1. The characters belong to WB (and/or UPN), Mutant Enemy and Joss Whedon
with the exception of Smitty. He's my creation.
Have a little Faith; it's only a Wedding
by Scott R. Barnett
It was a beautiful Saturday morning. Today was the big day and Xander was nervous as hell. Today he would marry the woman of his dreams, Buffy Summers. He had loved Buffy since the day he had first met her back in the beginning of their sophomore year at Sunnydale High School. The problem was that she had met Angel that very night and Xander never had a chance. For a while Xander had gone out with Cordelia, and though he had loved her at that time, she was now just a really good friend. His love for Buffy had never gone away.
After high school he had left town and joined the army. He had spent two years in the army serving with the Green Berets. He was still in the Army Reserves. When he had come back to town he had met up again with Buffy. At that time she had just broken it off with Riley and was not seeing anyone else. The timing was perfect and pretty soon they began dating. They had been going out for two years now and had been engaged for a little over a year. They had waited until they had both graduated from college with their bachelor degrees. The two of them would be starting back to college in the fall working towards their masters and doctorate degrees. They both also got jobs as graduate assistants at the university.
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A couple of nights ago the guys at taken Xander out for a bachelor party. They had had a great time bar crawling in L.A. His Reserve buddies had also taken him out for one on a different night.
Joyce and the girls had given Buffy a wedding shower. They had had it over at Joyce and Giles' house. The girls had also taken her out for a bachelorette party. From what Xander had heard, the party had been great. He didn't get jealous at all about what might have happened at the party. He knew and loved Buffy enough to not worry about it. Besides, she didn't give him any grief about the two bachelor parties.
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Xander and the rest of the guys were at their house. They were getting dressed for the wedding. His best man was Oz. Angel and three of his Reserve buddies were his groomsmen. Xander would be wearing his dress uniform for the wedding. He had discussed it with Buffy early on and she had agreed to it. The chaplain who would be marrying them was also in the Reserves. Oz, Giles and Angel would all being wearing tuxes and his three Reserve buddies would be in their dress uniforms.
Buffy and the girls had gone to her mother's house to dress there. Willow was her maid of honor and the rest of the girls were her bride's maids. Though a little unusual, her father, Hank, and Giles would both be walking her down the aisle. She had requested this and they had agreed to it. Giles and Hank had met each other and were somewhat friendly. Hank would be wearing a tux for the wedding.
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An hour later found Xander and his party standing at the front of the church waiting for the bridal party. The music started and the rear doors opened. Everyone in the audience looked around to see the bridal procession start down the aisle. Pretty soon all of the bride's maids and the maid of honor were standing at the front of the sanctuary. The music changed and the bride, flanked by her two fathers, started down the aisle. Everyone stared at Buffy. She looked exquisite in her white dress, flanked by two distinguished looking older men. She made it to the front and her fathers handed her over to Xander. Xander shook both of their hands. Giles then walked over to Joyce in the front pew and Hank walked over to his new wife who was standing next to them.
The chaplain asked for the audience to sit and then he started the ceremony.
"Who give's this bride away?" asked the chaplain.
"Her parents do." replied Giles.
He then continued with the various prayers and recitations. After the prayers he led the couple through their vows. He then had them exchange rings. When this was done he placed his blessing on them and told Xander that he could now kiss his bride. Xander lifted Buffy's veil and kissed her deeply. Buffy returned the kiss. After the kiss the chaplain had them turn to face the audience.
"I now would like to present to you, for the first time, Lt. and Mrs. Alexander LaVelle Harris."
Everyone applauded as the wedding party, led by the bride and groom made their way back down the aisle. After about an hour of photographs they made their way to the hotel where the reception was being held.
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After they were introduced into the reception, Buffy and he had their first dance. After that Buffy then danced a dance each with her father and with Giles. Xander danced with Joyce. After this the reception got into full swing and everyone was having a great time.
Several military officers came up to the couple to offer their congratulations. They were General Richman, Colonel Johnson, Colonel Rogers and Major Albright. They all had been invited to the wedding.
"Thank you for your help Major. I appreciate your men guarding the reception now that it has gotten dark out there. Who knows what would happen if the vampires or demons learned of the Slayer's wedding." said Xander. Colonel Rogers had been informed about the fight against the darkness a few weeks ago.
"No problem, Lieutenant. The men were more than happy to do it and the General approved of it." replied the Major.
"May I also add my thanks and those of the Watchers Council. We also appreciate it." said Lord Edward Giles. He had also been invited to the wedding.
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It was several hours later and the reception was starting to wind down. Buffy and Xander were getting ready to head up to their room for the night. They would be leaving tomorrow for their cruise.
The gang gathered around them and wished them much happiness. Giles and Joyce also added their wish for happiness to this.
"Take care of our daughter now." said Giles.
"Yeah. You take care of my sister." said Dawn, smiling.
"You know I will." replied Xander, also smiling.
He shook hands with the men and hugged the women. Buffy also gave hugs to each of them. They then walked out of the reception and up to their room for the night.
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A week and a half later finds Buffy and Xander moving into their new house. They had purchased it right before the wedding and were now moving in. It was close to both her parent's house and the college. Their furniture, that they had purchased, had just been delivered.
"Everything looks great honey." said Buffy.
"Yep. I'm glad we went with this living room set. It really works better then the other one that we had looked at." said Xander.
Xander looked at his watch.
"We need to go pick up Willow now hon." said Xander.
