A/N: This is it kids, the big finale!
I hope you guys have enjoyed this story. It was really a labor of love for me, it literally took years to get finished due to life stuff and writer's block. I feel good I got it done but it's bittersweet as I got so attached to it.
Good news is I have some other Spike/ OC stuff in the works, so if you liked this one, please let me know. It will really encourage me to write my other stuff knowing people want to read it.
If you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading all the way through and giving my story a chance. It really means a lot.
—-
Spike tugged at his suit. The damn thing was restrictive and he wished he could just shove on his duster instead. Thing was, he knew Kat wouldn't mind if he did. But he was making an effort for her. Was their wedding day after all. The wedding would be taking place in the grand foyer of the HQ and it had all been set up nicely, decorated with the red and black color scheme. There were candles and flowers everywhere and a nice floral archway they'd get married under. The reception would be in the training room, where he currently was, rehearsing his vows. That had been done up too, full of tables and a stage for Lorne later. He felt a bit nervous. Worried Kat might freak out like she had a tendency to do. Leave him at the altar. He still felt like he didn't deserve her but he was trying to push all those thoughts away. The groomsmen, or 'the main men' as Xander kept calling them, were all in the training room with him getting ready. They'd been oddly supportive of him, even the Whelp and Peaches. He'd never been overly bothered about marriage, at least not since he'd been human. He didn't think you needed a bit of paper and a party to verify love. It was what it was. But then Kat came along and stole his heart and the old part of him, William, well he wanted to bloody well marry her. Always a hopeless romantic at heart. He'd finally gotten the girl and he couldn't quite wrap his head around it. Years and years of rejection and heartache and it all paid off in the end. He got the one for him.
He tugged at his tie again, hating how it felt like it was choking him, when he felt a weird sensation. Couldn't really describe it, like a tickling in the back of his brain. And when Angel glanced at him with a weird face, he knew what it meant.
"My boys!" Drucilla crooned, walking into the training room. She was wearing a black and red dress, very reminiscent of the Victorian era. She had a beaming smile on her face and it made him feel many things. He'd hated her at one point. Hated her 'cause he loved her so bloody much and she never felt as strongly as he did. But he didn't hate her now. Didn't fully like her given she was evil and he wasn't anymore, but he still had a place for her in his heart. Kat had said it was because she was family, and he couldn't really find better words for it. The others moved out of the way quickly, wary of the vampire without a soul. But Spike and Angel stayed put as she walked over.
"Oh, my William has finally found his princess!" she grinned dreamily, clapping her hands excitedly before pulling him in for an unexpected hug. He felt a little awkward about it but hugged her back briefly before moving away. It was odd. He'd felt a bit guilty for still having a soft spot for Dru, feeling like he was betraying Kat somehow. But she hadn't been upset at all. She'd confessed she felt the same.
"Dru… It's been a while," he murmured, giving her a small smile. She looked well and it made him happy. She had a lot of issues and he didn't like the thought of her not being able to take care of herself.
"I missed you, dear Spikey. And your kitten is very fun to play with. You made me a very happy grandmother," she giggled delightedly. He winced a little at that, remembering what Kat told him about what they'd done together. She'd elaborated on it once her mind was a lot better. It was pretty gruesome.
"Dru," Angel said, giving her a nod. Ponce was always awkward around her when he was souled up, the guilt at what he'd done to her gnawing at him.
"Daddy," she huffed, giving him a contemptuous look. Spike snorted at that and Angel's shocked and slightly put out face, she was usually happier to see the idiot.
"You've been a very naughty boy! You upset my darling granddaughter, tried to steal her away from Willy," she muttered, growling dramatically at him with narrowed eyes. Spike pursed his lips at that. Kat had told him all about that too, how Angelus wanted to get in her pants. Part of Spike wanted Angel to lose his soul again just so he could beat the tar out of him. Didn't feel right doing it when he was souled. Like kicking a bloody puppy.
Angel didn't seem to know what to say to that one so he just gave her a tight smile before walking over to the others.
"You're going to behave?" Spike asked tensely. He still wasn't convinced she wouldn't turn the whole thing into a Slayer all you can eat. She gave him a sly smile as she nodded.
"I'll be a good girl, don't you worry your pretty little head. My sweet little kitty asked me to be on my best behavior. I shan't ruin her day," she said firmly. He never expected Dru to be so attached to Kat. He figured she'd be jealous or something but she wasn't. He wasn't going to complain about it though. Meant he didn't need to worry Dru would try and go after Kat.
"Good. And… I'm glad you're here," he admitted. He'd been through a lot with her and just like how he wanted Angel to be here, he was happy Kat had suggested Dru be here too. Her face softened at his words and she smiled.
