NA GRACH CROI
Chapter 6: ‘iontach gra’ (Wonderful Love)
Buffy and Spike had their great big, wonderful breakfast out, at a local diner. When they finished, they hurried back to his hotel and crawled back into bed to make their wedding plans.
“We’ll go find the local Priest,” Spike stated matter of factly, “have him wave the Banns and…” He noticed a frown on his beautiful Buffy’s sweet face.
“William,” she whispered softly, her tone unsure and almost timid, “I was raised Catholic, it’s true. However, I have not been a good practicing Catholic in years. Bitterness, I guess, for my Mother’s death and my marriage to my husband. He, he was not Catholic and…”
Spike shook his head, “doesn’t matter,” he shrugged indifferently, “I could care less what kind of practicing Catholic you are. I love you, you love me, don’t you Buffy lass?” He felt a euphoric sense of relief when she nodded eagerly. “Then it’s of no importance, you’re a widow and I’m a single man. There’s nothing to keep us from marrying, this evening, if you want.”
“I want you to go fetch your cousin, Buffy. I know you’ll want her to stand up for you,” William stated as they dressed to go talk to the Priest.
Buffy flinched and turned her face away from William quickly, “she, uh, left already. This morning,” she lied a little too easily. “We were supposed to go back together to the coast. I left word with her that if for some reason I didn’t meet her at the train, she was to go on without me. I’d catch up later. Besides, Anya is my late husband’s relative, not mine.”
She quickly returned to her dressing and let the matter drop.
Spike was confused, a little surprised that a woman that was related to Buffy would just take her, not showing up, in stride. Especially at a train? He shrugged, figuring that it was as Buffy said, this cousin was her late husband’s relative, not hers, therefore they were not really close at all.
“You know, William,” Buffy stammered a little as he led her down the street of Belfast, their arms entwined. “I thought maybe you could go to speak to the Priest alone, for now anyway. I’m thinking I should go to my hotel, pack my things and find a suitable wedding dress?”
He gave her an odd look but then smiled widely. “I’d rather go with you,” he stated affectionately, “but I guess you want to keep your wedding garb hidden until the vows. Tradition and all that?” She nodded eagerly, a little ashamed at how easily he had bought her story.
“Meet me downstairs, at my hotel, in an hour, William,” Buffy smiled coyly. “I’ll be packed and have a proper dress chosen to marry in. I can change at the parrish, right?” Spike grinned down at his bride to be, “right,” he murmered, giving her a peck on her cute nose.
The minute Buffy had left William and hurried up to her own hotel room, she realized that her note had gotten to it’s destination. When she opened the hotel room door, she found her best friend and employer, Anya Jenkins waiting for her. As usual, Anya was sipping an alcoholic drink, as usual, reading some kind of magazine and sitting on Buffy’s bed.
“Buffy baby!” Anya exclaimed with glee when her favorite employee entered the room.
Buffy didn’t hesitate, she plopped down next to Anya, on the bed, and rested her blonde head in the brunette’s shoulder.
“Guess what?” she asked her ex-employer softly. The older woman leaned back and eyed her Buffy, carefully. “What? You decided to return to America, to New York? With me?” she asked hopefully.
“I can’t,” Buffy smiled and took Anya’s larger hand in her tiny one. “I’m getting married, Anya.” The silence was deafening.
“I see,” Anya whispered. “Who?” the madam then asked, a slight frown on her still winsome face.
“A good man,” Buffy replied honestly. “A kind, handsome and really good man. And I’ll be a good wife, I promise.” Buffy snuggled aback down into her patroness’s arms and murmered, “I’m sorry, Mamm,” she sighed, using the endearment that Anya had asked her to, years before. “But,” Buffy continued, “I know I’ll be happy in Ireland, with my William. He is a good man, he’s in love with me, he’s everything I’ve ever wanted. Please, Mamm, be happy for me?”
The older, darker woman again eyed her ‘pet’ with her deep, brown eyes, “Buffy, I am happy for you. Truly. I’ll miss you, desperately and all the fun we could have had, back in New York, raising hell, though.”
