Part 16A
It was a chilly, but beautiful January day in Sunnydale. The birds were chirping, and the paperboys were riding their bikes delivering their papers. It looked like the perfect town to live in-well, if living on a Hellmouth is your idea of fun.
Xander reached over and wrapped his arms around Anya.
"Mmmm, baby, I can't believe this is our wedding day," Xander said into Anya's ear.
"Mmm, yeah, I'm tired, Anya wants to sleep more."
"An, did you forget or something?" Xander asked tentatively. "Today is our wedding."
"I know silly," Anya said sleepily. "Today is our wedd-What?!"
"Did you forget or something?" Xander asked.
"Oh my god!" Anya screamed as she jumped out of bed. "Oh my god! You have to leave! No wait, I have to leave!"
"Whoa, An, not getting cold feet now are you?" Xander joked, but was actually getting kind of nervous by her bizarre behavior.
"Xander, its bad luck for the bride and the groom to see each other on their wedding day!"
"Isn't it only bad luck if I see you in your dress before the wedding?" Xander asked.
"No, it's both, now I have to leave," Anya said as she ran to grab her keys and her dress.
"Oh my god, she's leaving me," Xander said to himself.
"I'm not leaving you, you big idiot," Anya answered. "I have to be at Buffy's, that's where we're all getting ready before the ceremony."
"Oh, I see, you could have said that in the first place. I have to get to Giles' anyway, he has to give me that whole speech thing and prep me."
"Well, I must go…but before I do I just need to know one thing," Anya said, almost shyly.
"What is it baby?"
"You won't leave me standing at the altar looking like an idiot in front of all our friends and family will you?" Anya asked timidly.
"Anya, why would you think such a thing?" Xander asked.
"Don't speak Xander, just let me finish," Anya said. "I was a vengeance demon for a long time, I know what happens at weddings, I did many curses to men who left their fiancés standing at the alter..I just want to make sure you won't leave me standing there."
"An, how could you ever think I would leave you standing there?" Xander said. "Anya, I love you, I love you more than any man or demon could. And by the end of today, you'll be my wife, Mrs. Anya Harris."
"Oh Xander, I love you so much too," Anya said as she kissed him on the lips. "And just think of how much fun we'll have on our honeymoon to Mexico. I doubt we'll ever leave the room."
"Oh, I'm liking the way that sounds," Xander said.
"I have to get to Buffy's now, but I'll see you later..at our wedding."
"See you later Anya," Xander said as he pulled her in for one last kiss. "Wow, this will be the last kiss we share with each other before we're married."
"Well, I don't have to be at Buffy's until 9, so how about we hump like bunnies until then," Anya said.
"Mm, I like the sound of that..wait An, you just used the word bunny in a sentence, and didn't get scared."
"Oh my god, you're right Xander, I did! I'm just so excited about the wedding, I completely forgot about my bunnyphobia."
"Well, lets do like the bunnies do, and hump," Xander said as he pulled Anya down to the bed.
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Buffy was awakened by a very excited Dawn running into her room.
"Buffy! Wake up! Today's the wedding!" Dawn shouted as she walked over to Buffy and pulled the covers off of her.
"Dawn, what are you doing? What time is it?" asked a very tired Buffy.
"It's almost 8:00, Anya, Willow, and Tara will be here soon, so get your butt out of bed!"
"No, sleep…Spike, I'm sorry…" Buffy grumbled as the events of the night before came into her head.
"Buffy, Spike's not here, what are you talking about?" Dawn asked very confused by her sister's odd behavior.
Buffy was fully awake at the mention of Spike. "Oh, nothing Dawn, lemme make you some breakfast, and then we can get into our ever so tacky dresses."
"Buffy, what's wrong? Why do you seem kinda distant?"
"I said it was nothing Dawn," Buffy snapped.
"Oh," Dawn answered back, hurt in her voice.
"Dawn, I'm sorry…it's just, I had a bad night," Buffy explained.
"Well trust me, today will be a great day," Dawn said, knowing that Spike being at the wedding would give him and Buffy the perfect opportunity to be close.
"Yea, my idea of fun is dancing the macarena in a sombrero and hot pink dress," Buffy said sarcastically.
"Buffy, what has gotten into you?"
"I told you already Dawn! Now can we please just let it go, they'll be here soon, and I need to be ready for makeup and hair," Buffy said as she went to turn on the shower.
"Okay Buffy, but I know you'll have fun at the wedding!" Dawn said cheerily.
"Oh yeah, fun…fun would be Spike being there with me as my date," Buffy said out loud.
Dawn stopped in her tracks. "Buffy, what did you just say?"
"I said, I wish Spike was invited. And not only that, but he would be my date," Buffy admitted to her sister.