"You were so sad when I left, you couldn't see that your heart already belonged to another. I best be off to see granddaughter now, I have something blue for her," she grinned excitedly. And then she was off just as quick as she came. He shook his head fondly before yanking at his tie again. In less than an hour, he'd be married.
—-
"He's not gonna be there. I'm gonna walk down the aisle and he won't be there and I'll just-" Kat rambled in a panic, pacing in her wedding dress. Buffy grabbed her shoulders and stopped her in her tracks.
"Stop!" She said firmly, giving her a look.
"Should we slap her? On TV, when someone's hysterical, they slap them," Cordelia suggested, earning a dirty look from everyone in the room. They were all in Buffy's room, having gotten ready for the wedding. The girls were all in their pretty red bridesmaid dresses and Kat was in her dress. Cordelia had done her makeup and her hair into an elegant updo, some wispy waves framing her face.
"You're panicking for nothing," Buffy soothed, moving Kat to sit on the bed.
"Spike's totally gonna be there when you walk down the aisle and he's gonna cry too," Dawn nodded resolutely, earning a snort from Fred.
"I'm just… What if he's changed his mind? What if he gets cold feet?" Kat lamented. She'd worked herself up into a tizzy and she knew it but now she was freaking out.
"I've read about cold feet. And not the kind you get when your feet stick out of the comforter at night," Anya started, making everyone turn to her.
"It's completely normal. And most times, when grooms have cold feet, they still go on to get married. Marriage can be a scary thing. It's a big deal. You're binding yourself to another person. But you and Spike are already bound together so really, this wedding is pointless," Anya explained with a smile.
"... Thanks, An. That was helpful," Willow murmured with a tight smile.
"Look, I'd bet my entire wardrobe on Spike being there waiting for you. The peroxide hasn't fried his brain that much. He still has good sense to know a good thing when he has it," Cordelia said firmly, making Kat smile.
"I know I'm freaking out over nothing. It's just…" she sighed, trailing off.
"It's o-okay to freak out. But everything will work out f-fine," Tara soothed softly.
"Besides, you wouldn't be you if you didn't freak out," Buffy muttered with a wry smile. Kat rolled her eyes at her. She wasn't wrong.
There was a knock at the door and Kat felt a weird tugging in her head as she looked to the door. Cordelia went to answer it.
"Oh… hi," she smiled tensely, quickly moving out of the way. Drucilla walked in, ignoring everyone in the room as she made a beeline for Kat. Kat stood up, a smile on her face as she saw her.
"My darling granddaughter!" She beamed, wrapping her arms around her. Kat hugged back, aware of the wary eyes on the pair. When she moved away, Dru was smiling at her.
"You're glowing!" She giggled, taking Kat's face in her hands.
"I'm happy," Kat admitted softly. Dru removed her hands and pulled something out of a little bag she had.
"I got you something blue," she murmured excitedly, dangling a beautiful necklace in front of her. It was silver with a dainty sapphire pendant on it.
"You didn't have to," Kat breathed, feeling touched at the gesture. Dru stepped behind her, putting the necklace on and fastening it before she moved around to face her again.
"I wanted to. Now you'll always have a piece of your grandmother with you," she smiled, taking Kat's hand in hers.
"Thank you, Dru. And thank you for coming," Kat said softly.
"I wouldn't miss this for the world. I've seen this day in the stars and now I get to really see it. You and William have an eternity of happiness awaiting you," she cooed, a glazed look in her eyes as she smiled. It made Kat's heart squeeze in her chest.
Buffy stepped towards them then, looking a little uncomfortable.
"Dru," she muttered with a nod, trying to be amicable.
"Buffy," Dru seemed to copy Buffy with her nod. She gave Kat an amused look then before clearing her throat like she was preparing to say something she'd rehearsed.
"I promise to be on my very best behavior while I am here. There will be no murdering, maiming or feeding on the guests. You have my word," she recited, her face serious as her eyes bore into Buffy. Buffy blinked at her, looking a little taken aback before she nodded.
"Glad to hear it," she replied, seemingly not knowing what else to say. Dru turned back to Kat then with a warm smile.
"I wish you all the happiness, my beautiful girl," she smiled fondly at her, moving closer to kiss her cheek. Then she started for the door. She always moved so gracefully, as if she was floating. Kat wondered if it was because of the era she was from. She was glad Dru came to see her before the wedding. And she was glad everyone was making an effort with Kat's wishes.
"Well… she's really something, huh?" Cordelia snorted after she left. Kat gave her an amused smile as she sat back down.
"We didn't think of the whole 'old, new borrowed, blue' thing," Dawn muttered with a frown as she looked at Buffy.
