Witches and Wolves and Weddings, Oh my!

June 16, 2007

Immediately following The Bachelor Party, Round 2.

It was just after 7am when Angel stirred awake.

The first thing he became aware of was the fact he'd gone to sleep alone but wasn't waking up that way.

Buffy was sleeping on him. 'Could think of worse ways to wake up.' He mused. He grinned and kissed her crown, letting his thumb move slowly up and down against her back.

They were both fully clothed, but he still enjoyed the feel of her against him.

He hadn't had much it that lately.

A few minutes later she roused, stretching and leaning up.

"Morning." She grinned, a little embarrassed she'd just decided to sleep on him.

He grinned back, "Morning, sleep well?" He asked.

"Very" She smiled, leaning back down and pillowing her head against his shoulder.

"What time did you get in?" He asked, he'd felt when she'd come home, but didn't exactly know what time it was.

"Late…early? Around 4." She told him, "I fell asleep on Will's couch."

"Figured as much." He agreed.

"You?" She asked, wondering how long he'd been passed out on the couch.

"Before 1am, drove Xander and Oz home first." He explained. "They were pretty buzzed, and we did all promise Willow we wouldn't drink and drive."

"You didn't drink?" She asked a little surprised. Not that Angel ever drank outside social gatherings but she figured drinking at a bachelor party was a requirement.

"I had a few beers spread over the evening, nothing judgment clouding." He admitted. "You?"

She shrugged, "Oh, you know…girl talk and fruity drinks go hand in hand."

They were silent for a while after that, just enjoying a lazy and quiet, children free morning.

Angel was half asleep when Buffy moved to get up, wanting a cup of coffee to chase off the lingering tiredness.

He groaned when she accidentally brushed against his groin, which was taking advantage of Buffy's closeness and the time of morning.

"Sorry." He muttered, pulling the blanket up to smother his unintentional arousal. He was both glad for the confinement (but a little uncomfortable) of the material of his jeans. He hated jeans, but Buffy had bought them for him and he reluctantly wore them.

"Oops." Her cheeks reddened a little and she wished she didn't bring out such feelings in him when she wasn't trying to. She didn't want to tease him. Actually, what she really wanted was the tension to take a hike so she could enjoy making love to her husband again. But it wasn't cooperating.

"It's ok." He dismissed, he was used to it by now.

She bit her lip then turned back towards him, he was getting up to go drown his arousal in a few dozen gallons of freezing water again.

"Don't." She told him, pushing him back onto the couch and sitting beside him.

He looked across confused at her.

When he was about to say something she clamped her mouth over his, effectively shutting him up. Her heads wandered up to his face, caressing his cheek on the outside as her tongue did likewise to the inside. Her other hand moved behind his head, running her fingers though the short dark locks.

He leaned into her, hungry for her. He inhaled her scent, but pulled back quickly when he smelled no arousal on her. 'Damn it, stop messing with me!' He thought angrily.

"Buffy." He protested, not wanting to have the sympathy f*ck talk again.

"Shh." She said, placing her finger over his lips. "I'm not doing this because you want me to, or because I feel bad…I want to do this for you. I'm not ready to be touched myself yet, but I want to touch you. I love you; I want to love you." She leaned back in and met his lips with hers, and as she nipped his tongue, her fingers worked to undo his zipper. 'Damn, he's right, jeans suck.' She thought as the zipper jammed.

When his hands tried to caress her hips, she swatted them playfully away.

"No touching." She teased, knowing if his hands starting wandering all over her she'd probably get freaked and want to stop.

She didn't want to stop.

He growled a little and she laughed, taking his hands and placing them on the back on the couch. "Stay." She grinned at his frown.

With no distractions now, she quickly freed him from the tightness of the jeans and pushed the material down to his ankles, giving her full access to him.

He shivered a little in want as she knelt down between his knees, caressing his legs and moving towards his increasingly swelling interest in her.

His eyes shut when he felt her hot breath on his overly sensitive skin, very fiber pulsing for her to touch him.

Her warm fingers were feather light as they wrapped around his base, occasionally reached down to tickled and tease the family jewels.

