Buffy slurped her cereal loudly, carefully angling the spoon so as to not drip milk on her top.

"What time we expecting everybody?" Spike asked slamming his mug of blood in the microwave.

"Umm...I think around 10?" Buffy recalled. "Early anyway, Willow thinks dress shopping will take a while."

"Oh God." Spike rolled his eyes. "I do not wanna stand in some sodding tailor's with Angel, Xander and Andrew."

"Well maybe you can get Andrew out of it?" Buffy offered. "It's not as if he's a groomsman."

"No...but Clem didn't think it was his scene. Said to give him whatever and if you think I stand any chance of getting Andrew to sod off you are sorely mistaken." Spike sighed, taking another swig of blood.

"I think it's sweet. A little bromance." Buffy giggled.

Spike grimaced and chugged the last of the blood, he'd need all the energy he could get today.

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"I'm thinking red." Buffy decided as she pulled open the door of the dress shop.

"Sounds good to me." Faith shrugged.

"It won't clash with your hair too much though, right Will?" Buffy checked.

"'Course not! It'll be perfect!" Willow assured her.

The dress shop was large and spacious, all four walls were lined with racks of dresses, escaping the tight spaces they'd been shoved into in bursts of taffeta and silk.

"Where are the bridesmaids dresses? We'd like to start there if that's alright." Willow asked the attendant.

"Of course." The woman guided the group to a section near the back, popping with all sorts of colours. "Any colour in mind?"

"We were thinking red." Buffy told her.

The woman beamed her approval and wheeled forward a rail of red dresses. There were crimson ballgowns and cherry mini dresses, maroon jumpsuits and blood red skater skirts.

"I'll leave you to it." The woman placed a tray of champagne on a little coffee table next to the ladies' chairs and sashayed out of the room.

"I don't know where to begin." Buffy laughed sinking into a chair.

"I don't think you have to begin, B." Faith chuckled gesturing to Dawn and Willow who were already attacking the rail.

Dawn stepped out of the changing room in an A line dress, it was vibrant vermillion with puffed sleeves and a thick ribbon sash.

"What do you think?" Dawn twirled.

Buffy looked at Faith helplessly, who barely contained her sniggers as she said. "I think that's a firm no, kid."

Next it was Willow's turn, she was dressed in a globe shaped ball gown. It hooped stiffly around her waist, forcing her to walk like she had a basketball stuffed up her front. Willow smiled hopefully.

"Not even if you could use the skirt to shield Spike from the sun." Buffy commented, sending Willow back into the changing room.

They repeated this ritual over a dozen more times, so much so it became like a deleted scene from 27 Dresses. Finally when they'd given up hope, Willow stepped out in the last dress on the rack.

It was a beautiful wine-red chiffon that flowed downwards, settling perfectly at her feet, her pink unicorn socks poking out from underneath. A somewhat plunging neckline for Faith and yet not so much that Spike would forbid Dawn from wearing it.

"That's it." Buffy just knew.

"I can rock that." Faith agreed.

"Really?" Willow checked, running her hands over the skirt.

"You look beautiful, Willow." Dawn smiled encouragingly.

"Excuse me? Miss?" Buffy called out and almost instantly the attendant appeared. "Hi, can we get this one in two more sizes please?"

A few minutes later and all three women were zipped into their dresses and lined up before Buffy.

"You guys.. you look amazing!" Buffy grinned at them.

"Now are you sure you want this, B?"

"Yeah the dresses are perfect!"

"No, I mean are you sure you want me?"

"What?"

Willow and Dawn awkwardly shuffled their way back to the changing rooms to give the two slayers some privacy.

"It's no secret, B, we've never really been friends."

"No, you're right, we haven't." Buffy agreed.

"So why do you want me here?" Faith asked, now feeling a little ridiculous in her dress.

"Because it's not about friends. It's about family."

"Family?" Faith smiled, not what she'd expected.

"Yeah. You're like my wayward slayer sister." Buffy chuckled. "Yeah we've tried to gut each other more times than I can count but Willow tried to destroy the world and Giles tried to kill my soon-to-be husband, so I think I can let you off."

"Really?" Faith was touched, genuinely. She didn't remember the last time someone had called her family.

"Yep. You're not getting away from the Scoobies that easy!"

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"How does it look?" Spike asked Xander, Angel and Andrew.

"Looks good. You like it?" Xander asked.

"Well, I can't see it on myself can I you prat." Spike rolled his eyes.

"Oh yeah that whole reflection thing...that does explain the hair." Xander quipped.

Spike just snarled. "What colour pocket squares and cuff links are we having?"

"Red. That's what Willow texted me." Andrew interjected. "And Spike you look...just wow."

Andrew crossed the room towards him, stroking Spike's lapel. Spike shrugged violently but Andrew just picked a new area of him to touch. Angel eventually approached from behind and pried Andrew's fingers off of Spike.

"Does it really look okay, mate?" Spike anxiously hissed at Angel.

Angel managed a small smile and reached out to straighten Spike's blazer. "Yeah, it does."

"Not getting all soppy on me now are you, Peaches?"

"No chance, Peroxide."

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Buffy sauntered out of the changing room, this was the 17th dress she'd tried on. The dress was simple but classy, a lace off-shoulder detailing with little sleeves. The bodice was a bright, white tulle with a long train out behind her. The dress was embellished with small pearls and diamonds and the train was edged with the lace from the top. Buffy plucked a veil from the dummy in the window and fixed it on the back of her head.

"What do you think?"

"Buffy! You look...stunning." Willow breathed.

"Really?" Buffy grinned nervously.

"Spike is gonna die! Again..." Dawn joked.

"You look smokin' B." Faith nodded her agreement.

Buffy glimpsed herself in the mirror, now the fact that she was getting married was more real than ever. And yet for some reason, she'd never felt less scared in her life.