Title: Something New (7/15)
Author: Luisa
Notes/Disclaimers: as in the Prologue
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Part 7
Buffy couldn't help the wide smile that crossed her face as she strolled the streets of Sunnydale. [I'm marrying Giles! Giles loves me! And wow... Giles...] The smile widened further as a window display caught her eye. Mesmerized, she stood and stared for a moment before crossing the street as if in a daze. Up close the wedding dress was even more beautiful. [It's perfection] She sighed dreamily. A twinkle entered her eye as she imagined Giles' reaction on their wedding day. Before her imagination could run away with her however, a tap on her shoulder cut into her reverie.
She turned to find Riley looking at her with an uncertain smile. She stared at him for a moment, not really seeing him. Turning back to the display that so captivated her, she spoke to him without looking, a dreamy sigh in her voice. "Riley, look... aren't they beautiful?"
Riley raised his eyebrows in reply, trying to make sense of the girl in front of him. Something had seriously changed in her since he last saw her this afternoon. He managed to stammer out a response. "Um, yeah.. they're nice. A little dressy, maybe.. for school, but..."
Buffy turned around, a small and sympathetic smile on her face. "Riley..."
Again he raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Buffy?"
She continued that strange smile that so befuddled him as she spoke. "I really like you. I hope you know that you mean a lot to me, and if things were different..."
Before she could continue, Riley interrupted. "Different than what?" His confusion deepened further as Buffy took his hand.
"I want you to promise me that we can always be friends... and... I'd really like you to be there on 'The Day'."
The TA's frown intensified. "The day when..." he prompted, hoping for a logical explanation for her suddenly odd behavior.
"The wedding!" A beautiful smile that rivalled the brightest sunshine broke out on Buffy's face as happiness overflowed within her once more at the memory of the evening's events.
Now completely lost, Riley could only stare at Buffy in complete bewilderment as he asked whose wedding it was. His look did not go unnoticed by Buffy, who let a small giggle escape her as she held out Giles' ring in response. "My wedding! I'm getting married - can you believe it?
Stunned, he could only say the first thing that came into his mind. "I don't think 'no' is a strong enough word."
The Slayer laughed more fully. "I know! It's crazy! I mean, after all these years... sometimes you just look at someone, and you know... you know?" An emphatic shake of a head answered her question but she ignored the reaction, lost in daydreams of her beloved. "You'll really like him. I mean, I can't think of anyone who doesn't... and I... I love him... I do." A dreamy sigh escaped her as she let her fantasies cloud her mind.
"Who?"
The question pierced her subconscious, and Buffy turned to Riley with a baffled expression. "What?"
"What's his name?"
"Giles" She spoke it softly, as if it were a prayer.
Riley glared at her. "That's a name?" As a scowl began forming on her pretty features, he quickly backtracked. "I don't mean... I just... I really... Wow. Who is this guy? Does he go here?"
"Giles?" Buffy laughed again. "Oh, no... he's much older than all you college guys. Well... not as old as my last boyfriend was."
Another giggle accompanied the last part of her statement, and Riley found himself again staring dumbly at her completely perplexed. He eventually managed to get his voice to work. "Okay.. it's late.. and I'm... I'm very tired now. So... I'm just gonna go far away and be... away."
"But..."
He cut her off, backing away slightly. "No... stay". With that he strode back into the night, the most confused he'd been in a long time.
Buffy watched him go with a pout. "First Spike, and now you. I don't understand. You're all ruining my happy day."
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Part 7
Buffy couldn't help the wide smile that crossed her face as she strolled the streets of Sunnydale. [I'm marrying Giles! Giles loves me! And wow... Giles...] The smile widened further as a window display caught her eye. Mesmerized, she stood and stared for a moment before crossing the street as if in a daze. Up close the wedding dress was even more beautiful. [It's perfection] She sighed dreamily. A twinkle entered her eye as she imagined Giles' reaction on their wedding day. Before her imagination could run away with her however, a tap on her shoulder cut into her reverie.
She turned to find Riley looking at her with an uncertain smile. She stared at him for a moment, not really seeing him. Turning back to the display that so captivated her, she spoke to him without looking, a dreamy sigh in her voice. "Riley, look... aren't they beautiful?"
Riley raised his eyebrows in reply, trying to make sense of the girl in front of him. Something had seriously changed in her since he last saw her this afternoon. He managed to stammer out a response. "Um, yeah.. they're nice. A little dressy, maybe.. for school, but..."
Buffy turned around, a small and sympathetic smile on her face. "Riley..."
Again he raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Buffy?"
She continued that strange smile that so befuddled him as she spoke. "I really like you. I hope you know that you mean a lot to me, and if things were different..."
Before she could continue, Riley interrupted. "Different than what?" His confusion deepened further as Buffy took his hand.
"I want you to promise me that we can always be friends... and... I'd really like you to be there on 'The Day'."
The TA's frown intensified. "The day when..." he prompted, hoping for a logical explanation for her suddenly odd behavior.
"The wedding!" A beautiful smile that rivalled the brightest sunshine broke out on Buffy's face as happiness overflowed within her once more at the memory of the evening's events.
Now completely lost, Riley could only stare at Buffy in complete bewilderment as he asked whose wedding it was. His look did not go unnoticed by Buffy, who let a small giggle escape her as she held out Giles' ring in response. "My wedding! I'm getting married - can you believe it?
Stunned, he could only say the first thing that came into his mind. "I don't think 'no' is a strong enough word."
The Slayer laughed more fully. "I know! It's crazy! I mean, after all these years... sometimes you just look at someone, and you know... you know?" An emphatic shake of a head answered her question but she ignored the reaction, lost in daydreams of her beloved. "You'll really like him. I mean, I can't think of anyone who doesn't... and I... I love him... I do." A dreamy sigh escaped her as she let her fantasies cloud her mind.
"Who?"
The question pierced her subconscious, and Buffy turned to Riley with a baffled expression. "What?"
"What's his name?"
"Giles" She spoke it softly, as if it were a prayer.
Riley glared at her. "That's a name?" As a scowl began forming on her pretty features, he quickly backtracked. "I don't mean... I just... I really... Wow. Who is this guy? Does he go here?"
"Giles?" Buffy laughed again. "Oh, no... he's much older than all you college guys. Well... not as old as my last boyfriend was."
Another giggle accompanied the last part of her statement, and Riley found himself again staring dumbly at her completely perplexed. He eventually managed to get his voice to work. "Okay.. it's late.. and I'm... I'm very tired now. So... I'm just gonna go far away and be... away."
"But..."
He cut her off, backing away slightly. "No... stay". With that he strode back into the night, the most confused he'd been in a long time.
Buffy watched him go with a pout. "First Spike, and now you. I don't understand. You're all ruining my happy day."
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