Italics are representing flashbacks here. :) This is the last chapter. I will post an author's note sometime tonight or tomorrow.

May 15, 2004...The Wedding Day

At he table in the Summers' dining room, a group of friends are gathered...

Spike nodded, crossing the room as he finished wrapping his hand in a bandage. He stopped just in front of her and quirked a small smile, "Going back to the real world, pet?"

"Yeah. The one I actually live in?" She shouldered the bag and turned to leave, but Spike grabbed her shoulder, turning her to him. Buffy looked up at him, her eyes questioning and slightly annoyed. Spike dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers, gently moving them against her, kissing her softly.

"Giles! Speech!"

Giles looked up from his conversation with Wesley and sent a glare at Xander, but stood anyway. "Uh...Right." He raised his glass, "To Buffy and Spike. It has been a long an complicated road...."

"You're still all vampy." She told him. Spike raised an eyebrow and raised a hand to feel the ridges. He hadn't noticed, which was strange. He hadn't been unconscious of his vampire mask since he had first been turned. He was about to change back into his human form when he Buffy raised her hand and touched the ridges over his eyes.

"What are you doing?" He asked softly, and Buffy dropped her hand quickly, as if catching herself.

"Just...nothing."

"...but you have both perservered, and I am very proud. Though you aren't the most conventional couple," the people assembled at the table laughed, "And although things have been backwards, here and there,"

"Spike, there's something I've got to tell you, and you're going to be...I don't know what you're going to be."

Spike sat down on the tattered couch in the center of the crypt, "Start talking." He said simply, hands resting on his knees.

"Spike...I'm pregnant."

"You have come out better for it." He smiled and sat down, while everyone murmured and drank.

"That was nice. Thank you, Giles." Buffy said, sitting across from him beside Spike. She wore a simple white spaghetti strap dress, her hair pulled back in a clip. On her other side, Cassandra sat in a booster seat, her sandy brown curls braided with curls.

Dawn stood a few seats down, "Um...I guess since I'm the maid of honor and all, I should give my speech." She gave them all a nervous smile then said, "You guys used to be the greatest enemies."

Buffy stood before him, a tiny, strong, bundle of dangerous energy "Do we really need weapons for this?"

Spike smiled "I just like them. They make me feel all manly."

"And then you became this strange, somewhat twisted *thing*, that couldn't be defined. Actually, when the two of you got together, it was frightening." Dawn winked and Buffy rolled her eyes, "But seriously, it all eventually formed this great romance...well, after the two of you came to your senses."

"How dare you, you evil bastard." She sobbed, "Don't treat me like...some whore who sleeps with everything with a dick between its legs. So you know, Spike, I'm carrying your demon spawn. I don't know how, or why. But I AM. And I don't want you anywhere near it. UNDERSTAND?"

"And then there were the tears..."

He laid his head in her lap, sobbing and apologizing over and over. Buffy stared at the top of his head, then brought her hands up, stroking his tousled hair. Her own tears fell silently as she gently lifted his head up. He leaned up and kissed her gently, sweetly. They had never, ever kissed like that before in all the breath-taking moments they'd had. They had never shared a kiss so soft, almost chaste.

"And then all the public affection. In the end, no matter what, you guys are still together. I just want to say that I feel really lucky to have a brother-in-law that treats my sister so well, and a sister who can kick my brother-in-law's ass when he steps out of line."

Dawn sat back down as everyone chuckled. Spike looked indignant, "I should bite her for that one." He muttered, taking a long gulp of his spiked blood.

"You can only bite one person and that is me." Buffy whispered.

"Yeah, but you like it too much." He replied with a grin. "Love you, Slayer."

"I fought my feelings harder than I've fought ANTHING. But when you love someone, it doesn't just go away. You should know that as well as anyone."

"I love you, Slayer. You're a strange bird. But I love you."

"I love you too." She said, "I must, I married you."

"Yeah, what's with that?" He joked.

Spike leaned over to Buffy, I'm going to ask you something, and it would help if you said yes.

That depends on what you're asking.

I want to marry you.

And they lived happily ever after...


Meanwhile, outside...

"Faith?"

The brunette Slayer turned at the voice of her fiancee and smiled, "Hey."

"What are you doing out here?"

"Getting air." She replied as Wesley's arms wrapped around her from behind, "Thinking. Remembering some stuff."

"Like what?"

"Like the night you asked me if I wanted to forget what happened between us."

"You said no."

"Yeah I did...I'm glad I did."

"So am I."

"It's hard to believe B's married. And to Spike! And Cassandra...You know she and Connor are 3 now?"

"They grew up."

"Yeah...Hey, Wes?"

"Yes?"

"What do you think of kids?"

"Why?"

"Just asking..."

"I want them. Very much so."

"Good." Faith smiled and turned in his arms, "So...if...you know, about 9 months from now we just so happened to have a baby, you'd be ok?"

"Faith are you..."

"Uh huh."

Wesley blinked, "Uh..."

"K, well, I'm gonna go back inside, honey." Faith leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips and smiled cheerfully, "Join me when you're ready."

And underground, in a small cave...

"Interesting, isn't it?"

"Very interesting, madame."

"A vampire and a slayer. Very, very poetic. Hmm..."

"What is madame thinking?"

"I'm thinking...perhaps we should visit Sunnydale, no?"

"What are your plans, madame?"

"The children."

"Children?"

"The Unnatural Ones...they are going to mean something to me someday...Then we will go to Sunnydale."

"Yes, madame...when you say it is time..."


THE END....or is it?