60.
Epilogue
*SIX MONTHS LATER*
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."
The bride looked deep into the eyes of her husband of only a few
moments, all the joy and pride and love she felt obvious in her
sparkling green eyes as she faced him. His hands in hers were trembling
with the release of the nerves he had been struggling with in spite of
himself throughout the entire ceremony.
As he leaned in to kiss her, a sweet, chaste kiss that was nothing like
the passionate, frenzied ones they usually shared, a sense of
contentment and relief and right-ness came over him, and he knew that
he had made the right decision. This was the person he wanted to be
with for the rest of his life, without a doubt; he was absolutely sure.
This time.
It was an outdoor wedding, performed at dusk for the benefit of a
certain member of the wedding party who had a "sun allergy" so to
speak. The flowers and decorations and...well, everything...was just
beautiful, much to the surprise of those familiar with the bride's
unique taste in...well, everything.
Buffy glanced across the aisle at Spike, standing a little closer to
the groom than she was standing to the bride, enjoying a rare chance to
watch him when he didn't know she was doing it. Of all the beautiful
things at the wedding, she was certain than none came close to her
gorgeous, sexy mate, standing at the side of the young man who had
become one of his closest friends over the past few months.
Well, truth be told, he was Spike's *only* male friend, really.
But it was not as if Xander had that many male friends of his own,
either.
A year earlier, he would have rudely laughed in the face of anyone who
had told him that one day Spike would end up being his best man in his
wedding. But Xander's change after Dawn's fateful vengeance wish in his
direction was much more than mere lip-service.
He had had a genuine change of heart, and that day in the training room
at the Magic Box had been the starting point for a deep, lasting
friendship between him and the blonde vampire who now stood at his side.
Buffy for her part was thrilled to finally see the end of the tension
and outright hostility that had existed between her best friend and her
lover for so long.
As she discreetly watched her gorgeous vampire out of hte corner of her
eye, stunning as she had always found him, in black as usual, although
a sleek black suit had temporarily replaced his usual jeans, t-shirt
and duster. He had absolutely refused to wear a tux, and no amount of
Anya's begging, pleading, and threatening to kick him out of her
wedding had been able to change his mind. Even the suit had been a
major compromise as far as Spike was concerned.
*Compromise can be a *very* good thing,* Buffy thought, admiring the
effect appreciatively. Despite his protests, the sleek, dark suit
complemented Spike's casual grace of movement and the smooth, hard
lines of his body, accenting his every-strengthening confidence and
security. It was a style she had never thought to see on him, but she
found herself increasingly intrigued by it -- and wanting to get him
out of that suit the very first chance she got!
Suddenly, piercing blue eyes met hers, and she looked down for a
moment, inexplicably shy at being caught obviously ogling him. She
glanced back up at him, a bit uncertainly, and found that he was
smiling at her across the aisle, adoringly -- and lustfully.
Suddenly, she was *very* glad that the ceremony was almost over.
In another few minutes, they were filing off the lawn behind the happy
newlyweds, into the house. Buffy's home really was the center of the
universe for the Scoobies, and the largest of any of their homes. So it
was that when Anya and Xander had opted -- wisely -- for a less
complicated, less terrifying, small intimate ceremony with only their
closest friends in attendance, Buffy's house had been the natural
choice for the casual little party that would serve as their reception
afterwards.
All of the living room furniture had been cleared out to leave a wide
open space for dancing. The walls were lined with rented folding chairs
for those who would rather sit and talk than dance. Twinkling white
lights, candles, and gorgeous fresh flowers were everywhere. Buffy
caught her breath as she entered the room, struck by the sight. It had
been utterly transformed.
Dawn had taken her unexpected role as maid of honor very seriously from
the moment Anya had asked her, and had gone to great lengths to do
everything she could to make sure that there was no possible way that
Anya's special day could be any more special. She had made the
arrangements for all the flowers and decorations, much to the amazement
of her sister, who wasn't sure that *she* could have pulled it off
herself, and Dawn *was* still only seventeen.
Buffy took a seat by Willow, also a bridesmaid, who was sipping a glass
of punch and watching the mingling group of about thirty people or so
-- a far cry from the enormous affair that their last wedding had been
-- or almost been.
"This is so beautiful!" Willow commented appreciatively as Buffy took a
seat. "Dawnie really outdid herself!"
"Uh-huh," Buffy mumbled, her attention focused across the room, on
Spike, who was looking especially suave and elegant, his eyes and smile
equally dazzling as he charmed a couple of Anya's vengeance demon
friends. "Gorgeous," Buffy breathed in supposed agreement to Willow's
words. Then she glanced at her distractedly. "What about Dawnie?" she
asked, trying to pay attention.
Willow saw what had her friend so distracted and gave her a knowing
smile. "I should have warned you about the amazing power of formal
wear," she said dryly.
"Huh?" Buffy managed to pull her gaze away from her man for long enough
to give her friend a confused look. "Formal wear?"
"Um..." Willow said, her face flushing bright red as the happy couple
made their way across the room toward them. "...*so* not a story I need
to tell right now!"
