"Bugger off peaches." Spike told him when he left Buffy at Giles house to finish getting Thanksgiving ready. He had to pick up biscuits for tomorrow, which was strange and new for him.
"I'm here to protect Buffy, she's in danger." Angel told him, Spike laughed at his lame excuse to see her.
"Brilliant plan Captain Forehead, she's always in danger." Spike told him, Angel shook his head and left to follow Buffy, he didn't have time to argue. He showed up under a blanket with rolls smelling like roasting bacon since he had to take his ring off before he burst through Giles door.
"Rolls." Spike offered Buffy smiled happily taking the rolls to the kitchen.
"Thank you." Buffy said from the stove.
"What's wrong?" Buffy asked While Giles searched through his books.
"It's the victims. Apart from Xander, Hus has targeted authority figures - Father Gabriel, the curator of the Cultural Center... who fits this pattern?" Giles pointed out helpfully.
"The Dean. Dean Guerrero, he's the king of us - and he was at the ceremony..." Buffy told him after a moments thought.
"Likely candidate. We'll need to warn him." Giles replied sounding convinced. Buffy moved across the room to talk to Willow with her books.
"Will, isn't there anything in there about how to stop a Native American spirit guy? Some nice, non judgemental way to, you know, kill him?" Buffy asked, Spike tried not to laugh, he remembered this on clear enough.
"I'm not helping you kill him! I'm not on board." Willow scowled picking up her books and holding them to her chest like a shield.
"Will, what choice do we have?" Buffy asked Willow got up to defend her point.
"This isn't a Western, Buffy! We're not at Fort... Giles, with the cavalry coming to save us! It's one lonely and oppressed warrior guy who's just trying to..." Willow whined but Buffy interrupted her.
"kill a lot of people?" Buffy cut in.
"I didn't say he was right." Willow pouted.
"Will, you know how bad I feel. This is eating me up..." Anya held up the bottle of brandy to her. "a quarter cup, and let it simmer... but even though it's hard, we have to end this. Yes, he's been wronged, and I personally would be ready to apologize..." Buffy ranted, Spike couldn't help it he started laughing. "What!?" Buffy asked flustered.
"I just can't take this mamby-pamby boo-hooing over the bloody Indians!" Spike chuckled out.
"The preferred term is..." Willow tried to correct him, but he didn't stop.
"You won! All right? You came in and you killed them and you took their land. That's what conquering nations do! That's what Caesar did, he's not going around saying "I came, I conquered, I felt really bad about it"! The history of the world is not people making friends. You had better weapons, you massacred them, end of story!" Spike pointed out honestly.
"Well, I think the Spaniards actually did a lot of... not that I don't like Spaniards..." Buffy tried to shift guilt, but stopped with a look from Willow.
"Listen to you! How are you gonna fight anybody with that attitude love?" Spike asked her, she looked guilty.
"We don't want to fight anybody." Willow pouted.
"I just want to have Thanksgiving." Buffy sighed, Spike put his arms around her.
"And you will love, but not without a fight." Spike told her.
"If we could talk to him..." Willow tried weakly.
"You exterminated his race. What could you possibly say that would make him feel better? It's kill or be killed here. Take your bloody pick." Spike snipped at Willow, everyone was quiet for a second while they thought about it.
"Maybe it's the syphilis talking, but some of that made sense." Xander's nasally voice chimed in from the couch.
"I made several of those points earlier, but that's fine, no one listens..." Giles mumbled peevishly, mostly to himself.
"All right. Whatever happens, someone should go warn the Dean." Buffy sighed.
"I'll go. I need the air." Willow offered upset and confused about how she should feel now.
"Not alone." Buffy told her, they left to get to it, later they fought off the big bad, and Angel left town without seeing her which Spike was glad for.
"This is for you." Buffy said handing him a mug full of human temperature blood with burber weed and wheat-a-bix in it, she'd seen him do it at his crypt, and she hoped it was good she'd even put a few drops from her arm wound in it.
"Bloody hell Slayer, gourmet meal." Spike thanked her, kissing her on the cheek. A few days later, Buffy was trying to get out of listening to Willow whine so she could patrol.
"Look, Spike is waiting for me." Buffy said looking guilty.
"So you're going, I figured, seeing as how I'm kinda grievey, we could have a girl night. You know - eat sundaes and then watch Steel Magnolias and you could tell me how at least I don't have diabetes." Willow tried, Buffy cringed at the thought.
"I can't hang until after patrolling, we need to figure out this initiative stuff. You know that." Buffy said ducking out, they ended the night at Giles who seemed to be having trouble seeing. Spike's eyes went wide when he realized what was about to happen.
"Buffy, I should g... Will you marry me?" He asked getting down on one knee and holding out the small wooden box he kept in his pocket at all times, opening it to reveal the delicate braided silver band that had been his mother's ring.
"It's just so.. So sudden! I don't know what to say!" Buffy gushed, Spike smiled up at her.
"Just say yes and make me the happiest man on earth." Spike told her, this was all painfully similar to what had happened when he'd actually proposed.