Buffy smiled with true affection up at her protectress, “yeah, we could have though, huh?” Anya nodded, soberly.
“Buffy, baby,” Anya began again, her voice a little emotional, “this man, this Irishman. Is he a proud man?”
Buffy grinned, “very,” she answered simply. “Oh,” Anya muttered, more to herself. “Can I give you some advice, my sweetie,” Anya continued without hesitating. Buffy nodded her consent.
“Be careful, my darling Buffy,” Anya warned gently. “Take your proud man, your husband to be, back to his home and live with him in peace. Never look back at your past life. Our life together in those hard places. Never give him any reason to doubt your love and loyalty. And, honey,” she continued sternly, “never ever tell him about your past. If he is the proud man you say he is, the truth will doom your marriage.”
With serious green eyes, Buffy stared at Anya, her very best friend, more like a sister she never had, for the last four years.
“How do you know this?” she asked Anya.
“Because,” the older woman shook her head, sadly, “I was married once. The truth? It ruined my life, Buffy. When I was really young,” Anya continued without letting Buffy interject, “I met a handsome, young merchant’s son.” “
“He wad a proud young man. In Philedelphia it was. I was only sixteen. Somehow, this man, my ‘Prince Charming’ got the idea I was something I was not. Someone led him to believe I was a well-to-do young girl, with a solid family and a future.”
Buffy was stunned, Anya had never told her this story before and it was a little disturbing, to say the least.
“My man,” Anya continued sorrowfully, I won’t say his name, he swept me off my feet and we eloped. His parents were furious, to say the least, and he defied them to live with me in a less then upscale flat in New York. Time, money, or lack thereof, caused friction between us. I suppose that finally, my husband decided he would be well rid of his ‘albatross’ that I had become.”
She looked so sad, so terribly unhappy, and Buffy clasped Anya’s hand tightly in hers.
“Finally, when my husband realized the truth, that I was merely a very good actress, not upper class at all, that is, he left me one night. I never saw him again, Buffy. However,” Anya flinched in emotional pain, “he left me with a memory all right.”
“A child. I was pregnant when he left me. But, I never let anyone know about it. Went to the neighborhood midwife; they know things,my girl. Anyway, when I went to the midwife, I was with child. When I left her house, days later, I was not with child,” Anya shrugged.
“It was soon after that, that the same midwife put me in touch with a fairly nice older gentleman. Someone to take care of me until I was well again. Which, he did.”
Buffy sucked in her breath in shock. “You have done such things? Exposed yourself to the risk of your own death to…” she asked in disbelief.
Anya nodded, “it’s wise to know of such things in our business, my sweet girl. In case the methods don’t work,” she stated evenly, stroking Buffy’s long honey blonde hair.
“I see,” Buffy responded simply.
“I’ll miss you Anya,” Buffy finished as she stood up to give her ex-employer one last hug.
“I’ll miss you, Buffy baby,” Anya sniffed as she wiped tears from her brown eyes.
“Thank you Mamm. Under the circumstances, you’ve been more then good to me.” Buffy grabbed her packed suitcase and left her room in silence.
They were married, Buffy and Spike O’Hara, in a simple, witnessed ceremony at the local parrish. The Priest, Father Malone, never even batted his dark lashes in dissaproval as he said the wedding mass over two virtual strangers. Father Malone’s dowdy housekeeper witnessed the wedding for Buffy, while a parrish gardner stood up for Spike. Buffy had dug up a simple white sheath dress, simple but appropriate enough, through some miracle, to wear for her simple wedding.
After the wedding mass, Spike carried his bride over his hotel door threshhold and lovingly lay her on their bed. “It’ll be fine, lass,” he stated warmly at his lovely bride.
“Yes, William,” Buffy agreed quickly, “it will be fine.”
That night, after supper and a marathon love making session, Spike and Buffy lay in the bed, sated and happy together. Buffy noted a sense of change in her William’s demeanor.
“What is it?” she asked quietly as they together, wrapped in each other’s embrace. She felt him tense just a bit, then finally he sighed loudly, his words heavy with regret.