Her hot tongue darted in and out as she licked and kissed his manhood, bringing a low rumble of desire from his chest.

She smiled at the noise, knowing exactly what she was doing to him.

She leaned down to take him fully into her mouth when the front door banged open.

"Buffy!"

Buffy gasped and jumped back, Angel did the same, grabbing the blanket from the couch and covering himself with it.

"Xander! What the hell are you doing here!" Buffy yelled, standing up and facing her friend with laser beam eyes.

He ignored the death-eyes, he was too panicked to even see them. "Oz! Wolf! Need slayer right now!" He blurted out.

"Wh-what? But it's not a full moon, and it's daytime, what happened?" She asked, slayer instincts kicking in.

"I don't know…he was fine this morning, then he just went crazy. He transformed, wrecked my place, and I don't know where he is! We need to get him before he hurts someone!" Xander's words rushed out, freaking over his friend suddenly going crazy and panting from running across town, his car still being at the pub from last night.

"Ok, we're on it." She turned to Angel but found the couch empty, a second later she heard the upstairs shower turn on.

She winced, feeling horrible for getting Angel all worked up and then needing to run out. 'Damn it…I so need to make this up to him.'

Pushing her family life aside for a moment, the slayer part of her grabbed her keys off the key ring, dragged a stunned Xander out and headed for her car. 'Angel can catch up later.' She thought. "Where did you last see Oz?" she asked, starting the SUV's engine and backing down the driveway.

…

Angel bit back the scream of frustration as he stood under the freezing water. He wanted to punch Xander, rip his head off.

'No.' he told himself, 'it's not his fault…Oz is in trouble.'

'Fuck Oz…I'm horney.' The angry reply in his head shot back.

His body still raged at being denied the release it was promised.

Bottle up those emotions again, he shut the water, toweled off and dressed. Grabbing a net and a dart gun from the weapon safe in their bedroom, he snatched up his keys and jumped into his GTX, dialing Buffy's cell to find out where they were concentrating the search.

However, deep down in his head, he was pissed at Buffy.

'Little bitch…she did that on purpose…'

…

A few hours later Oz was locked up safely in his containment cell as Willow sped through books to find out how to de-wolf him.

"I don't understand…th-this has never happened before." The witch cried, "Why did this happen today?" She asked Buffy as the blond rubbed her friend's back reassuringly.

Things always did seem to go to hell on wedding days…Xander and Anya's, Buffy and Angel's…now Willow and Oz's.

"We're all cursed?" Xander asked, flipping aimlessly though another book.

"Xander." Buffy shot him a bland look. Sarcasm, however true, wasn't helpful.

"It'll be ok Will, just relax, we'll change him back." She soothed her freaking friend.

No sooner had she said it, Oz began to shift back to his human form.

"Oz? Baby are you ok?" Willow called, fumbling for the key to the cell.

The naked redheaded werewolf shook his head, disorientated by the sudden shift. "Uh…that depends? I didn't miss the wedding did I?" He asked, afraid he'd lost his change to marry the girl he loves.

Willow wrapped herself around him, preserving his dignity, "No, you didn't." She kissed him numerously, rocking against him in relief.

"Xander, want to get Oz some clothes?" Buffy asked, turning so the two could have a moment alone.

He nodded and went into the small adjacent room to riffle through the locker Oz kept there with supplies, like clothes.

She glanced around, wondering where Angel had slunk off to. He'd helped bring Oz down, but vanished soon after the wolf was caged. She sighed, still feeling horrible about ditching him the way she did earlier. She wanted to talk to him, even finish what she started, but that didn't work if he wasn't here.

"Buffy?" Willow called from the cell, "Are the guest still coming? Can we still have the wedding?"

She nodded to her friend, "No one but us knows what happened this morning, we can be ready but we'd need to leave like…really soon." It was nearly ten, and they all still needed to get their outfits, get to hair appointments, put on makeup…wash dirt and wet dog smell off their bodies…a lot needed to happen before 2pm.

"What did happen this morning?" Xander asked, re-entering to room and tossing a shirt and some pants to Oz.

