Chapter 2

The last few weeks to the wedding past like a whirlwind. For once her birthday passed without demonic incident. Dawn gave her a bunch of classical CD's, but only after Buffy promised not to play them while she, or even worse her friends were in the house. Buffy almost slipped was when Xander and Anya gave her a beautiful new weapons trunk with cd holder. Fortunately she caught herself in time and only gave Anya a kiss on the cheek. It took her a week before she convinced herself that Anya didn't look disappointed.

Finally it was the day of the wedding.

"You're going to drive yourself crazy if you don't tell them," Tara told her as they made their way down one of the side halls of the lodge.

"I can't. I won't ruin their wedding. And once today's done I'll force myself to move on."

"That hasn't worked so far," Tara warned. "And what if something happens?"

"Nothings going to stop this wedding," Buffy swore. Then she stopped and tilted her head. "Do you hear someone… laughing?"

Tara listened, then pointed at the air duct. "Must be from the next room."

"Good. Now lets go see the happy couple," Buffy said and marched onward. Tara followed her and pretended not to notice how Buffy needed to take a few deep breaths before she walked into Anya's dressing room.

Anya was standing on a small box while Willow buttoned the back of her dress. "Buffy!" Anya said and somehow managed to glow even through the mask and the hair curlers. "How do I look?" She asked and spun around.

"Hey?" Willow protested as the back of Anya's gown slipped out of her fingers. "Not done back here, yet."

"Oh, sorry," Anya said and went back into position.

"Do you need a hand?" Tara asked.

"Thanks," Willow said. Tara smiled and held the back of Anya's gown closed so Willow could finish with the buttons.

"Well?" Anya asked again and tilted her head to one side.

"You look…" Like an angel. A real one. "Beautiful," Buffy finished. "Willow's going to have to hold Xander up when he sees you come down the aisle."

"Thank you," Anya said and took a step off the box so she could hug Buffy

"Hey!" Willow protested again, but Tara put her hand on Willow's and shook her head. Willow questioned her ex with a look, but Tara just shrugged and watched Buffy's face as at least a dozen emotions raced through it.

Anya ignored Willow and continued. "I'm glad that you're my maid of honor. It means a lot to me and Xander that you're going to be there with us."

"Where else would I be when my two best friends are getting married?" The knots she'd felt for the last month almost went away as that old feeling of home returned. She wanted to tell Anya, tell both of them. But what she felt was wrong and she knew it. So she pulled herself out of Anya's arms.

She didn't hear Willow's annoyed huff when Buffy called Anya her best friend, but Tara did. The look she gave Willow made the red head shrink away.

"I'm going to check on Xander," Buffy said and wiped at some imaginary speck on her gown so she wouldn't have to look Anya in the eyes. She knew what the ex-demon would see in them.

"If you see Amy could you send her by?" Willow asked sweetly while she glared at Tara.

"Tell Spike the same thing," Tara retaliated.

"Sure will," Buffy said as she rushed out of the room. "And I thought I had problems."

The last thing she heard as she closed the door was Anya saying, "Don't make me separate you two. I still need help with my vows."

Buffy just shook her head and walked down the hall to Xander's room. She knocked once before she walked in. Amy was standing behind Xander, with her hands out of sight, and they both looked red. Buffy almost assumed the worst, which would have been very bad for a certain recently cheese loving witch. Then she heard what Amy was saying.

"If you'd just let me use a spell," Amy said.

"No! No magic! We have enough trouble on special days as it is."

"Then we're going to need… Buffy!" Amy grinned when she saw Buffy standing in the door. "I think we have a Slayer emergency."

"Demon?" Buffy asked and looked around.

"No, cummerbund," Amy said and held up the offending piece of black material. "Please tell me you can help."

"Sure, Slayer strength to the rescue. Oh, and Willow wanted to see you. She's in helping Anya." Buffy said as she took Amy's place behind Xander. Amy nodded and walked to the door, leaving Buffy to her task.

Buffy pulled on the fabric, but to no avail and Xander started to panic. "This is no good, Buffy. People will be able to see where my shirt and pants meet! I need to wear das Cummerbund!"

"And so you shall." Buffy pulled harder and finally managed to hook the offending fabric together. "There."

Xander grinned and tried to take a deep breath, but he couldn't. "That's okay. I've been meaning to kick the oxygen habit anyway. So how do I look?"

Buffy watched him turn around and fought down the same urge that she had with Anya. "You look like you're ready to get married. You and Anya are so lucky."