“It’s about my brother, Buffy. Liam, or Angel as he’s called now.”
Buffy gazed into her husband’s lovely blue eyes and noted a look of sorrow and confusion there.
“Angel?” she asked softly, stroking his chiseled cheek lovingly. William nodded quickly then ran his long slim fingers down Buffy’s arms.
“My brother, Angel, he’s a troubled young man, luv.”
She wondered what this had to do with ‘them’ and their wedding night, but Buffy waited, quietly, patiently to hear what her new husband had to say. William turned to lie on his back, bringing Buffy up with his left arm to lie on top of him. He cuddled her little body to his strong, warm one and nuzzled her neck with his lips.
“Angel,” Spike began carefully, somewhat confused as to where to start. “I’ve got to tell you this Buffy, hope you understand and all. Maybe you will, more then others in my life.” He felt her nod against his own neck and screwed up the courage to continue his sad tale.
“My brother, Angel,” Spike tried to speak loudly enough, but every time he spoke of Angel, it was quite difficult. “He’s my baby brother, the youngest of us kids. Tara, my little sis, is just about a year younger then me, but Angel is almost four years younger. Always felt more then responsible for him, Angel that is. Anyway, years ago, when we were still youngsters, I was about fourteen so Angel was only ten or so, anyway, he’d run off from the farm house. Being I was the oldest, I was in charge, as my folks, I’ll explain them later, lass, they were in town for shopping.”
Buffy watched her new husband’s blue eyes grow dark with some kind of emotional pain.
“My brother, Angel, he’s always been a little hot headed. After me Mum and Dad left for town, Angel took off for the hills. There’s a few old mines out there, copper mostly, but we’ve been told since were were babies not to go that direction. Too dangerous and all. Anyway, Angel, being who he was, headed off, on a run for the old mine shafts. Wanted to go exploring and such.
I went after him, Tara, my little sis was weeping like and old maid and begging me to find our darling Angel. So, I did. Followed the little fool to the mines, tried to persuade him to come back with me before there was trouble. But, he wouldn’t listen. Angel ran from me, through the very places our folks had warned us against. It wasn’t a moment before Angel fell into an old mine shaft, yards below to the bottom. I think I knew before old Angel did that he was seriously hurt, damaged beyond help.”
Buffy gasped in shock and clutched her William closely to her. “Go on,” she encouraged him, stroking his arm and snuggling closer to his body.
“Angel, he was whimpering, down at the bottom of the mine. I scurried around and found some old rope, layin’ about. Tied one end to a tree stump, the other to my waist and lowered myself to the bottom of the shaft, only to find my brother, his poor arm half torn off. He was broken up, physically, pretty good. I pulled my beloved brother up from that mine shaft, to safety, I guess anyway. I think Angel would have preferred that I left him there to die. The village Doctor couldn’t save his arm, left my brother a cripple at ten. Everyone, in the village, my folks and even Tara…they thought me a hero. But not Angel. He’s hated me from that day til now, for saving his life, but not his arm.”
Buffy lay, staring at her husband with so much love and sympathy. “My poor Will,” she cried as she buried her golden head into his bare chest, “how awful for you. To have thought to save your brother’s life, but be hated for it. By Angel himself. They thought you a hero, your family and neighbors. But you,” she gasped with total understanding, “you know how your Angel thinks of it. Angel feels you’ve condemmed him, doesn’t he?”
Spike looked at his wife in shock, ‘she understands,’ he wondered in disbelief. ‘My Buffy realizes the hell that Angel’s gone through, what I allowed by pulling him out of that fucking hole in the hills.’
“I love you, Buffy dear,” Spike whispered in her little, warm ear. “Love you, Will,” she sighed in contentment as she cuddled up closer to him.
A/N: Next chapter, Buffy and Spike get to his farm and village. Everything will be fine, for a while. There is evil afoot in the village, but not all evil, as we well know, is of the supernatural kind. Some, is human generated. Thanks for reading, please review.
Luv, Spuf
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