"Sorry man, didn't mean to trash your place." Oz apologized as he dressed, strangely remembering everything that happened while he was the wolf, remembering the sudden and uncontrollable anger that flooded through him.

"No big, you weren't the first demon to…history says you won't be the last." Xander moped.

"Yeah Oz, what caused the wolf-out?" Buffy asked, curious.

He shrugged, "Honestly, I don't know. One sec I was good, the next, wolf." He turned to his bride-to-be and saw her eyes blacken as she chanted something. "Will?" He asked, concerned.

Her eyes widened as they became their normal green again, "Oh, someone spelled you…a hex…they purposely made you angry so you'd transform."

"What?" Xander asked, "Why? So he could wreck my place?"

"I don't know, I can just see the traces of it. Whatever it is, it's gone now." She told them, freaked someone would do that to her Oz on purpose.

"Like a distraction?" Buffy asked, feeling like something was going on. 'Ok worry...where's Angel?'

"Yeah, maybe." Willow agreed, "This hex was weak, only for short term control. Stronger hexes take days, over a week in some cases to mature. This wasn't a planned attack; the spell was hacked together quickly, like the caster decided to do it last minute."

"Any way to trace it back to the person who sent it?" Buffy asked, wondering if it could be the same person who sent the portal after her, that mystery was still unsolved.

The redhead shook her head, "Its energy is already dissipated, it may have been hacked together fast, but it was well assembled. The originator is an expert on magicks."

"Hey, is Angel ok?" The werewolf asked.

"Yeah, why won't he be?" Buffy asked, husband alarms flaring.

"Well I didn't see him…and I think…I thought I…might have…bit him." He admitted. "I remember blood."

Buffy's eyes widened. "What!" She turned and ran out of the crypt the cage was located in and up the stairs into the graveyard, panicking that her already demon sponsored husband could now be infected with lycanthropy. 'Were-Vamp, not something I care to witness.'

She shot around the corner and slammed right into the one she was racing to find.

"Whoa slow down" Angel yelped, as he struggled to keep his balance after getting body slammed by a panicked slayer. "Where's the fire?"

She looked up at him then began to frantically search his body and limbs for a bite wound.

"Buffy, what's wrong?" He demanded, pulling her hands out of his shirt.

"Oz thinks he bit you, did he bite you?" She asked, trying to get her hands free and search him more.

Angel relaxed a little, realized she was freaked over worry for him and not something else. "Buffy, I wasn't bitten." He stated, pulling up his pant leg and letting her see some healing cuts on his leg. "He caught me with the claws on his foot, but no bite, I swear."

"Oh thank god." She crushed herself against him, hugging him in relief.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to worry you." He told her, rubbing her back.

She stood against him a moment, then asked, "Where did you go?" She wondered why he left the crypt to begin with.

He shrugged, "Felt a little crowded down there, just wanted some fresh air, feel the sun on my face…that and I called Giles to check in." All of that was true, but what he didn't tell her was he'd also been beating the hell out of a punching bag he'd placed in a nearby crypt for when he needed a place to cool off. Anger was boiling just under his cool exterior, and it was driving him crazy.

She nodded, pulling back. "Oh, good. How are the kids? Is Giles still sane? Did Liam sleep? How's Katie? Are they eating? Do they miss us?" she rushed out, wanting to know every detail since she last saw her babies.

Angel grinned, "Take a breath beloved."

"Sorry, I hate when they're not with us." She blushed, motherly instincts showing.

"Me too. They're fine, all of them." He promised, bending to place a kiss on her forehead, "I told him I'd call when we knew what was going on. By the way, what is going on? Oz ok? They still getting married?" Angel asked, concerned for his friends and equally really not wanting to have to postpone after all the work he and Buffy put into getting this wedding planned.

"Yeah to both. It was a spell, Will called it a Hex. We're not sure who or why yet, but it's gone now." She explained.

He nodded, "Well that's a relief, now we don't have to re-plan their wedding." He joked.

She rolled her eyes, grabbed his hand and pulled him back towards the crypt. "This reminds me of our wedding."

"A rabid werewolf hardly compares to an apocalypse." He grinned.