"Well, I have the old covered. I wanted to give you these," Buffy murmured, rooting through her drawer before coming back over and holding out a pair of pearl earrings. Kat stared at them for a moment as a lump formed in her throat.
"They were Joyce's," she whispered, taking them carefully as she looked at them.
"I know. And she'd want you to have them," Buffy replied emotionally. Kat shakily put them in, feeling bittersweet about it. It was nice to have something of Joyce's like this though. Like she was here with her on her wedding day. She knew she'd have been happy with her and Spike getting together. She always liked him.
"And something new… I just whipped this up to go with your dress," Willow smiled, showing her a lace veil. It was beautiful and the patterned lace matched her dress. It wasn't the kind you wore over your face, but the kind you wore over your hair and it was long and flowed down her back and her dress.
"It's beautiful, Will," Kat smiled affectionately.
"Oh! Something borrowed!" Dawn exclaimed, jumping up from where she'd been sitting. She took a bobby pin out of her hair and slid it into Kat's hair carefully.
"I want it back after," she grinned cheekily at her, making Kat smile.
"I love you guys," she grinned, earning a chorus of 'I love you too's. They continued getting ready, Cordelia making sure Kat was done first as she said she was the most important person in the room. As the time drew nearer, Kat became nervous again. She knew it was stupid, Anya was right. Her and Spike were already fated to each other, the wedding was more for them to celebrate it and really solidify it. Yet she still felt nerves bloom in her belly at the idea of walking down the aisle in front of so many people. Cordelia was just finishing up with Fred's hair when another knock sounded at the door.
Dawn jumped up to answer it this time and it was Giles. He walked in the room and Kat stood up.
"Katherine… oh my…" he stuttered, eyes wide as he took in her appearance and she smiled shyly. "You look… dear lord," he murmured, his eyes getting teary. He quickly turned around to take his glasses off and wipe his eyes.
"Giles is getting emotional," Buffy sang teasingly. He chuckled as he turned back around.
"Yes… well… you girls are growing up rather quickly and I'm not sure I'm ready for it," he muttered wryly.
"How do I look?" Kat asked, twirling around.
"Beautiful… just beautiful…" he beamed, looking like a proud parent. Kat smiled, moving to give him a hug.
"It's time," he said softly as she moved away. Her stomach twisted with anxiety and excitement and she blew out a breath she didn't need. The girls all gave her a hug as they left the room since they'd be walking down the aisle first and she and Giles followed, lingering at the top of the stairs out of sight. She smiled to herself as she heard Lorne singing his version of Oh Oh I love her so by the Ramones, a song that Spike had requested to walk down the aisle to.
"Ready?" Giles asked, holding his arm out to her. She nodded, linking her arm through his as she started going down the stairs.
"I swear, if I trip and fall in front of all these people…" she muttered wryly, earning a chuckle from Giles. There were a lot of people here, mostly Slayers. Some she knew, some she didn't, but it didn't matter. Her family and friends were all in the wedding ceremony. Her eyes zoned in on Spike who was very much waiting at the altar for her as she descended the stairs. She felt like the non existent air got stolen from her lungs as she saw him. He looked so handsome in his suit and he'd left his hair curly, just how she liked it.
When his eyes found her, he smiled. That soft little smile she loved so much, the one that told her he loved her without words. Just as Dawn and Fred predicted, his eyes got teary and she saw how he stood taller as if it would stave off his tears. She smiled at him, feeling her own emotions swirling around like a tornado. His eyes never left her as Giles walked her down the aisle. Once she got to Spike, Giles kissed her cheek before moving to sit down. She felt so nervous, her head was spinning.
"You look… radiant," he whispered, his voice cracking a little as he gazed at her adoringly and took her hand in his.
"You look pretty handsome yourself," she quipped, trying to use humor to deflect from her own watery eyes. Wesley cleared his throat to grab the attention of the room and Kat looked at him. He gave her a little smile before putting on his serious face.
"Family and friends, thank you all for coming today to share in this wonderful occasion. Today we are here together to unite William and Katherine in marriage," he started, his voice loud enough to carry to everyone seated.
"I believe you have your own vows?" he asked, glancing from her to Spike, who nodded. It had been his idea to write their own. She watched as he swallowed thickly, inhaling a shaky breath.
"You are… everything to me. Everything I knew I wanted and everything I didn't know I wanted. I never thought…" he trailed off, looking down as he tried to compose himself. She gave his hand a squeeze and an encouraging smile, feeling her throat close up.
"I never thought I'd find true love. Never thought I'd be truly happy. To have someone who loved me for who I am, that didn't want to change me somehow. And then I met you. I knew from the start there was somethin' about you… and here we are," he grinned tearfully. She blew out a trembling breath, her lower lip wobbling a little.