Xander grinned. "You want to get lucky? I've still got fifteen minutes." Buffy's smile froze as she considered how close she was too him and how easy it would be too… And Anya's room was just a few feet down the hall… Then she noticed Xander waving his hand in front of her eyes. "Didn't mean to startle you, Buff. It was just a joke. Unless you…"

"No!" Buffy said much to fast and knew she was blowing it. How could the two of them make all this so hard? "I know… I should go check on your parents."

Xander nodded and turned back to the mirror. "Good idea. Make sure my dad hasn't bribed the bartender yet."

"I will," Buffy promised and walked out the door. Once it was safely closed she leaned against the wall and covered her eyes. "I will not cry, I will not cry."

"Problems?"

Buffy almost jumped out of her skin and quickly wiped away the few tears that had ignored her. "Tara? No, no problems. I… I thought you were helping Anya."

"I was until that witch walked in," Tara muttered and grimaced when she realized what she said. "You know what I mean."

"Amy's a good person."

"She's reckless. I mean, who else would jump right back into magic after spending three years as a rat? She's the last thing Willow needs."

Buffy nodded. Everything Tara said made sense and was, to a certain degree true, but she knew that Tara didn't really care what Amy had done. "Willow's a big girl. She has to live her own life."

"I know," Tara muttered and sighed as she slumped against the wall next to Buffy. "I'm just worried about her."

"I still worry about Angel," Buffy admitted. "I don't think you ever stop worrying about the people you love. But she's moved on, and so have you."

"I know," Tara said and lightly banged the back of her head against the wall a few times, just to relieve the tension. Then she looked down at Buffy. "So, problems?"

Buffy sighed and pushed off the wall. "I think I should go. I'm endangering the wedding." She heard Tara start giggling. "What?"

"You're quoting Star Wars. You've got it bad. The only thing that would be worse is if you knew how much this wedding cost."

"Four thousand six hundred and thirty four dollars," Buffy said without thinking. Tara just looked smug and Buffy gave up. "All right, I've got it bad."

"You still have ten minutes."

"No," Buffy said firmly. "They're going to get married and go on their honeymoon. Hopefully my hangover will be gone by the time they get back."

"You've spent too much time with Spike."

"Look who's talking."

Tara threw up her hands. "All right. If you want to make yourself miserable, fine. I just hope you know what you're doing."

"So do I."

Then Xander walked out of the room and clapped his hands together. "Come on, let's get this puppy started."

"I can't believe Xander would just run out on Anya like that," Dawn said. It was the first words any had spoken since they got home from the busted up wedding.

The room was crowded, with Amy and Willow on the love seat. Tara and Dawn were sitting on the couch. Dawn was hugging herself so tightly it looked like she was trying to disappear while Tara watched Buffy pace around the room like a caged animal. They'd all changed out of the almost radioactive bridesmaid gowns that Buffy had tried so hard to talk Anya out of.

"A part of me feels like I should hate Xander," Willow said and Buffy felt her stomach tighten because a small part of her agreed. How could he hurt the woman that t… he loved? Then redhead added, "But I can't, because he's Xander." And the knots in Buffy's stomach got worse, because she knew he had to have a very good reason for what he did. .

"I hope he's all right," Dawn said and looked down at her purple socks.

"I'm sure he is, honey," Tara said. "He… He knows how to take care of himself."

"Anya's the one I feel sorry for. She looked so broken when she walked down the aisle alone," Amy said with a sniffle, "It's a good thing you got her out of there, Buffy."

"I just wish that they didn't go off alone. We should be helping them," Buffy said as she went to the window and stared out into the black night.

"I think that they both need some time alone," Willow said.

"We're supposed to be their friends. They shouldn't be alone," Buffy snapped.

"I… I think Buffy's right," Tara said as she stood up and walked beside Buffy.

Buffy smiled at the blond witch and gave her a hug. "Thanks. Why don't we go after Anya while you two try to find Xander."

Willow didn't look convinced, but she still had her laptop open in under a minute. "It's going to take a while to find him, especially if he paid with cash."

"Wouldn't he just go stay with his parents?" Amy asked.

Willow arched her eyebrow. "I think his parents did enough all ready, don't you?"

Amy thought it over and nodded and walked over to the chest that she and Willow used to hold their magic supplies. "I could try a locator spell."

Then Dawn spoke up. "This might sound stupid, but did anyone actually see Halifreck and D'Hoffryn go back to wherever they came from after the wedding?"

"Buffy!" Tara shouted as she ran after the Slayer. It wasn't a fair race, not only was Tara wearing a long green skirt that kept trying to trip her, but Buffy had the extra advantage of Slayer speed. "Buffy!" Tara shouted again, more out of frustration than the idea that the other girl might actually stop. But Buffy surprised her and stopped at the street corner the led to Xander and Anya's apartment building.