Had Buffy been facing him, she would have seen a shadow pass across his eyes.

A second later it was gone.

…

They were all back at Buffy and Angel's house, where the prep and after party were taking place in a few hours. Willow, Dawn and Buffy were in the master bedroom, getting the bride's makeup and hair done while the others were scattered about; getting dressed, showering, setting up the tables and chairs in the back yard…etc.

Oz was pacing in the living room, a tiny sliver of worry tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Willow has the whole house under protection; nothing without an invitation gets past those walls, including magicks." Angel stated to his worried friend. "You won't transform again."

"It's not that." Oz admitted, still pacing.

Angel nodded, understanding. "The it's-my-wedding-day jitters."

The werewolf nodded, "Yeah, that. Any advice?"

Angel sat on the couch, thinking. After a moment he shook his head, "Nope. I got nothing."

Oz gave him a cold look.

Angel grinned, "Just relax, I remember I was a wreck on my wedding day, you saw me…now I can't imagine why. It was the forth best day of my life."

"Forth?" Oz asked, wonder what beat out marrying the woman you love.

"Only behind the days my kids were born." Angel explained at Oz's raised eyebrow. He took a deep breath, "Just remember, tomorrow you'll wake up with the woman you love beside you forever."

Oz nodded, liking the idea.

…

2pm

Despite the near disaster that morning with Oz going wolf-crazy, the rest of the day went perfectly.

They held the ceremony at a nearby botanical garden, the brightly blooming flowers giving the place a beautiful, calming and wonderful smelling atmosphere.

It was a small service, only around 35 people, consisting mostly of Oz and Willow's immediate friends and family.

They had a mixed traditions wedding, some elements of tradition mixed with Jewish and Wiccan practices. The whole wedding had a storybook feel to it.

There were Wiccan symbols around the area; trinkets and talismans for the five elements earth, fire, wind, water and spirit, and little offering for the goddesses and spirits in the form of fresh baked breads and sacred oils.

When the music started, Buffy and Angel walked down the isle together, both wearing outfits reflecting a pagan tradition. Buffy's dress was a pale lavender, long and flowing at the lacy sleeves, the corset lacing flaunting her curves and the low neckline showing off her delicate neck and modest cleavage.

It was really making Angel jealous of the lacy panties he knew she was wearing.

Angel took his place beside Oz, giving him a pat on the back for encouragement.

When the best man and maid of honor were in place, Giles nudge Katie down the isle, the little flower girl dropped flowers as she walked shyly but steadily to her mother through the line of unfamiliar faces.

Buffy smiled and picked her up, so she could watch as the music changed, played by the former Dingoes Ate my Baby friends of Oz.

Willow appeared from behind the flower arrangement, clutching tightly to her father's arm as he walked his only child down the isle. It wasn't what the devout Jew had imagined his daughter's wedding to be, but he supported her. Mostly he was just happy she was marrying a man and not a woman as he'd feared.

Willow gown was right out of a fairy tale, an ivory color with colorful fresh flowers woven into the bottom, the sleeves were lacy and open along the arm much like Buffy's dress, the sleeve bottoms so long they nearly touched the ground. A corset showed off her trim figure, golden lacing running up both sides.

Everything about her just screamed goddess.

Oz nearly toppled when he'd seen his bride, Angel helping to prop him up.

When the bride's father passed her off, he sat and the minister began.

They wrote their own vows, pledging their love for one another as the minister bound their hands in a pagan handfastings style, the thick red ribbon wrapping them and binding them to one another forever.

When the minister called for the rings, Giles handed Liam a little pillow with the rings attached to it and gave him a nudge down the isle. The toddler made it about half-way before he froze in terror. His hazel green eyes wide and watery.

Angel grinned at his son and quickly went to help him along, taking his hand and walking him the rest of the way, picking him up so the minister could take the pillow with the rings tied to it.

It didn't go exactly how they'd rehearsed, but what wedding did? Willow and Oz thought it was cute and funny; they also liked how it took the attention off them for a few minutes, the antics of a child breaking the tension.

Willow had gotten the idea to include the two tots during the rehearsal while watching Katie and Liam follow their parents around like shadows. She'd thought it would be nice to have them be the flower girl and ring barer.