Buffy shrugged, letting it go without much argument. She was much more
interested in the smiling, swaggering form that had just excused
himself from the conversation he was having and was heading in her
direction.
Someone turned the music on, and Xander smiled warmly at Anya, taking
her hand and lifting it high between them, leading her almost
reverently out to the center of the floor, as the familiar strains of a
romantic ballad filled the room -- "When a Man Loves a Woman".
For a moment, Buffy's attention was actually drawn from her lover's
approach as she took in the impossibly sweet picture her friends made,
melding together slowly into each other's embrace, utterly lost to the
crowd around them, savoring the first few moments of their new life
together.
The thought crossed her mind, *If someone looked at me like Xander's
looking at Anya, I think I'd be happy for the rest of my life...*
Just then, a shadow fell across her, and she looked up into the open,
adoring gaze of her vampire lover, standing over her and holding out
his own hand to her in invitation.
*Oh, yeah,* she thought, a warm, dizzy feeling beginning to come over
her as her hand slipped into his and she rose from her seat. *Already
there.*
He was a master once again, powerful and commanding of respect, and she
was his queen, as they wordlessly made their way out to the floor,
choosing to linger near the edge of the dance floor, where they could
enjoy a measure of privacy, and not distract attention from the first
dance of the bride and groom.
With a gentle touch that belied the rampant desire in his eyes, Spike
put his arms around her and drew her close to him, as her hands wrapped
around him to softly stroke up and down his back as they swayed
togehter in time with the music, lost in each other's eyes.
"You look amazing, love," he said softly, looking away from her eyes
long enough to give her an appreciative up-and-down glance. "Bloody
beautiful."
Buffy had to say, she much preferred Anya's choice this time around to
her choice of bridesmaids' dresses the year before. She had gone with a
deep red shade that highlighted Buffy's eyes and skin in contrast to
it, in a soft, silky fabric that hugged her curves in all the right
ways.
"You, too," she whispered, her eyes shining in the glow from the soft
lights and candles that filled the room. "I mean, really, really
incredible, Spike," she added sincerely, absolutely in awe of him,
seeing him as she had never seen him before.
He smiled at the heart-felt compliment, before leaning down to whisper
in her ear, "Thanks, love. But you...*you* look absolutely...*delicious*!"
The suggestion she heard in his tone, combined with her desperate need
for him, made her have to fight not to take him then and there.
"Can't wait to taste you," he murmured next to her ear, and delightful
shivers ran up and down her spine.
Instinctively her hands resting just below his waist pulled him closer
to her, and he drew back a little to look at her, laughing softly in
surprise at the urgency in her touch, which was a little stronger than
she had intended it to be.
He leaned in close to whisper again as he pulled her even closer to
him, "Can't wait, love? Patience. We've got guests. Gotta be polite,"
he teased her, one hand moving from her waist to trace slow circles
with his thumb on her hip, driving her wild with his touch.
She glared at him for a moment in her frustration, aware that he knew
exactly what he was doing, deliberately intensifying her desire while
reminding her that she could not fulfill it just then. "You wanna play,
Baby?" she whispered seductively, trailing one of her hands downward as
well until it reached the back of his thigh, trying to decide just how
far she dared take this game in front of all of their friends. No one
was really paying them any attention, so she felt bold enough to raise
the stakes a little.
His gleeful, smug smirk disappeared in a soft gasp at the sensation as
she suddenly drew him nearer to her with her hand behind his thigh, at
the same time, swiveling her hips to bring her into more intimate
contact with his body.
She smirked herself as she felt the undeniable evidence of her effect
on him. "Let's play?" she murmured.
"Careful, love," he replied, his composure somewhat recovered, enough
to slide his thumb inward from her hip along the line of her thigh,
toward her throbbing center. "Ain't hardly proper for the best man to
be dirty dancing with a bridesmaid during the bride and groom's first
dance, is it, pet?" he reminded her teasingly, his eyes dancing with
the heady rush of the exciting little game they were playing – the game
that he was determined to win. "Might draw a bit of attention."
She only pulled him closer as she ground against him a little less
subtlely, her other hand moving up to pull his head down until their
lips were mere inches apart. "I love attention!" she whispered,
pressing her lips to his hard, her tongue darting out to seek entrance
between his lips, parted in surprise at her boldness.
Which he was finding more irresistible with every moment.
When they parted, just as the song came to an end, and the focus
shifted from Anya and Xander and their finished first dance, their eyes
met and both realized immediately that the game was lost – to both of
them.
"Let's go upstairs," Buffy suggested breathlessly.
"Right," he immediately replied in a shaky voice, his eyes wide.
Their desperate escape was cut off by the maid of honor, her arms cross
emphatically over her chest at the foot of the stairs, blocking their
path.
"Oh, no, you don't! You two can go shag like bunnies later!" she
declared in a loud whisper – a little too loud, judging by Anya's
startled gasp from ten feet away.
"No...actual...bunnies," Dawn assured her quickly, holding up her hand in a
calming gesture, before returning her attention to them firmly. "I am
the maid of honor and I am entitled to a dance with the best man."