They locked the door and got into the jeep. They drove over to the house that Willow, Tara, Amy and Oz were still sharing. Willow was waiting for them on the sidewalk. She greeted them and got into the jeep. They then drove over to Sunnydale General.
After they parked the jeep they walked into the hospital and made their way down to the long-term care facility. They stopped by the nurse's station.
"Hi, Marcy. We're here to see Faith." said Willow.
"Go right on in Willow, Buffy, Xander." said the nurse.
"Go on in Buffy, Willow. I'll give Marcy our new address and phone number." said Xander.
"Alright dear." said Buffy.
"Marcy, Buffy and I moved into a new house. Here's the address and phone number for Faith's contact list." said Xander.
"Thanks. I'll make sure that it gets updated. Congratulations, by the way, on your marriage." said Marcy.
"Thanks." said Xander. He then walked over to the room and walked in.
They were here to see Faith. They did this every week. Faith was still in the coma that she ended up in right before the high school graduation four years ago. An anonymous benefactor was paying for the hospital stay. They had long ago learned that it was a trust fund that had been setup by former Mayor Wilkins. If nothing else, Mayor Wilkins had cared for Faith.
When Xander had returned to town two years ago he had learned that Willow and Buffy had been coming to see Faith once a week, every week that they could. This did not overly surprise Xander. His wife and his best friend had two of the biggest, kindest hearts that he ever knew. If anyone could forgive Faith for the trouble that she had caused, it would be these two. He knew that Buffy still felt a little guilty over Faith's condition, since it happened while they had been fighting. They would come here and spend sometime just telling her what was going on in the world, in town and in their lives. Over time he volunteered to drive them each week, as neither of them had a car. He then started coming in with them and pretty soon he also forgave Faith.
They had found out that Giles also would stop by to see her. Giles, unknown to them, had felt guilty about what had happened to Faith. He felt that he had failed her. He was supposed to be her Watcher, but evidently he had not given her the attention that she needed. He had treated her just like he treated Buffy, not taking into account the age and experience difference. Also, unlike Buffy who had a pretty decent home life, Faith's mother was dead and she had never known her father. She had been living on the streets in Boston when she had been Chosen. He should have taken this all into account and given her more of his time and energy. These days Joyce would accompany Giles on his weekly visits. They rarely coincided with their visits and they usually did not discuss it.
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Xander walked in to the room and found, as usual, Buffy and Willow taking turns telling the comatose Faith what had been happening. Buffy was in the middle of telling Faith about their wedding. She was describing it in great detail. She started with the ceremony and then went on to the reception. She then told Faith about their honeymoon cruise.
After this Willow went on to tell Faith about what had happened in town while they were on their honeymoon. While this was going on, Xander stood behind the two girls. They were sitting in the guest chairs and he stood there with a hand on each of the shoulders. This was usual for him. He rarely said much while they were here. While he had finally forgiven Faith, he still found it hard to talk to her while she laid there in a coma.
While Willow was talking, he started thinking about the others in the group. Every once in a while the others would come and visit, but not often. Tara, though, rarely did, as she did not know her. She only came if she was accompanying someone else.
About an hour and a half later they got up to leave. Buffy and Willow both went over to her and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Xander just gave her hand a gentle squeeze and once again said a silent prayer for her recovery. They then walked out of the room. As they were walking by the nurse's station to leave, Marcy told them that the contact list had been updated. The contact list was in case there was any change in Faith's condition. If there were a change the hospital would contact both Giles and Buffy. Giles's information had been updated several months ago when he had moved into the Summers house after marrying Joyce.
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It was Friday afternoon and Buffy was helping out her mom at the gallery. Her mom had gotten in some new items and they were unpacking them and placing them around the store after pricing them.
"This one's pretty nice looking mom."
"You're right. It is."
Just then the phone rang. Joyce went over to the counter and picked it up.
"Hello, Summers Gallery?" said Joyce.
"Hello dear, may I speak to Buffy?" said Giles.
"Sure honey. Just a second." said Joyce. She handed the phone to Buffy. "It's Rupert."
"Hello. What's up?" asked Buffy.
"The hospital just called me. They said that there was a change in Faith's condition. They think that she might be starting to wake up. I was planning on heading over there. Do you want to come?"
"Yes. I have Xander's jeep here. I'll meet you there."
"Alright. Goodbye."
"Goodbye"
"What's up Buffy?" asked Joyce.
"Faith may be waking up. The hospital had just called Giles about it."
"Oh! Are you heading over there?"
"Yes. I was going to call Willow and Xander and see if they wanted to come as well. We're meeting Giles there."
"Ok. I'll see you later then. Let me know how it goes."
While Joyce continued working Buffy contacted Willow and Xander and arranged to pick them up. She then left the gallery for Willow's house. After picking her up she stopped by her house and picked up Xander. They then drove to the hospital.
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They found Giles sitting in the waiting room talking to Dr. Richards, Faith's doctor.
"Good afternoon Buffy, Willow, Xander. I was just telling Rupert here about Faith. About an hour ago the machine that monitors her brain activity alerted us that the activity had increased. This is indicative of a coma patient possibly waking up. It has grown over this past hour. Now, the problem is if she does wake up we don't know what type of mental problems she may have. There's a good possibility that she won't have any, but we just don't know until she wakes up. Why don't we go in and I'll show you the monitor." said Dr. Richards.
They walked into the room. Faith still looked the same. The doctor pointed out the monitor to them.
"This is the monitor that I mentioned. If you compare it to this printout from a couple of days ago you can see that there is now more activity going on. Why don't you four sit here with her for a little bit? Talk to her. Maybe that will be enough to stimulate her brain further." said Dr. Richards.
