunnydale, how he loved them both.

“I am. There is a little French restaurant near the Bronze, its Sunnydale’s best kept secret”

“Okay where will I meet you?”

“It’s a date, luv, I’ll pick you up at 7pm.”

“Okay,” she nodded. After Buffy had returned to the reception she had quickly said good bye to Faith and Riley wanting to head home. After a hot shower she hopped into bed sighing happier, she had a date tomorrow night with the man she loved.

Life was perfect.


Chapter End Notes:
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