"Oh, Spike. Of coarse it's yes!" Buffy gushed, Spike stood up kissing her passionately, she all but swooned in his arms.
"Giles you'll never guess what happened!" Buffy was giddy, Spike was practically delirious with pleasure with her in his arms, it was almost like it was before.
"How about a daytime ceremony in the park?" Buffy offered, sounding rather excited about it.
"How 'bout instead we have it on the full moon under the stars in the park so you don't have to registering as Mr. And Mrs. Big pile of dust." Spike suggested which had been the compromise they'd come to last time.
"Mm, I guess that would be pretty." She said as Giles poured himself a large glass of Scotch. He brought it with him to the sofa. Buffy was pouting, frustrated with her fiance. "Ooh. Pouty, look at the lip. Gonna get it. Gonna get it." Spike leered lurching forward and biting her lower pouty lip. Tugging gently and letting go. She giggled. "Stop!" She said smacking his chest playfully, kissing him sweetly, while Giles sat on the couch, resting his eyes. "Yes, please stop." Giles pleaded Buffy moved to sit on the couch next to Giles. "Giles? Did you see my ring?" Buffy asked admiring her ring.
"Thankfully, not very well." Giles told her still resting his head on the back of the couch, eyes still closed. "Giles, I... I'm not crazy; I know you probably don't approve... and my Dad's not that far away, I could. probably... but this day is about family, my real family. And I want it to be you that gives me away." Buffy asked, Giles looked at her, mouth open, honored by her question. "Buffy, I... That's so... Oh for God's sake! This is nonsense! Something is making you act this way! Don't you realize what you're doing!?" Giles almost forgot to be modified, he couldn't approve, she wasn't even dating Spike, not to mention he was endlessly annoying, it might have made sense if they had been together, but this was way too fast. "Living the dream." Buffy smiled looking at Spike happily "He's going to have to take a bit of time to get to used to it, pet." Spike told her Buffy moved back over to Spike. "I guess they all will. They weren't crazy about you or Angel at first." Buffy rationalized, Spike growled "You weren't going to say that name." Spike fumed, he hated the idea of them together. "Sorry. Let's talk about where we should register." Buffy tried to change the subject. "Where would Angel want to register? And can we the photographer Angel would have wanted and the flowers Angel would have liked?" Spike quipped sounding far more petty then he thought he ever had. "Hey, you think the shadow of 'the past' isn't hanging over me? That I won't be wondering if you're thinking about her on our honeymoon when you're making sweet love to me?" Buffy argued going over to him, he shook his head.
"No, love." he started pulling her close kissing her passionately while she sat in his lap. Giles made a pained noise and reached for his drink, but missed it badly, knocking the glass to the floor with a crash.
"Giles? Are you okay?" Buffy asked reluctantly moving away from Spike's lips, they both looked at him with concern. "I rather think not. I seem to be rather... rather blind. Completely, in fact." Giles explained, Spike got up to find a reversal spell for Giles, and Buffy left to get the ingredients. Spike got Giles the good scotch and waited for Buffy to come back. When she did she had much more then the ingredient, he pulled her onto his lap and she pulled out a cake topper from one of the bags.
"So the plan is to cure my total incapacitating blindness tomorrow, is that it?" Giles complained
"They were out of Taggis Root. They'll have more tomorrow. I'm completely on top of this. Aren't they a perfect little us?" Buffy asked walking the couple up his arm amusedly. Spike takes the little couple, looking at them. "I don't like him. He's insipid. Clearly human." Spike joked not that he really cared. "red paint... we can smear his little mouth, the blood of the innocent." Buffy laughed rubbing the statues face "That's my girl." Spike grabbed the back of her head and yanked her in for a hard, deep kiss, his other arm holding her to him. "Stop that! Right now! I can hear the smacking." Giles pleaded for this to stop happening in front of him. Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes at Spike. Going back to the planning. "Honey, we have to talk about invitations. Do you want to be "William the Bloody" or, like just "Spike"? 'Cause either way it's gonna look majorly weird." Buffy asked showing him the invite she'd picked while she snuggled on his lap. "Whereas the name "Buffy" gives it that touch of classic elegance. Just put William Pratt." Spike told her his last name for the first time ever. "What's wrong with Buffy?" She asked him looking offended "Such a good question." Giles mumbled. "Well, it's a terrible name." Spike teased her, he'd been so scared of losing her before he'd forgotten how fun this back and forth was "My mother picked that name!" Buffy sneered, Spike laughed kissing her rather then arguing, she was so amazing, and he was glad they'd waxed over him telling them his last name. The front door flied open and Xander and Anya ran in locking the door behind them. "Board up the windows! Barricade the doors!" Xander called out sounding more then a little panicked. "What's going on?" Giles asked sitting up wishing he could see something. "Demons. They keep coming and coming!" Anya explained while Xander and Anya struggled with the mirrored stand by Giles' door, trying to move it in front of the door. "I think we lost them. I didn't see..." Xander was interrupted by Buffy. "Xander, calm down. If you lost them, we have a little time to figure this out. Maybe it's related to Giles being blind." Buffy offered, they both looked at Giles sitting on the couch. "Giles is blind?" Anya asked while Xander went up to Giles, and waved his hands wildly in front of Giles' face. "Stop whatever you're doing. You smell like fruit roll-ups." Giles scowled at him sightlessly "This is the crack team that foils evil's every plan? I am deeply shamed." Spike teased Buffy giggled. "Spike's right. We have to get organized." She said trying to sound stern, even though she was happier then she'd ever been. "Why are you holding hands? Are you orgasm friends again, or, did you never have sex, I can never tell with you two?" Anya asked thinking about it Xander turned and eyed them curiously.