The doctor walked out of the room while the two ladies sat down near Faith's bed. Xander and Giles stood behind them. Willow started talking to Faith. She started telling her about hers and Tara's planning for their wedding. Then Buffy talked to her about the trials and tribulations of setting up a house. All of the things that you have to buy and have delivered. How you have to contact all of the different utility companies to get service turned on, etc.
As they were talking Xander looked over at the monitor. He noticed the activity getting stronger. Suddenly Buffy cried out.
"I think I just saw her hand move!" said Buffy.
Just then her hand moved a little. Giles walked out of the room to get the doctor. He came back a few minutes later with Dr. Richards.
"Her hand moved, Doctor. Also, I think I see more activity behind her eye lids." said Willow.
Just then Faith opened her eyes. She started looking around. The doctor walked over to her.
"Faith, can you understand me?" asked the doctor.
"Yes. Where am I and why do I feel so weak?" said Faith.
"You're in the hospital. You've just awoken from a coma." said the doctor.
"A coma? How long was I in it?" asked Faith.
"Four years. You had hit your head when you fell off your apartment balcony and had slipped into the coma. That's all I know about the incident. Your friends here may be able to tell you more. I'll leave you alone with them and come back in a little while to run some exams." said the doctor as he walked out of the room.
Faith looked around and saw Giles, Buffy, Willow and Xander there for the first time. She gasped.
"Uh.. Hi." said Faith. She sounded like a small child.
"Hi. How do you feel?" asked Buffy.
"Ok I guess. Why are you guys here? The last time I saw any of you I tried to kill you. Why would you come to see me?"
"We forgave you a long time ago Faith. You were hurting and confused, and I did not give you the guidance you needed. I hope that you can some day forgive me for that." said Giles.
"Willow and I started to come by to see you about a month after graduation from high school. We have been coming every week. Giles has as well. When Xander came back to town two years ago he started joining us." said Buffy.
"How can you forgive me so easily? I tried to kill you guys. I'm evil. I worked for the mayor." cried Faith.
"You made a mistake. I know that deep down in your heart you know that. We have forgiven you, but you now need to forgive yourself." said Giles.
The doctor came back in at this point. "I must ask you to leave now and let Faith here get some rest. You can come back tomorrow."
"We'll see you tomorrow Faith." said Buffy.
They then walked out and left the hospital. They drove back to Giles and Joyce's house. They stopped in and let Joyce know what happened. She was happy to hear about Faith finally waking up.
Buffy and Xander left with Willow and dropped her off at her place. They then drove home.
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Over a late dinner that night Buffy and Xander talked about Faith.
"So, what happens now? Does Faith just go back to the slaying gig?" asked Xander.
"I don't know. I guess the Watchers Council will have to be notified. I guess Giles will take care of it." replied Buffy.
They finished up dinner and went into the living room to relax. A few hours later they went to bed.
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About 8am the next morning the phone started ringing. Xander rolled over and grabbed the handset.
"Hello?"
"Xander? It's Giles. Faith has left the hospital. I just got a call from them. She must have left over night. They have no idea where she would have gone. We must find her. She is very confused right now and I don't know what she would do. Can you and Buffy get out there and start looking? Keep in touch on your cell phone. I'll call the others." said Giles.
"Sure. We'll let you know if we find her." said Xander and hung up.
"Find who?" asked a sleepy Buffy.
"Faith. She ran away from the hospital over night. Giles is organizing a search for her. Let's get dressed and get out there."
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About an hour later they were driving around town looking for her. They weren't having much luck. About 11 am they got a call on Buffy's cell phone. Faith had been found. She was at Joyce's gallery. They turned around and drove over there.
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About ten in the morning Joyce drove to her gallery. She wasn't being much help with the search and she had to work today. She parked in front of the gallery and got out of her jeep. She grabbed her bag and walked towards the door to the shop. She stopped suddenly when she noticed a dark form lying in the doorway. She carefully approached it and realized that it was a young woman. A moment later she realized that it was Faith. She was sleeping, but it was evident to Joyce that it was not a peaceful sleep. It also looked like Faith had cried herself to sleep.
She walked up to the door and quietly opened the door. She then stepped over Faith and walked into the shop to put down her bag. She then knelt down and carefully picked up Faith and carried her in to the shop. She carried her into the back office and placed her on the couch that was in there. She then walked back out front and closed and locked the door. She left the closed sign up.
She walked back into the back and got a glass of water. She walked into the office and placed it on the table next to the couch. She went into the file cabinet and got out the blanket that she kept there and draped it over Faith. She then sat down at her desk and started working on the books while she waited for Faith to wake up.
About 10 minutes later Faith appeared to be waking up. She moaned a little and shifted on the couch. She then picked up her head and looked around.
"Where am I?" she asked nervously.
"You're in my gallery. I found you huddled up in the doorway when I arrived this morning." said Joyce as she turned her chair towards the scared slayer.
"Mrs. Summers?"
"Yes. I brought you in here and placed you on my couch. There is a glass of water there on the table for you."
Faith gratefully drank the glass and asked if she could have some more. Joyce got it for her.
"Aren't you afraid to have me here? The last time I saw your daughter I tried to kill her."
"I know, but Buffy forgave you a long time ago. So did my husband. Besides, right now it looks like you could use a mother." said Joyce, with a kind smile on her face.
"Your husband? I thought that you were divorced."
"I was when you last saw me. I married yours and Buffy's Watcher, Rupert Giles, about a year ago."