Once the vows were said and the rings exchanged, Willow and Oz kissed their first kiss as a married couple. When their lips touched, sparks flew, surrounding the couple in a brilliant shower of hearts and stars and glittering lights.

The guest and wedding party were awed alike, the two littlest clapping and cheering the loudest.

After the ceremony, everyone retreated back to the Summer's residence for the party.

Connor, Dawn, Xander and Giles heading back first to beat the crowd to the house and get everything ready.

When Willow was done with the pictures, the wedding party loaded into the limo and headed to the party.

…

Willow and Oz sat at a private table in the back yard, smiling and talking in the romantic candle light.

The party was still going strong hours in, the sun having just sunk below the horizon.

Faith appeared in the backyard a half hour later, dressed to kill and dragging a very reluctant Spike with her. "What's the matter with you? It's a wedding party, not a holy water park." She scolded her lover.

The blond vampire's blue eyes shifted around, spotting Angel seated next to Buffy at a small table across the yard. He figured as long as that amount of space separated them, he was good. He was still twitching from the threat he'd received the night before.

Connor was dancing with Katie, making sure the little girl was well tired out. He'd asked his parent if he could take his siblings for the night and they'd happily agreed. When the little ones nodded off in a few hours, he'd gather them up and head out.

Giles had Liam, the boy was content with watching the party goers and listening to the music.

That left Buffy alone with her husband.

They were sharing their second bottle of champagne, both of them a little tipsy and feeling good. They'd danced for a while, Angel shocking Buffy by actually staying on the dance floor for more than just the slow songs. He actually danced with her, proving he wasn't a complete klutz as he'd claimed on numerous occasions. Obviously his Angelus side was far more confident when it came to dancing.

At the moment they were just sitting together, drinking champagne from each others glasses and giggling for no reason. "Mmm, I like this…can we do this more often?" she asked, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Have a wedding party at our house or drink champagne?" He asked, watching her, unable to take his eyes off her practically the whole night.

'God I want to rip that dress off and take her right here on this table.'

She giggled again, "Both."

He forced his eyes away a second, spotting Dawn slow dancing with her boyfriend.

"Mark seems nice, think he'll marry Dawn?" He asked, looking down at her and for the millionth time catching his breath on how beautiful his wife looks tonight.

She punched his arm playfully, "No way! She's 20! Too young for marriage." She denied, unable to think of her baby sister getting married.

"You were only 23." He pointed out. "And back when I was young, girls got married soon after they began menstruating."

"Quiet you." She kissed him to make him see reason.

When she broke the kiss he grinned, "You're right, 20 is way too young." He played along, just enjoying the closeness and letting her win any conversation arguments.

"Dance with me." She said after a minute, not so much a question as an order.

"Again?" He whined playfully, "Didn't we just dance a few songs ago?"

She shrugged, pulling away, "Fine, I guess I can go find some other guy willing to…" She teased.

He cut her off as he growled at the thought of anyone else touching her and swept her up against him. "Mine." He muttered, kissing her neck as he walked with her to the dance floor, aka their backyard.

She grinned and pressed against him, swaying to the slow and steady beat. As she moved, she let all the worries slip away. All she felt was his warm body touching hers, all she heard was his heartbeat and soft breathing against her ear, all she smelled was his scent.

'I want him.' she thought, the alcohol numbing the fear of intimacy.

Angel swallowed hard, practically drooling over how bad he wanted to taste her...one way or another...

…

An hour later Willow and Oz departed to start their honeymoon. He made some secret plans and was going to surprise her with them.

They purposely left their phones behind, unwilling to be disturbed on their first week as a married couple.

Not long after that, the party guests were rapidly heading home or to their hotel rooms since many had early morning flights back home.

Dawn took Mark home with her to spend a little quality time before he had to head back out of town, Connor took his siblings, Giles retreated for a quiet evening with a good book, while Spike dragged Faith out of the Summer's home at record speed.

A very tipsy Buffy dragged Angel upstairs with her, planning to have a little romantic evening of her own.

...

TBC in Darkness Rising.