"They have to hear it sooner or later..." Spike told her sounding almost as excited as her, she smiled conspiratorially.
"Spike and I are getting married." She squeaked, almost bouncing up and down. "How? What? How?" Xander asked completely dumbfounded by the news. "Three excellent questions." Giles quipped sarcastically almost to himself. Buffy and Spike had gotten caught in the loving snare of each others eyes, they were totally ignoring the others. "What are you looking at?" He whispered in a mock threat, leering at her hungrily. "The man I love." She whispered, her words brought a moan of pleasure to his lips, and he pulled her in kissing her deeply, they were twined together intimately. He never wanted to let her go. "Can I be blind too?" Xander asked looking ill. "Wait. Married. I know something. What is it? This is all so familiar. Work, brain, work. Oh! Oh-oh! Willow!" Xander exclaimed excitedly. "What about Willow? Honey get off me." Buffy said reluctantly breaking up the kissing. "Something about Willow and her grief-y poor-me mood swings. So, so tired of it." Xander complained rolling his eyes. "You mean I don't have to be nice to her anymore?" Anya asked him excitedly. "We're all tired of it, but what's it have to do with what's going on?" Buffy asked leaning into Spike's embrace. "She told me I was a demon magnet. And... And she said you two should get married." Xander spilled trying to remember everything. "And that I didn't see anything." Giles gasped happy to have an explanation for his blindness. "She did a spell." Buffy deduced still more then a little distracted by Spike's hand sneaking up the back of her shirt. "Yes, to have her will done. Whatever she says is coming true." Giles filled in the blanks with what little he knew. "And both you guys were affected. I probably only escaped it because I'm the Slayer. Some kind of natural immunity." Buffy said unwilling to believe the thing that was making her happier then she'd ever been was caused by a spell. "Yeah. Right. You're marrying Spike because you're so right for each other." Xander quipped. "Xander..." Buffy said sounding hurt, which made Spike growl. "That's it. You're off the usher list." He threatened wanting to add more, but not wanting to get scolded. "People... Willow's still out there, and she probably has no idea what she's doing." Giles interjected sourly. "We've gotta find her." Xander said suddenly serious again, or more like for the first time. "Before someone really gets hurt." Buffy agreed, Giles moved to help but just ended up falling over his own couch. They went to the dorms to find Willow, and all they found were the burns from D'Hoffren's portal. So they went to the cemetery to summon him, Buffy gushed about how this spot was perfect for wedding pictures, and that's when the demons started showing up. They were locked in the crypt while Anya chanted trying to keep the demons out. Willow appeared and dispelled everyone while Buffy was straddling him locked in a passionate kiss.
"Buffy." Spike whispered, Buffy looked at him wide eyed in shock, she didn't know what to do, part of her wanted to kiss him again, but part of her just wanted to run for her life. How had this happened again, how had they gotten to the end without the middle how was she in so deep. She got up looking away from him in favor of scowling at Willow.
They all went back to Giles' place and Willow baked them cookies, Spike stayed in hopes that he could talk to Buffy, but she was avoiding even looking at him. He pulled her aside at the end of the night back into the hall by the bathroom.
"Don't avoid me love, if the spell has you put off fine, I'm used to it love, but at least have the gall to face me." Spike told her, shaking his head.
"I'm sorry Spike, I know I'm kind of a crappy friend, or girl friend or whatever we are, but I, I've never felt that way before, about anything. And it scares the hell out of me, it scares me because, what if, what if I never feel that way again, or what if I do and then it ends, I couldn't take that." Buffy said looking so afraid.
"I'm the wrong bloke to ask about love, the spell hardly touched me. The only thing that changed for me was the timing. Buffy I know you're not on the same page, and I'll wait love, but I'd like to know if there's anything to wait for." Spike told her brushing a strand of hair from her cheek, she leaned into his gentle touch.
"There is, there definitely is stuff to wait for, I just need time to let that sink in, everything about our, what ever it is we have, is just so confusing, and you're just so sure of everything, and I know like nothing about you." Buffy said to him, he shook his head.
"All you have to do is ask love." Spike told her, she nodded.
"I know, I, I just need a little time." She told him, he took it with stride, this was becoming quite the pattern they parted ways soon after that, she didn't come by for a while, she even chose to deal with the gentlemen, found out about Riley Finn the mighty tin soldier, and saved the world alone.