"Wow. I guess things have really changed since I was here last."
"Yes they have. For instance Buffy and Xander just married two weeks ago. Cordelia and Angel are engaged, along with Amy Madison and Oz, and Willow is engaged to a nice girl by the name of Tara Maclay. She is also a witch like Willow."
"Double Wow. How can everyone forgive me for what I did? I was evil. I hurt people. I even killed two people." cried Faith. She looked like a small child.
Joyce got up and kneeling down in front of Faith hugged her to herself. Faith just started crying into Joyce's shoulder.
"They forgave you because it was the right thing to do. This group of people is a very caring group. They saw that what you really needed was help, not prosecution. Besides, Rupert looked into the two people that you killed. They were evil people, you're not. You're just scared and confused. Why don't you lay back down and sleep for a little while longer."
"Ok. Thank you Mrs. Summers."
With that Faith lay back down and was instantly asleep. Joyce just smiled at her and pulled the blanket up over her. She then walked out of the office and closed the door behind her. She walked into the front of the store and called Giles on his cell phone and told him about Faith.
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About ten minutes later Joyce let Giles, Buffy, Willow and Xander into the shop.
"Faith is sleep on the couch in my office. She is very scared right now. I talked with her some and then I told her to try to get some more rest. She fell off to sleep almost immediately. What will happen to her now Rupert? What will the council do?" asked Joyce.
"As far as the council is concerned I plan to talk to my father. He may be semi-retired but he still holds much influence on the governing body. I will ask him to not take any action where Faith is concerned. She needs time to heal and to come to terms with what she did. When she has done this I will begin working with her again. She is still a Slayer and I am still her Watcher of record. I had that arranged shortly after I was given my position back in the council. We'll have to find a place where she could live." said Giles.
"I have an idea for where she could live. How about if she moved in with us? She could have Buffy's old room. She really needs a family, Rupert. She hasn't had that for a long time and it will help in her healing process. While she may be twenty-one, but emotionally right now she is just a little girl and needs someone to look after her and help her cope." said Joyce.
"I can't think of a better person to help her with that my dear. I will make all of the necessary arrangements." said Giles, smiling at his loving wife.
"What arrangements?" asked a small voice from behind them.
They turned around and found Faith standing there all wrapped up in the blanket, looking lost and scared.
"You're coming to live with us Faith. Rupert and I will take care of you." said Joyce.
"Yes. You need a place to call home. We would love to have you come live with us." said Giles.
Faith just hugged Joyce and mumbled a thank you into her shoulder. She then stepped back and looked at Giles.
"What about my slaying? Will the council do anything to me?" asked Faith nervously.
"I am going to talk to my father. He sits on the governing council and holds a lot of influence. I will ask him not to do anything in regards to you. You need to heal and to come to terms with what you did. When you have gotten stronger I will start training you again. This time around you will get all of the attention and guidance that you need from me. From this point forward Willow will be mainly responsible for Buffy. I will be spending most of my time with you." said Giles.
"Willow?" said Faith.
"I am?" said Willow.
"Yes. Faith, Willow was selected as a Watcher a little over a year ago. She has been training with me and assisting me with my duties in regards to Buffy. Willow, I feel that you are prepared to handle the Watcher duties for Buffy. You have been officially training with me for over a year and unofficially for about seven years. You will handle your duties quite well I should imagine. Buffy, Willow, I will still be around if you need my guidance but I think you will do well together. Faith is now more in need of my services and I shall direct them towards her. As for what the council will want to do eventually, well they will probably want to do a psychological exam. But that will not be for a while. Don't worry about it. By the time that that happens, you will be more than ready for it." said Giles, giving her a fatherly like smile. He also smiled over at Willow and Buffy.
Faith just stared at him for a moment and then hugged him. Giles just hugged her back. They then drove back to their home and showed Faith her new room.
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About two months later Faith was strong enough to start training again. She had finally come to terms with what she did and was well on her way back to the side of light.
She had really become part of the Giles family over the last couple of months. Joyce loved having another daughter to take care, along with Dawn. Giles also treated her as a daughter. Dawn treated her just like a big sister. Faith loved it. She hadn't really been part of a loving family in a long time and had really missed it. In fact a week ago Giles, Joyce, Buffy, Dawn and she had gone to the courthouse and officially changed her name to Faith Summers Giles. This had been her idea and they had all happily agreed to it. Even Buffy had agreed. She was happy to have Faith, her sister of destiny, as part of her real family.
The rest of the team had welcomed her back. She had gotten caught up with what everyone had been up to over the last four years. She had been a little shocked about Angel being human now and the spell that they had cast on Oz. She had also started studying at home with Giles and Joyce's help towards getting her high school diploma. Willow was also helping her with this. She wanted to go to the police academy after she got the diploma and the whole team supported her on this.
Everything was going great. She was finally able to start training again and Giles wasted little time in doing just that. They worked out at the Magic Box. Giles had a room in the back of the shop for just this purpose. Xander had also taken her to the firing range at the base to teach her shooting. As she was a Slayer, she picked it up rather quickly.
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It was Christmas Eve. Everyone was gathered at the Giles residence for a Christmas Party. They were all having a great time. Dinner had been served and eaten, and they were all gathered in the living room trading presents.
After all of the presents had been given and received they sat around talking and laughing. After a few minutes Xander and Buffy got everyone's attention.
"We have an announcement to make. There will soon be another new addition to this family. Buffy and I are expecting our first child." said an excited Xander. Buffy was just sitting there beaming.
