TRUE INTENTIONS
4
The reservations had been made for the Olive Garden and the table was set for seven. The time had been changed to seven o' clock because Spike had been added to the invitation and the sun was setting by then.
Xander sat at the head of the table with Willow on his right. Then there was Dawn and Buffy. At the other end across from Xander sat Spike. And to Spike's right sat Giles and then Anya. They were all just talking about old times and reminiscing, but they were all casting eager glances at Xander and Willow in anticipation of the announcement they were sure was coming.
Even Spike was brimming with anticipation. Ever since Xander personally invited him to the dinner, Spike had felt nothing but respect for him. After all, the man had hated him once, and perhaps he still did. But Xander was willing to open up a bit because of Willow. He was making a change for her.
Spike found that to be noble.
And he himself was speechless. He didn't deserve to be here, and yet now that he had a soul, he was being shown some kind of a second chance.
Finally, it was Buffy who couldn't take any more. She turned to Xander and Willow and said, "Enough of this, you two. You invited us here for a reason."
Xander smiled at Willow. "We did?"
"Yes!" Dawn exclaimed. "For an announcement. So announce!!"
Xander paused as he looked into Willow's eyes. "What do you think? Do you think we should let them in on out true intentions for this little get together? Or maybe we should let them stew some more?"
"Let's not make them stew any more." She nodded and gazed back into his eyes. "We really should let them in on our true intentions...'cause I'm starting to get all tingly."
"Would you like more wine?"
"Oh, trust me, man-of-mine. It's not the wine."
Giles cleared his throat. "A-are you two going to behave?"
Xander grinned at him. "Why? Do you know a good place? Like maybe the bushes in the park?"
Anya looked at Giles. "Does...everybody know about...?" she whispered.
Xander rose to his feet and all eyes looked at him. He smiled. "I just want to say to you all that I can't think of a better group of people to share a piece of happiness with. Willow and I did invite you here for a reason. And I'm sure you know what that reason is...or at least, you think you do." He nodded to one of the waiters who was watching for his signal.
Two waiters came out and they carried flowers. Anya and Dawn were given the flowers and they looked at each other curiously.
"Anya and Dawn, we want you to be the bridal party and the flower girls. The two of you have brought us a lot of love. We've been through a lot," he said as he looked at Anya, "and we've had a few bumps in the road before us. But we're stronger now because of it." He paused. "We love you and we're grateful that you could be a part of our lives."
Willow smiled up at Xander.
Xander cleared his throat as he felt it tighten with emotion. He held up a finger as he picked up his wine glass. He took a drink. Then he took a deep breath. "It's funny," he said softly, "but I promised myself that I wouldn't get choked up and yet...here I am." He chuckled nervously.
Buffy, Dawn, and Anya were also getting choked up.
Xander put his drink down. "To Giles and Buffy...we..." He cleared his throat. "Words cannot describe what the two of you have meant to us over the years. From the first day you entered into our lives to this day...I wouldn't trade the experiences for anything. We've really been through a lot, the four of us. Giles, it may not show, but we looked up to you as more than just Buffy's Watcher. We thought of you as our Watcher, too. You watched out for us like we were your own, and we truly do love you. Buffy, you are our best friend. You were always there for us. Not to save us from vampires or demons. But to save us from ourselves. That is why Willow and I feel that it is you as a Slayer and you, Giles, as a Watcher who should have the honor of giving Willow away as the Bride."
Giles took off his glasses and wiped at his eyes. "Oh, dear..."
Buffy looked at him with tears in her eyes.
Xander took another deep breath. He held two small cases and he walked over to Buffy. "This is the ring that you will give to Willow for her to give to me." He turned and handed the other case toward Spike. "And this is for you to give to me."
Spike's mouth dropped open in astonishment. "Wh-what's this?"
Xander hesitated. "Willow and I talked it over last night, Spike. We have decided that you should be the best man."
"Me? Your best man?" He looked up at him. "Have you gone bleeding mad?"
"No. I haven't gone mad. Look, Spike...I may not like what you are, but as Willow has pointed out to me, you don't either." He paused. "You have a soul now. You can start living like you have one today by being our best man."
Spike continued to look at him. Then he suddenly got up from the table and threw his arms around Xander. "Oh, you are good people! You are just good people!"
Xander was startled, but he hugged him as Willow gave him the thumbs up.
Spike sat back down and he used a napkin to dab at his eyes.
Xander returned to his place but he didn't sit down.
"Well...th-this is all wonderful news," Giles said as he put on his glasses. "S-so, you have told us what we are in all this, but you haven't said when."
Xander smiled as he held out his hand to Willow. Willow took his hand and she rose up from the table.
Dawn looked at them. "Are we rehearsing?"
"Oh, no...We've decided to skip the rehearsal," Willow said with a smile.
As if on queue, a man who looked like Gene Hackman approached their table. He was a Justice of the Peace. For the rest of the evening, he performed the Marriage Ceremony in the presence of several witnesses. Giles, Anya, Buffy, Dawn, and Spike, not to mention several waiters and waitresses, and several other patrons of the Olive Garden.
When they were pronounced as Man and Wife, all of the people present that night cheered loudly and toasted the new Groom and Bride.
It was a happy day.
Sunnydale had new residents.
They were Mr. and Mrs. Harris. Xander and Willow Harris.