"Katherine, with my whole heart, I take you as my partner, acknowledging your strengths and accepting your faults, as you do mine. I will be yours in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in failure and in triumph. I promise to be faithful and supportive and to make our love and happiness a priority. You are my person, my love and my life, today and always," his voice wavered a little, his eyes never leaving hers as he said it and she smiled, tearing up a little and quickly wiping her eyes. She didn't want Cordelia to shout at her for ruining her makeup. Now it was her turn and the idea of having to speak in front of everyone made her stomach turn. She glanced at Buffy who grinned, handing her a piece of paper and Kat chuckled sheepishly as Spike smirked at her. She wasn't like Spike with words. Wasn't so good with them and definitely not good at reciting a bunch of stuff like he did. She just about had the ring declaration memorized that Wesley had given her.
"I uh… my brains a little scattered," she shrugged, the crowd chuckling a little. Spike smiled affectionately at her, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on her hand.
"It's funny… I swore off love and relationships, only to end up having a soulmate and getting married. And I don't regret a single bit of it. I've been through… so much. And it's bearable with you by my side. You make me feel like I can take on the world. You see things in me that I can't see in myself," she started shakily, the lump in her throat making her feel like she was about to choke. Spike gave her a tearful smile, clinging onto her hand.
"I didn't need someone to complete me, I needed someone to accept me completely and you are that someone. You make me unbelievably proud and I promise that I will make you proud," she said vehemently. Spike's eyes softened at her words.
"Already make me proud, pet," he murmured, despite the fact he wasn't supposed to interrupt her vows. It still made her smile though.
"William, I vow to listen to you and learn from you. I vow to laugh with you and cry with you. I vow to value our differences just as much as our common ground. On good days or bad days, rain or shine, I'll love you forever and I'm so lucky you're mine," she breathed, sniffling and quickly dabbing at her eyes again. Cordelia handed her a tissue and gave her a pointed look that made her snort.
"Do you William Pratt, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together in matrimony, to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live… uh… exist?" Wesley asked, going a little red when people tittered at his wording.
"I do," Spike said firmly, giving her a loving smile that made her heart set on fire.
"Do you Katherine Summers, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in matrimony, to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall exist?" Wesley asked, looking at her.
"I do," she smiled, her cheeks hurting from smiling so much. Wesley looked at Dawn then who gave him a blank look for a moment.
"Oh! Right, the rings, duh!" she snorted, quickly handing them the silver wedding bands. Spike shot her a smirk, lifting her hand up for a kiss before holding the ring at the tip of her finger.
"I give you this ring to wear as a symbol of my enduring love, my eternal faith, and my undying devotion. It is an outward reminder of our inner unity," he slipped the ring on her finger and she smiled at him. She did the same to his hand, holding it up with the ring ready. She had to go through the words in her head first to make sure she had them right. She'd wanted to read them off paper too but Wesley was having none of it.
"I give you this ring to wear as a symbol of my enduring love, my eternal faith, and my undying devotion. It is an outward reminder of our inner unity," she said as she slid on his ring.
"By the authority vested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife!" Wesley grinned, everyone erupting in cheers. Kat didn't think she'd felt this happy ever.
"You may kiss the bride," Wesley added and Spike wasted no time, cupping her cheeks as his lips descended on hers. It was a chaste kiss but it held so many emotions. When he broke away, she laughed lightly as he beamed at her.
The reception was great and Kat was thankful for her friends for putting together such a wonderful wedding. They'd really catered to everyone there, including animal blood for the vampires in attendance. Even Dru was obediently drinking it without complaint and she'd stolen Kat from Spike after their first dance to have a dance with Kat herself. Kat and Spike were now swaying on the dancefloor, everyone else dancing around them and having a good time. She felt weightless. Everything she'd ever gone through didn't touch her anymore. She felt truly happy and she really never thought she'd be able to feel like this before. She just hoped it would last.
"Well, we got marriage down. Kids is next on the list," Spike smirked ruefully as he danced with her, his hands on her hips. She snorted, giving him a look.
"We're dead, we can't have kids," she grinned, shaking her head at his antics.
"Maybe not biologically. Could always adopt. Get a little poor orphan kid, give them a second chance at life. We could give them a good life," he mused softly. Kat looked up at him as the idea mulled around in her brain. She'd been a poor orphan kid once herself and Joyce had taken her in, given her a second chance. And while she'd been through a lot, she was happy and she'd enjoyed her time with Joyce. His words reminded her of the magic induced dream she'd had where Spike had been human and she'd been pregnant with his kid. She'd never wanted kids, never thought she'd know what to do with one. And with them being vampires, she figured it was pointless even wanting one since it wasn't possible. But she couldn't lie and say Spike's words didn't get her thinking. Maybe it was possible after all.