Everyone started offering his or her congratulations at the same time.
END
Have a little Faith; it's only a Wedding
by Scott R. Barnett
It was a beautiful Saturday morning. Today was the big day and Xander was nervous as hell. Today he would marry the woman of his dreams, Buffy Summers. He had loved Buffy since the day he had first met her back in the beginning of their sophomore year at Sunnydale High School. The problem was that she had met Angel that very night and Xander never had a chance. For a while Xander had gone out with Cordelia, and though he had loved her at that time, she was now just a really good friend. His love for Buffy had never gone away.
After high school he had left town and joined the army. He had spent two years in the army serving with the Green Berets. He was still in the Army Reserves. When he had come back to town he had met up again with Buffy. At that time she had just broken it off with Riley and was not seeing anyone else. The timing was perfect and pretty soon they began dating. They had been going out for two years now and had been engaged for a little over a year. They had waited until they had both graduated from college with their bachelor degrees. The two of them would be starting back to college in the fall working towards their masters and doctorate degrees. They both also got jobs as graduate assistants at the university.
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A couple of nights ago the guys at taken Xander out for a bachelor party. They had had a great time bar crawling in L.A. His Reserve buddies had also taken him out for one on a different night.
Joyce and the girls had given Buffy a wedding shower. They had had it over at Joyce and Giles' house. The girls had also taken her out for a bachelorette party. From what Xander had heard, the party had been great. He didn't get jealous at all about what might have happened at the party. He knew and loved Buffy enough to not worry about it. Besides, she didn't give him any grief about the two bachelor parties.
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Xander and the rest of the guys were at their house. They were getting dressed for the wedding. His best man was Oz. Angel and three of his Reserve buddies were his groomsmen. Xander would be wearing his dress uniform for the wedding. He had discussed it with Buffy early on and she had agreed to it. The chaplain who would be marrying them was also in the Reserves. Oz, Giles and Angel would all being wearing tuxes and his three Reserve buddies would be in their dress uniforms.
Buffy and the girls had gone to her mother's house to dress there. Willow was her maid of honor and the rest of the girls were her bride's maids. Though a little unusual, her father, Hank, and Giles would both be walking her down the aisle. She had requested this and they had agreed to it. Giles and Hank had met each other and were somewhat friendly. Hank would be wearing a tux for the wedding.
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An hour later found Xander and his party standing at the front of the church waiting for the bridal party. The music started and the rear doors opened. Everyone in the audience looked around to see the bridal procession start down the aisle. Pretty soon all of the bride's maids and the maid of honor were standing at the front of the sanctuary. The music changed and the bride, flanked by her two fathers, started down the aisle. Everyone stared at Buffy. She looked exquisite in her white dress, flanked by two distinguished looking older men. She made it to the front and her fathers handed her over to Xander. Xander shook both of their hands. Giles then walked over to Joyce in the front pew and Hank walked over to his new wife who was standing next to them.
The chaplain asked for the audience to sit and then he started the ceremony.
"Who give's this bride away?" asked the chaplain.
"Her parents do." replied Giles.
He then continued with the various prayers and recitations. After the prayers he led the couple through their vows. He then had them exchange rings. When this was done he placed his blessing on them and told Xander that he could now kiss his bride. Xander lifted Buffy's veil and kissed her deeply. Buffy returned the kiss. After the kiss the chaplain had them turn to face the audience.
"I now would like to present to you, for the first time, Lt. and Mrs. Alexander LaVelle Harris."
Everyone applauded as the wedding party, led by the bride and groom made their way back down the aisle. After about an hour of photographs they made their way to the hotel where the reception was being held.
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After they were introduced into the reception, Buffy and he had their first dance. After that Buffy then danced a dance each with her father and with Giles. Xander danced with Joyce. After this the reception got into full swing and everyone was having a great time.
Several military officers came up to the couple to offer their congratulations. They were General Richman, Colonel Johnson, Colonel Rogers and Major Albright. They all had been invited to the wedding.
"Thank you for your help Major. I appreciate your men guarding the reception now that it has gotten dark out there. Who knows what would happen if the vampires or demons learned of the Slayer's wedding." said Xander. Colonel Rogers had been informed about the fight against the darkness a few weeks ago.
"No problem, Lieutenant. The men were more than happy to do it and the General approved of it." replied the Major.
"May I also add my thanks and those of the Watchers Council. We also appreciate it." said Lord Edward Giles. He had also been invited to the wedding.
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It was several hours later and the reception was starting to wind down. Buffy and Xander were getting ready to head up to their room for the night. They would be leaving tomorrow for their cruise.
The gang gathered around them and wished them much happiness. Giles and Joyce also added their wish for happiness to this.
"Take care of our daughter now." said Giles.
"Yeah. You take care of my sister." said Dawn, smiling.
"You know I will." replied Xander, also smiling.
He shook hands with the men and hugged the women. Buffy also gave hugs to each of them. They then walked out of the reception and up to their room for the night.
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A week and a half later finds Buffy and Xander moving into their new house. They had purchased it right before the wedding and were now moving in. It was close to both her parent's house and the college. Their furniture, that they had purchased, had just been delivered.
"Everything looks great honey." said Buffy.
"Yep. I'm glad we went with this living room set. It really works better then the other one that we had looked at." said Xander.
Xander looked at his watch.
"We need to go pick up Willow now hon." said Xander.
They locked the door and got into the jeep. They drove over to the house that Willow, Tara, Amy and Oz were still sharing. Willow was waiting for them on the sidewalk. She greeted them and got into the jeep. They then drove over to Sunnydale General.