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THE END
4
The reservations had been made for the Olive Garden and the table was set for seven. The time had been changed to seven o' clock because Spike had been added to the invitation and the sun was setting by then.
Xander sat at the head of the table with Willow on his right. Then there was Dawn and Buffy. At the other end across from Xander sat Spike. And to Spike's right sat Giles and then Anya. They were all just talking about old times and reminiscing, but they were all casting eager glances at Xander and Willow in anticipation of the announcement they were sure was coming.
Even Spike was brimming with anticipation. Ever since Xander personally invited him to the dinner, Spike had felt nothing but respect for him. After all, the man had hated him once, and perhaps he still did. But Xander was willing to open up a bit because of Willow. He was making a change for her.
Spike found that to be noble.
And he himself was speechless. He didn't deserve to be here, and yet now that he had a soul, he was being shown some kind of a second chance.
Finally, it was Buffy who couldn't take any more. She turned to Xander and Willow and said, "Enough of this, you two. You invited us here for a reason."
Xander smiled at Willow. "We did?"
"Yes!" Dawn exclaimed. "For an announcement. So announce!!"
Xander paused as he looked into Willow's eyes. "What do you think? Do you think we should let them in on out true intentions for this little get together? Or maybe we should let them stew some more?"
"Let's not make them stew any more." She nodded and gazed back into his eyes. "We really should let them in on our true intentions...'cause I'm starting to get all tingly."
"Would you like more wine?"
"Oh, trust me, man-of-mine. It's not the wine."
Giles cleared his throat. "A-are you two going to behave?"
Xander grinned at him. "Why? Do you know a good place? Like maybe the bushes in the park?"
Anya looked at Giles. "Does...everybody know about...?" she whispered.
Xander rose to his feet and all eyes looked at him. He smiled. "I just want to say to you all that I can't think of a better group of people to share a piece of happiness with. Willow and I did invite you here for a reason. And I'm sure you know what that reason is...or at least, you think you do." He nodded to one of the waiters who was watching for his signal.
Two waiters came out and they carried flowers. Anya and Dawn were given the flowers and they looked at each other curiously.
"Anya and Dawn, we want you to be the bridal party and the flower girls. The two of you have brought us a lot of love. We've been through a lot," he said as he looked at Anya, "and we've had a few bumps in the road before us. But we're stronger now because of it." He paused. "We love you and we're grateful that you could be a part of our lives."
Willow smiled up at Xander.
Xander cleared his throat as he felt it tighten with emotion. He held up a finger as he picked up his wine glass. He took a drink. Then he took a deep breath. "It's funny," he said softly, "but I promised myself that I wouldn't get choked up and yet...here I am." He chuckled nervously.
Buffy, Dawn, and Anya were also getting choked up.
Xander put his drink down. "To Giles and Buffy...we..." He cleared his throat. "Words cannot describe what the two of you have meant to us over the years. From the first day you entered into our lives to this day...I wouldn't trade the experiences for anything. We've really been through a lot, the four of us. Giles, it may not show, but we looked up to you as more than just Buffy's Watcher. We thought of you as our Watcher, too. You watched out for us like we were your own, and we truly do love you. Buffy, you are our best friend. You were always there for us. Not to save us from vampires or demons. But to save us from ourselves. That is why Willow and I feel that it is you as a Slayer and you, Giles, as a Watcher who should have the honor of giving Willow away as the Bride."
Giles took off his glasses and wiped at his eyes. "Oh, dear..."
Buffy looked at him with tears in her eyes.
Xander took another deep breath. He held two small cases and he walked over to Buffy. "This is the ring that you will give to Willow for her to give to me." He turned and handed the other case toward Spike. "And this is for you to give to me."
Spike's mouth dropped open in astonishment. "Wh-what's this?"
Xander hesitated. "Willow and I talked it over last night, Spike. We have decided that you should be the best man."
"Me? Your best man?" He looked up at him. "Have you gone bleeding mad?"
"No. I haven't gone mad. Look, Spike...I may not like what you are, but as Willow has pointed out to me, you don't either." He paused. "You have a soul now. You can start living like you have one today by being our best man."
Spike continued to look at him. Then he suddenly got up from the table and threw his arms around Xander. "Oh, you are good people! You are just good people!"
Xander was startled, but he hugged him as Willow gave him the thumbs up.
Spike sat back down and he used a napkin to dab at his eyes.
Xander returned to his place but he didn't sit down.
"Well...th-this is all wonderful news," Giles said as he put on his glasses. "S-so, you have told us what we are in all this, but you haven't said when."
Xander smiled as he held out his hand to Willow. Willow took his hand and she rose up from the table.
Dawn looked at them. "Are we rehearsing?"
"Oh, no...We've decided to skip the rehearsal," Willow said with a smile.
As if on queue, a man who looked like Gene Hackman approached their table. He was a Justice of the Peace. For the rest of the evening, he performed the Marriage Ceremony in the presence of several witnesses. Giles, Anya, Buffy, Dawn, and Spike, not to mention several waiters and waitresses, and several other patrons of the Olive Garden.
When they were pronounced as Man and Wife, all of the people present that night cheered loudly and toasted the new Groom and Bride.
It was a happy day.
Sunnydale had new residents.
They were Mr. and Mrs. Harris. Xander and Willow Harris.
xwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxw
THE END