"Maybe later, Bit," Spike said hurriedly, shaking his head, trying to
move past her up the stairs. "I'm a bit busy at the moment."
"No, you just want to be," she corrected him, her eyebrows raised
knowingly, her expression unrelenting as she quickly blocked him again.
Her tone became softly pleading as she took his hands and turned
around, tugging him insistently in the direction of the dance floor.
"Come on, Spike. This kind of event only happens once in a while. You
two have your whole lives to screw each other senseless."
Buffy looked mildly appalled by the words of her little sister. "I
don't know whether to be shocked by your language or totally relieved,"
she muttered.
"Huh?" Dawn was confused. "Relieved?"
"The fact that you have no idea what this is like for us proves beyond
all doubt that you are most definitely still a virgin," Buffy shot
back, her arms crossed in irritation.
"Who says I don't know?" Dawn said defensively. Then she gave her
sister a mischievous wink. "Maybe I'm just sadistic."
As she watched her little sister drag her reluctant lover onto the
dance floor, Buffy returned to her seat dejectedly, grumbling, "Damn
right, she's sadistic!"
"What?" Willow asked, a little concerned.
"I just solved a mystery; the Key is definitely evil," Buffy announced
resentfully.
Willow smiled. "One – we already solved that mystery, and no she's not.
And two – chill, Buffy! Contrary to your opinion, Spike is not oxygen,
and you will not cease to live and breathe if you go two minutes
without kissing him."
"I know," Buffy pouted.
"Besides," Willow continued slyly. "You did that to yourself."
Buffy looked up at her sharply, surprised – and a little embarrassed –
that Willow had noticed her and Spike and their little sexual game.
A slow smile spread across Willow's face, but she didn't look at Buffy,
who returned her attention to her little sister and Spike, who was
laughing politely but distractedly, and glancing in her direction every
few seconds.
"Looked like fun, though," Willow admitted with a shrug.
"It was fun...now it's torture," Buffy whined.
The dance seemed to last forever. By the end of it, Spike's attention
was, at least outwardly, focused on Dawn. He had drifted into
big-brother mode, and was teasing her, complimenting her, just
generally doing his best to make her feel grown-up and like a lady as
they danced.
As the next song started to play, he attempted to gracefully make his
escape, but the enthusiastic girl -- little sadist – cajoled and begged
him for just one more dance – and he could not help but give in.
Buffy sighed and leaned heavily back in her chair. She was just going
to have to be patient.
Why not? she thought, suddenly contented in spite of herself. No reason
not to be.
Dawn was right.
They had the rest of their lives.
As Anya rested her head on her husband's – her husband! – shoulder, she
could not remember ever feeling so happy, so contented. Everything she
had ever wanted, everything she had thought she had lost, was right
here in her arms at last.
Dawn's little venture into the world of vengeance, though it had been a
dangerous one, had proven to be of the good for everyone in the end.
Xander had truly changed so much. She remembered how when they had been
together before, she had been terrified constantly of doing something
to remind him of her former non-human status, and somehow losing his
love. His bias had been obvious to her at least on a subconscious level
even then, and it had made her feel very insecure and struggle to win
his approval – sometimes too hard.
Thus it was that when he had left her at the altar, she had blamed
herself, feeling that it was because she was not good enough for him,
because she had not always been human.
Now, the fact that she could really feel safe in his love, with no need
to disguise the fact that she was not human anymore, spoke of how much
he had truly changed. He loved her for who she was, not what she was,
or was not...thanks to Dawn's wish.
Her other wish had had a dramatic impact as well. Understatement of the
century, she thought with a smile. Since Arashmar had taken Warren away
for good to be sold as a slave in another dimension, Spike's whole
attitude, demeanor, had drastically changed.
The cries for vengeance that Anya had continued to hear from him
throughout her extended stay in Sunnydale had stopped instantly in that
moment, so suddenly that the silence had been deafening. But she had
felt a peace, knowing that he had finally found the justice his wounded
spirit had longed for.
Over the next few months, surrounded by love and support, with no
threat of having it torn from him again, he had grown steadily
stronger, both physically and emotionally, until now, one would hardly
know it had ever happened.
Of course, none of them who knew what had happened would ever forget.
But it was good to be able to move on.
Anya watched with a smile as Buffy finally lost patience and
insistently cut in on Dawn and Spike's fourth dance. She let out a sigh
of relief and happiness as she sank into his arms again, and the
contented look on his face at the renewed realization of how much she
wanted him was touching to Anya as she looked on.
"Finally. I missed you," Buffy pouted playfully.
He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss before smiling into her eyes
and murmuring softly, "Me, too."
"I wish we could always be together," Buffy sighed, leaning her head
against his chest, contented just to be in his arms.
"We will," he assured her, resting his chin on the top of her head and
closing his eyes as they moved together in a steady, smooth rhythm.
Neither of them noticed Anya watching them with an affectionate smile,
or saw or heard the whispered words as they left her lips.
"Wish granted."