After they parked the jeep they walked into the hospital and made their way down to the long-term care facility. They stopped by the nurse's station.
"Hi, Marcy. We're here to see Faith." said Willow.
"Go right on in Willow, Buffy, Xander." said the nurse.
"Go on in Buffy, Willow. I'll give Marcy our new address and phone number." said Xander.
"Alright dear." said Buffy.
"Marcy, Buffy and I moved into a new house. Here's the address and phone number for Faith's contact list." said Xander.
"Thanks. I'll make sure that it gets updated. Congratulations, by the way, on your marriage." said Marcy.
"Thanks." said Xander. He then walked over to the room and walked in.
They were here to see Faith. They did this every week. Faith was still in the coma that she ended up in right before the high school graduation four years ago. An anonymous benefactor was paying for the hospital stay. They had long ago learned that it was a trust fund that had been setup by former Mayor Wilkins. If nothing else, Mayor Wilkins had cared for Faith.
When Xander had returned to town two years ago he had learned that Willow and Buffy had been coming to see Faith once a week, every week that they could. This did not overly surprise Xander. His wife and his best friend had two of the biggest, kindest hearts that he ever knew. If anyone could forgive Faith for the trouble that she had caused, it would be these two. He knew that Buffy still felt a little guilty over Faith's condition, since it happened while they had been fighting. They would come here and spend sometime just telling her what was going on in the world, in town and in their lives. Over time he volunteered to drive them each week, as neither of them had a car. He then started coming in with them and pretty soon he also forgave Faith.
They had found out that Giles also would stop by to see her. Giles, unknown to them, had felt guilty about what had happened to Faith. He felt that he had failed her. He was supposed to be her Watcher, but evidently he had not given her the attention that she needed. He had treated her just like he treated Buffy, not taking into account the age and experience difference. Also, unlike Buffy who had a pretty decent home life, Faith's mother was dead and she had never known her father. She had been living on the streets in Boston when she had been Chosen. He should have taken this all into account and given her more of his time and energy. These days Joyce would accompany Giles on his weekly visits. They rarely coincided with their visits and they usually did not discuss it.
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Xander walked in to the room and found, as usual, Buffy and Willow taking turns telling the comatose Faith what had been happening. Buffy was in the middle of telling Faith about their wedding. She was describing it in great detail. She started with the ceremony and then went on to the reception. She then told Faith about their honeymoon cruise.
After this Willow went on to tell Faith about what had happened in town while they were on their honeymoon. While this was going on, Xander stood behind the two girls. They were sitting in the guest chairs and he stood there with a hand on each of the shoulders. This was usual for him. He rarely said much while they were here. While he had finally forgiven Faith, he still found it hard to talk to her while she laid there in a coma.
While Willow was talking, he started thinking about the others in the group. Every once in a while the others would come and visit, but not often. Tara, though, rarely did, as she did not know her. She only came if she was accompanying someone else.
About an hour and a half later they got up to leave. Buffy and Willow both went over to her and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Xander just gave her hand a gentle squeeze and once again said a silent prayer for her recovery. They then walked out of the room. As they were walking by the nurse's station to leave, Marcy told them that the contact list had been updated. The contact list was in case there was any change in Faith's condition. If there were a change the hospital would contact both Giles and Buffy. Giles's information had been updated several months ago when he had moved into the Summers house after marrying Joyce.
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It was Friday afternoon and Buffy was helping out her mom at the gallery. Her mom had gotten in some new items and they were unpacking them and placing them around the store after pricing them.
"This one's pretty nice looking mom."
"You're right. It is."
Just then the phone rang. Joyce went over to the counter and picked it up.
"Hello, Summers Gallery?" said Joyce.
"Hello dear, may I speak to Buffy?" said Giles.
"Sure honey. Just a second." said Joyce. She handed the phone to Buffy. "It's Rupert."
"Hello. What's up?" asked Buffy.
"The hospital just called me. They said that there was a change in Faith's condition. They think that she might be starting to wake up. I was planning on heading over there. Do you want to come?"
"Yes. I have Xander's jeep here. I'll meet you there."
"Alright. Goodbye."
"Goodbye"
"What's up Buffy?" asked Joyce.
"Faith may be waking up. The hospital had just called Giles about it."
"Oh! Are you heading over there?"
"Yes. I was going to call Willow and Xander and see if they wanted to come as well. We're meeting Giles there."
"Ok. I'll see you later then. Let me know how it goes."
While Joyce continued working Buffy contacted Willow and Xander and arranged to pick them up. She then left the gallery for Willow's house. After picking her up she stopped by her house and picked up Xander. They then drove to the hospital.
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They found Giles sitting in the waiting room talking to Dr. Richards, Faith's doctor.
"Good afternoon Buffy, Willow, Xander. I was just telling Rupert here about Faith. About an hour ago the machine that monitors her brain activity alerted us that the activity had increased. This is indicative of a coma patient possibly waking up. It has grown over this past hour. Now, the problem is if she does wake up we don't know what type of mental problems she may have. There's a good possibility that she won't have any, but we just don't know until she wakes up. Why don't we go in and I'll show you the monitor." said Dr. Richards.
They walked into the room. Faith still looked the same. The doctor pointed out the monitor to them.
"This is the monitor that I mentioned. If you compare it to this printout from a couple of days ago you can see that there is now more activity going on. Why don't you four sit here with her for a little bit? Talk to her. Maybe that will be enough to stimulate her brain further." said Dr. Richards.