Tara was gasping for breath when she caught up. "We don't know that D'Hoffryn's with her."

"Maybe not, but I have a bad feeling," Buffy said as she looked up street and she felt her stomach fall. "All the lights are off."

Tara looked up and made a gulping noise. "Maybe she went to bed."

"I don't think so," Buffy said as she started running again, but this time Tara managed to catch the Slayer before she got to far.

"Are you sure that this doesn't have anything to do with…" Tara's voice gave out and she blushed a bright red before she turned away.

"No. I'm just…"

"You don't have to lie to me, Buffy."

Buffy closed her eyes and nodded. "I just want to find her before D'Hoffryn takes her away."

"She might tell him no."

Buffy shook her head and actually felt the beginning of tears. "Xander ripped her heart out. I know he had to have had a good reason, but he was her life. God, I should have told her. Then maybe…" The sentence died out as Buffy started running again. This time Tara didn't try to stop her.

"Anya?" Buffy called out into the empty apartment as she opened the door. She slipped her keys back into her purse and walked inside. "It's me and Tara, Anya. Please, we just want to talk." But there was no answer.

Tara followed Buffy inside and looked around the apartment while Buffy went to check in the bedroom. "She might have stopped at a bar or something."

"No, Anya doesn't drink. She said it gave her bad memories," Buffy replied without thinking about it. When she walked back into the living room it was all she could do not to cry. "Her suitcase is gone."

Tara wanted to offer up some hope, but she couldn't, not after what she found in the living room. There was a circle burned into the ground. She didn't say a word as Buffy walked up and looked down at the closed portal. "I'm so sorry, Buffy. W… we can still find Xander. He's going to need you…"

Buffy shook her head. "No. I'm not giving up that easy. Can you send me after her?"

"I don't think…"

"No, no thinking. Thinking bad. Thinking's what got me into this to begin with. Can you do it?"

Buffy saw the indecision in Tara's eyes and knew that Tara could do it, but she might not admit to it. "Please, Tara. I need them both."

Finally Tara nodded. "All right. Stand in the middle of the circle."

"…It's time you went back to being what you were always meant to be," D'Hoffryn said.

Anya looked up at her old boss and saw her chance to get back at Xander for what he had done to her. The old urge to vengeance flowed through her like a fire. "My amulet…"

"Is right here," D'Hoffryn said and true to his word the amulet appeared in his hand. "All you have to do is take it."

Anya's hand shook as she reached out to the source of her power. Her finger brushed against the delicate gold chain and she felt the power of the Wish dancing through it. "All right," Anya said, but before she could take back what used to be hers there was a crackle of energy.

"What are you doing here, Slayer?" Halifreck asked, her hands on her hips, as she tried to block Buffy's path to Anya.

"I'm not here to talk to you, that's for sure," Buffy said and shoved Hali out of the way.

"You do not belong in this world, Slayer," D'Hoffryn's voice boomed through the dark dimension that was his home.

"I came for my friend. Just let me get her and I'll go," Buffy said. Anya looked up at Buffy, then her eyes went back to the necklace. "Please, Anya. You don't have to do this."

Anya shook her head. "Of course I do. I don't have anything left back there."

Buffy saw the anger and sadness on Anya's face and wondered how things could explode so quickly, and maybe she should just turn around and go home. But she could have done that to me at the Bronze. And where would I be now? At that moment she knew she wouldn't leave this dimension without Anya. "You have me."

Anya glanced at Buffy just long enough for Buffy to see the hope in her eyes, then it went away and she shook her head. "You just hung around with me because you wanted Xander. Well, go get him. I won't stop you."

"No," Buffy said and knelt down in front of Anya. "I hung around with you to be with you. I need… I love you, both of you."

"I don't believe you."

"Believe this," Buffy said and caught Anya's mouth with hers. Anya started to pull away in shock. Then she just closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Buffy's shoulders. They stayed like that for a long moment until Buffy broke away and kissed both of Anya's cheeks and tasted the tears, and finally rested her forehead against Anya's, all without opening her eyes. "Believe me now?"

Anya giggled from the tension and kissed Buffy again. "Oh yes. You're a very good kisser."

Buffy pulled away just long enough to say, "Thank Riley."

"Oh, my God!" Halifrek all but shrieked as she watched the two women.