"Oh no," Dawn thought. "What happened last night that I don't know about?"
"Nothing Dawn, me and Spike just kind of got into a fight, I really don't feel like talking about it now."
"Okay, I'm sorry Buffy..but will you at least believe me when I say that everything will be all right?"
"I wish I could…but life's not a fairytale..I'm not gonna live happily ever after," Buffy said as she walked for the bathroom.
"Oh no, I have to talk to Spike!" Dawn thought.
"Umm, Buffy, I have to run an errand, I'll be back in a few minutes, I promise," Dawn lied.
"What do you need to get?" Buffy asked suspiciously.
Dawn racked her brain and then thought of the first thing that came to mind.
"Uhh, whipped cream!" she blurted out.
"Dawn, do you know that that is the worst possible thing you could've said right now," Buffy said as she banged her head against the bathroom door, images of Spike and whipped cream plaguing her mind.
"I know, sorry to bring up Spike memories, but we really need it for the party, and we have none, so I better go get some!" Dawn yelled as she was already halfway downstairs.
"Um, okay Dawn, what has gotten into you?" Buffy asked herself as she stepped into the shower.
Suddenly, it dawned on her. "Wait, she left the house in her pajamas, she would never walk into the store in her pajamas, what is going on?"
Buffy realized the second after she asked herself that. "Oh my god, she went to Spike's."
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Dawn ran as quickly as she could to Spike's crypt-or should she say, Spike's newly decorated crypt.
"Spike! Spike are you here?" Dawn asked breathlessly.
"Lil bit, what are you doing here?" Spike asked as he walked out of the shower, wearing only a towel and his classic bed hair.
"I..I..ummm," Dawn stuttered, suddenly forgetting the reason she was here.
"Have you lost your voice?" Spike asked, with a cocky grin on his face, knowing very well why she was at a loss for words.
"I um, Buffy…" Dawn managed to get out, but his abs were just too much for her. "God Dawn! He's Spike, stop it!" she thought to herself.
"Buffy, what about Buffy?" Spike asked, trying not to sound interested as he walked over to his new dresser and pulled out a black shirt to cover himself with.
"Okay, I'll get to that in a minute, but first I have to ask..what is all this stuff Spike?"
"Just a lil somethin I decided to buy," Spike answered.
"Spike, you and furniture?" Dawn laughed. "Those two things don't mix well together."
"Haha, very funny nibblet, I'm getting rid of it anyways, doesn't fit my personality real well ya know?"
"Why did you get it then?" Dawn asked.
"For a bloody stupid reason, I am such a fool," Spike admitted.
"Spike, no you're not..did you get it because of Buffy?" Dawn asked.
"Hey lil bit, why are you here? Don't you got the silly Spanish wedding today?" Spike asked, trying to change the subject.
"Yes, and so do you Spike, you are going as the best man, remember?" Dawn asked.
"I've changed my mind, something suddenly came up," Spike lied, not wanted to say the real reason why he wasn't going to the wedding.
"What do you mean something suddenly came up?" Dawn asked in an annoyed voice. "You can't bail on Xander and Anya now just because of whatever happened between you and Buffy last night!"
"Dawn listen, I was a bloody idiot to think that Buffy could ever love me…I realized last night that it's just not gonna work."
"Spike, Buffy was so upset this morning about you…she was upset that you wouldn't be her date to the wedding, and she really does love you Spike, I know she does..just tell me what happened last night?" Dawn asked tenderly as she reached for Spike's hand and led him to his new sofa.
"Alright nibblet, I'll tell ya.." Spike started.
Fifteen minutes later….
"And she walked out on me…I woulda told her that I was gonna be at the bloody ridiculous wedding, so what if I ruined your lil' plan…she seemed so upset," Spike said.
"Spike, please…come to the wedding still, and be Xander's best man…everyone wants you there, especially Buffy..when she sees you in your bright green tux she can't help but love you," Dawn said as she tried to cheer Spike up.
Dawn laughed. "Spike, don't worry, you so will not be the only one there who looks like an idiot."
"Well nibblet, you better head on home, big sis is prolly wonderin where you ran off to."
"Oh, you just reminded me!" Dawn said as she slapped her head.
"What is it nibblet?"
"You wouldn't happen to have any whipped cream, would you?" Dawn asked.
"As a matter of fact, I do," Spike said as he walked over to his new fridge and opened it up to reveal numerous cans of whipped cream, strawberries, and champagne.
"Okay, so don't wanna know what a vampire needs that stuff for," Dawn said as she grabbed the can of whipped cream and turned to leave.
After Dawn left, Spike walked over to his couch and stared at the bright green tux that was sitting on his bed.
"What am I doing just sitting here? I have a wedding to get to, and a slayer to dance with."
End Part 16A