The doctor walked out of the room while the two ladies sat down near Faith's bed. Xander and Giles stood behind them. Willow started talking to Faith. She started telling her about hers and Tara's planning for their wedding. Then Buffy talked to her about the trials and tribulations of setting up a house. All of the things that you have to buy and have delivered. How you have to contact all of the different utility companies to get service turned on, etc.
As they were talking Xander looked over at the monitor. He noticed the activity getting stronger. Suddenly Buffy cried out.
"I think I just saw her hand move!" said Buffy.
Just then her hand moved a little. Giles walked out of the room to get the doctor. He came back a few minutes later with Dr. Richards.
"Her hand moved, Doctor. Also, I think I see more activity behind her eye lids." said Willow.
Just then Faith opened her eyes. She started looking around. The doctor walked over to her.
"Faith, can you understand me?" asked the doctor.
"Yes. Where am I and why do I feel so weak?" said Faith.
"You're in the hospital. You've just awoken from a coma." said the doctor.
"A coma? How long was I in it?" asked Faith.
"Four years. You had hit your head when you fell off your apartment balcony and had slipped into the coma. That's all I know about the incident. Your friends here may be able to tell you more. I'll leave you alone with them and come back in a little while to run some exams." said the doctor as he walked out of the room.
Faith looked around and saw Giles, Buffy, Willow and Xander there for the first time. She gasped.
"Uh.. Hi." said Faith. She sounded like a small child.
"Hi. How do you feel?" asked Buffy.
"Ok I guess. Why are you guys here? The last time I saw any of you I tried to kill you. Why would you come to see me?"
"We forgave you a long time ago Faith. You were hurting and confused, and I did not give you the guidance you needed. I hope that you can some day forgive me for that." said Giles.
"Willow and I started to come by to see you about a month after graduation from high school. We have been coming every week. Giles has as well. When Xander came back to town two years ago he started joining us." said Buffy.
"How can you forgive me so easily? I tried to kill you guys. I'm evil. I worked for the mayor." cried Faith.
"You made a mistake. I know that deep down in your heart you know that. We have forgiven you, but you now need to forgive yourself." said Giles.
The doctor came back in at this point. "I must ask you to leave now and let Faith here get some rest. You can come back tomorrow."
"We'll see you tomorrow Faith." said Buffy.
They then walked out and left the hospital. They drove back to Giles and Joyce's house. They stopped in and let Joyce know what happened. She was happy to hear about Faith finally waking up.
Buffy and Xander left with Willow and dropped her off at her place. They then drove home.
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Over a late dinner that night Buffy and Xander talked about Faith.
"So, what happens now? Does Faith just go back to the slaying gig?" asked Xander.
"I don't know. I guess the Watchers Council will have to be notified. I guess Giles will take care of it." replied Buffy.
They finished up dinner and went into the living room to relax. A few hours later they went to bed.
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About 8am the next morning the phone started ringing. Xander rolled over and grabbed the handset.
"Hello?"
"Xander? It's Giles. Faith has left the hospital. I just got a call from them. She must have left over night. They have no idea where she would have gone. We must find her. She is very confused right now and I don't know what she would do. Can you and Buffy get out there and start looking? Keep in touch on your cell phone. I'll call the others." said Giles.
"Sure. We'll let you know if we find her." said Xander and hung up.
"Find who?" asked a sleepy Buffy.
"Faith. She ran away from the hospital over night. Giles is organizing a search for her. Let's get dressed and get out there."
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About an hour later they were driving around town looking for her. They weren't having much luck. About 11 am they got a call on Buffy's cell phone. Faith had been found. She was at Joyce's gallery. They turned around and drove over there.
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About ten in the morning Joyce drove to her gallery. She wasn't being much help with the search and she had to work today. She parked in front of the gallery and got out of her jeep. She grabbed her bag and walked towards the door to the shop. She stopped suddenly when she noticed a dark form lying in the doorway. She carefully approached it and realized that it was a young woman. A moment later she realized that it was Faith. She was sleeping, but it was evident to Joyce that it was not a peaceful sleep. It also looked like Faith had cried herself to sleep.
She walked up to the door and quietly opened the door. She then stepped over Faith and walked into the shop to put down her bag. She then knelt down and carefully picked up Faith and carried her in to the shop. She carried her into the back office and placed her on the couch that was in there. She then walked back out front and closed and locked the door. She left the closed sign up.
She walked back into the back and got a glass of water. She walked into the office and placed it on the table next to the couch. She went into the file cabinet and got out the blanket that she kept there and draped it over Faith. She then sat down at her desk and started working on the books while she waited for Faith to wake up.
About 10 minutes later Faith appeared to be waking up. She moaned a little and shifted on the couch. She then picked up her head and looked around.
"Where am I?" she asked nervously.
"You're in my gallery. I found you huddled up in the doorway when I arrived this morning." said Joyce as she turned her chair towards the scared slayer.
"Mrs. Summers?"
"Yes. I brought you in here and placed you on my couch. There is a glass of water there on the table for you."
Faith gratefully drank the glass and asked if she could have some more. Joyce got it for her.
"Aren't you afraid to have me here? The last time I saw your daughter I tried to kill her."
"I know, but Buffy forgave you a long time ago. So did my husband. Besides, right now it looks like you could use a mother." said Joyce, with a kind smile on her face.
"Your husband? I thought that you were divorced."
"I was when you last saw me. I married yours and Buffy's Watcher, Rupert Giles, about a year ago."
"Wow. I guess things have really changed since I was here last."