D'Hoffryn just shook his head. "Oh, stop being so 19th century Hali. And Anya…" But neither Anya nor Buffy looked up. "Anya… ANYA!" Lightening flashed and the sky sounded like it was tearing itself apart when he said her name the third time.

It was just enough to get their attention. Anya broke away from Buffy and glared at her old boss. "What?"

"I assume that you don't want this back," D'Hoffryn said as he held out her amulet. Anya looked at it.

"It's tempting," Anya admitted. "But no."

"Then I wish the two of you all the luck in the world. You'll need it from what I've seen." With that D'Hoffyrn waved his arms and Buffy and Anya vanished from his realm.

"You always liked her better," Hali muttered. D'Hoffryn just sighed and walked away.

"Ah!" Tara screamed and jumped backwards as Buffy and Anya reappeared in a flash of light and brimstone. She grinned when she saw Buffy's arms wrapped around Anya. "You told her?"

"Yup. Now all we have to do is find Xander and knock some sense into him." Anya pulled out of Buffy's arms. "Ahn? What's wrong?"

"Do we have to find him?" Anya asked, sounding very much like a little girl.

"Don't you want to?" Tara asked Anya.

Anya backed away to the window. "Can't it just be you and me, Buffy?"

Buffy looked over at Tara, but Tara didn't do anything. "Yes. I told you I love you. But I love Xander too. Just like you do."

"You don't understand."

Buffy walked up behind Anya and wrapped her hands over Anya's stomach. "So tell me."

Anya didn't answer right away, she just watched the streetlights burning against the endless night. "He taught me what love is, and I thought he loved me too. How could he do this to me if he loved me?"

Anya didn't sob, she didn't even shake, but somehow Buffy knew she was crying. "I don't know. I don't know how he could do this. But I know him, and he wouldn't do this without a damned good reason."

"I think it had something to do with what that old man showed him," Tara added from where she was waiting.

"But the visions were all fake," Anya protested.

"Maybe," Buffy said. "But the demon made them out of what Xander was already terrified of. I think we should go see what that was." Even as she said it she knew. The Xander Harris she knew wouldn't have left Anya at the altar just because of a prophecy. He made a habit of breaking those. The only reason he would run was if he was the one who was dangerous. "Please?"

Anya lowered her head and nodded. "All right. But only for…"

"For all of us," Buffy finished firmly. Anya's head barely moved, but Buffy still saw the nod. She looked over at Tara. "Did Willow find out where he went yet?"

Tara nodded and handed over a slip of paper. "She called right after you left, but I don't recognize the address. Do you?"

Buffy looked at the slip, then crushed it in her hand as she felt a wave of past failure wash over her. "He's in the same hotel Faith stayed in."

She must have tightened her arms, because Anya turned and looked back. The twin tracks of her tears glowed in the streetlight as she wrapped her hands around Buffy's. Neither woman said anything.

Tara finally spoke up. "Do you want me to go with?"

Buffy shook her head. "No. I think we better go alone. Besides, Spike's probably wondering where you are."

Tara almost protested, but she saw the resolve in Buffy's eyes and nodded. "All right. But I want to hear the details tomorrow." With that she turned and walked to the door.

But before Tara left she heard Anya say, "But I thought I wasn't supposed to talk about my sex life," followed by Buffy's burst of laughter.

"Hectate guide them," Tara prayed under her breath.

"This is it," Buffy said as they stopped in the middle of the dirty hallway.

"Why did that man say it takes all kinds?" Anya asked as she stopped beside Buffy.

Buffy had a feeling she knew what the man meant, but she wasn't going to tell that to Anya. "He probably doesn't see many women here in a wedding dress."

"Oh."

"So, do you want to, or should I?" Buffy asked and motioned to the door. When Anya didn't answer Buffy reached out and knocked

"I didn't order any room service," Xander called out from behind the door.

Buffy wondered if he looked at beaten as he sounded. "Xander, it's Buffy. Anya and I just want to talk. Can we come in?"

Xander didn't say anything for a long time. Finally he said, "I just want some time, Buff. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Please, Xander," Anya begged. This time Xander didn't say anything. Buffy thought he was just going to try and ignore them. Then she heard the lock come off the door. She looked back and saw the fear in Anya's eyes, so Buffy took her by the hand and opened the door.

They found Xander sitting on the bed, still in his tuxedo. If he noticed that the two girls were holding hands he didn't say anything. Not that that was all that unusual in the past few months.

"Xander, we have to talk," Anya said as she walked up to her almost husband.

Xander didn't meet her eyes. "I can't Ahn. I'm sorry."

Buffy sat down next to him on the bed and put her arm around his shoulders. "What happened, Xand? Was it the visions?" Xander nodded.