"Yes they have. For instance Buffy and Xander just married two weeks ago. Cordelia and Angel are engaged, along with Amy Madison and Oz, and Willow is engaged to a nice girl by the name of Tara Maclay. She is also a witch like Willow."
"Double Wow. How can everyone forgive me for what I did? I was evil. I hurt people. I even killed two people." cried Faith. She looked like a small child.
Joyce got up and kneeling down in front of Faith hugged her to herself. Faith just started crying into Joyce's shoulder.
"They forgave you because it was the right thing to do. This group of people is a very caring group. They saw that what you really needed was help, not prosecution. Besides, Rupert looked into the two people that you killed. They were evil people, you're not. You're just scared and confused. Why don't you lay back down and sleep for a little while longer."
"Ok. Thank you Mrs. Summers."
With that Faith lay back down and was instantly asleep. Joyce just smiled at her and pulled the blanket up over her. She then walked out of the office and closed the door behind her. She walked into the front of the store and called Giles on his cell phone and told him about Faith.
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About ten minutes later Joyce let Giles, Buffy, Willow and Xander into the shop.
"Faith is sleep on the couch in my office. She is very scared right now. I talked with her some and then I told her to try to get some more rest. She fell off to sleep almost immediately. What will happen to her now Rupert? What will the council do?" asked Joyce.
"As far as the council is concerned I plan to talk to my father. He may be semi-retired but he still holds much influence on the governing body. I will ask him to not take any action where Faith is concerned. She needs time to heal and to come to terms with what she did. When she has done this I will begin working with her again. She is still a Slayer and I am still her Watcher of record. I had that arranged shortly after I was given my position back in the council. We'll have to find a place where she could live." said Giles.
"I have an idea for where she could live. How about if she moved in with us? She could have Buffy's old room. She really needs a family, Rupert. She hasn't had that for a long time and it will help in her healing process. While she may be twenty-one, but emotionally right now she is just a little girl and needs someone to look after her and help her cope." said Joyce.
"I can't think of a better person to help her with that my dear. I will make all of the necessary arrangements." said Giles, smiling at his loving wife.
"What arrangements?" asked a small voice from behind them.
They turned around and found Faith standing there all wrapped up in the blanket, looking lost and scared.
"You're coming to live with us Faith. Rupert and I will take care of you." said Joyce.
"Yes. You need a place to call home. We would love to have you come live with us." said Giles.
Faith just hugged Joyce and mumbled a thank you into her shoulder. She then stepped back and looked at Giles.
"What about my slaying? Will the council do anything to me?" asked Faith nervously.
"I am going to talk to my father. He sits on the governing council and holds a lot of influence. I will ask him not to do anything in regards to you. You need to heal and to come to terms with what you did. When you have gotten stronger I will start training you again. This time around you will get all of the attention and guidance that you need from me. From this point forward Willow will be mainly responsible for Buffy. I will be spending most of my time with you." said Giles.
"Willow?" said Faith.
"I am?" said Willow.
"Yes. Faith, Willow was selected as a Watcher a little over a year ago. She has been training with me and assisting me with my duties in regards to Buffy. Willow, I feel that you are prepared to handle the Watcher duties for Buffy. You have been officially training with me for over a year and unofficially for about seven years. You will handle your duties quite well I should imagine. Buffy, Willow, I will still be around if you need my guidance but I think you will do well together. Faith is now more in need of my services and I shall direct them towards her. As for what the council will want to do eventually, well they will probably want to do a psychological exam. But that will not be for a while. Don't worry about it. By the time that that happens, you will be more than ready for it." said Giles, giving her a fatherly like smile. He also smiled over at Willow and Buffy.
Faith just stared at him for a moment and then hugged him. Giles just hugged her back. They then drove back to their home and showed Faith her new room.
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About two months later Faith was strong enough to start training again. She had finally come to terms with what she did and was well on her way back to the side of light.
She had really become part of the Giles family over the last couple of months. Joyce loved having another daughter to take care, along with Dawn. Giles also treated her as a daughter. Dawn treated her just like a big sister. Faith loved it. She hadn't really been part of a loving family in a long time and had really missed it. In fact a week ago Giles, Joyce, Buffy, Dawn and she had gone to the courthouse and officially changed her name to Faith Summers Giles. This had been her idea and they had all happily agreed to it. Even Buffy had agreed. She was happy to have Faith, her sister of destiny, as part of her real family.
The rest of the team had welcomed her back. She had gotten caught up with what everyone had been up to over the last four years. She had been a little shocked about Angel being human now and the spell that they had cast on Oz. She had also started studying at home with Giles and Joyce's help towards getting her high school diploma. Willow was also helping her with this. She wanted to go to the police academy after she got the diploma and the whole team supported her on this.
Everything was going great. She was finally able to start training again and Giles wasted little time in doing just that. They worked out at the Magic Box. Giles had a room in the back of the shop for just this purpose. Xander had also taken her to the firing range at the base to teach her shooting. As she was a Slayer, she picked it up rather quickly.
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It was Christmas Eve. Everyone was gathered at the Giles residence for a Christmas Party. They were all having a great time. Dinner had been served and eaten, and they were all gathered in the living room trading presents.
After all of the presents had been given and received they sat around talking and laughing. After a few minutes Xander and Buffy got everyone's attention.
"We have an announcement to make. There will soon be another new addition to this family. Buffy and I are expecting our first child." said an excited Xander. Buffy was just sitting there beaming.
Everyone started offering his or her congratulations at the same time.
END