"But they were fake!" Anya protested again, almost hysterically.

Buffy quieted her with a glance, and then turned back to Xander. "What did he show you?"

"You don't want to know." Xander's voice was raw and he refused to look at either of them.

Anya looked at Xander and got down on one knee in front of him. "Please, Alexander."

"You don't play fair," Xander protested as he looked into Anya's eyes.

"No, playing fair just means you loose," Anya said.

Xander almost grinned and told them everything. How marrying Anya meant Buffy died, and her death destroyed his marriage and career. He led them through all three of his horror stories until he finished with the frying pan.

When he was done both women were pale with shock. "I can't do it. When I saw that you died, Buffy, it was like someone had carved out my heart. And what I did to you…" Xander said and almost touched Anya's chin. "I couldn't let that happen. I need you… Both of you."

"You would never do that, Xander," Buffy said as she felt herself shudder. She couldn't imagine ever doing that to someone she loved.

"You aren't your father, Xander. And you never will be," Anya said as she ran her hand over his.

"I could be. That's the one thing I've always been afraid of. Now I know that if things ever get bad enough it'll happen."

"No, it won't. I know you, Xander Harris. The man I love is far too good of a person for that to ever happen." Buffy said.

Xander almost went back to moping when he realized what she said. He gave Anya a very worried glance, but there wasn't any sign of jealousy in his fiancé, just worry. "Buffy, I appreciate it, you have no idea how much, but I love Anya now and we can't…"

"Actually," Anya spoke up, "We can. I love Buffy too," she said, and just to prove it she leaned up and kissed Buffy. "And we both love you," she said and turned to kiss Xander.

Xander let himself flow away in his fiancée's arms. Then he turned and looked at Buffy. "Really?" He almost squeaked out.

"Really," Buffy answered, her voice husky. She leaned over and pulled him into a kiss. Then she pulled away and he just gazed at her. "So what do you think?"

"I think that that was everything I ever hoped for," Xander admitted.

"Thanks," Buffy said and blushed. "But I meant about the three of us."

"You mean it? The three of us…"

"In a relationship together," Buffy said firmly. "Because I need you both in my lives."

"And we need you," Anya said, happily as she pulled herself up and sat down on the other side of Xander, who was just gazing out into the distance. Anya frowned and waved her hand in his face.

Buffy sighed. "The same thing happened when I told Tara."

"You told Tara?" Anya asked in shock. Then she squinted as she thought back. "I knew she was looking at us in an odd manner." She looked back at Xander. "So how did you snap Tara out of this?"

"I think we're going to have to wait for him to wake up on his own," Buffy said.

Then Xander smiled as he realized he'd found an out. He reached out and took both girls' by the hand. "All right. If we're all sure I say let's go for it."

Neither girl answered right away. Anya stared down at the stained carpet while the both watched her. "Ahn. Are you sure you want to do this?" Xander finally asked.

Anya jerked up. "Oh yes. I just realized something, that's all."

"What?" Buffy said, but she had a hunch.

"We're going to need a much bigger bed," Anya said. Xander and Buffy both burst out laughing. Then Anya reached out and touched both of their knees. "But this one will do for now."

Xander knew what she meant and started to unbutton his shirt.

Buffy just froze and looked down at the hand on her knee while the butterflies moved from her stomach to her head. She suddenly understood why they called it cold feet because until this very moment it didn't seem real.

Anya saw this last stumbling block and slowly ran her hand up Buffy's thigh and stomach until her fingers were on Buffy's cheek. Then Anya leaned forward until they were almost nose-to-nose and Buffy could feel her hot breath. "The last steps yours. It'll break our hearts if you left right now, but you brought me and Xander back together and I'll never be able to repay that."

"People won't understand," Buffy whispered. It wasn't her real fear, but it was there. And it was the one she had been hiding behind ever since she realized she did love them both.

"To hell with society and its stupid rules. Besides, it not like they won't change. When I was human the first time this was perfectly acceptable," Anya babbled.

Buffy still wasn't sure, then she felt Xander's hand on her back. "Buffy, we aren't going anywhere."

The faces that flashed in front of her were her real fear. Angel, Parker, Riley, and even, in a small way, her parents and Giles. Everyone who had ever said they loved and left. "Promise?"

He turned her head just enough so he could kiss her lips. "Promise."

When the broke away they were both breathless. Buffy turned and saw Anya still watching her, lust clear in her eyes. "Forever?" Buffy asked and licked her lips.

"Forever," Anya agreed as Buffy closed the distance.