Q & A #46
The handful of guests gathered in the living room. Spike may have been overdressed in his black tuxedo, but he wanted the best for his girls. His daughter, all lavender ribbons and bows, held his hand as she bounced up and down with excitement. Clem rested his hand on Spike's shoulder, and smiled.
"Is it time for us to get married, Daddy?" Meredith asked.
"Yes, love," he smiled. "I do think it's time."
The classical CD on the stereo played "Ode to Joy", as Dawn descended the staircase. She was beaming. Her sister was five steps behind her. Buffy held the stair rail as she walked to the music, careful not to trip. She clasped a nosegay of white roses in her free hand.
Spike smiled at Dawn, and nodded. As she stepped to the ground floor level, he could see his bride unobscured. She'd been coy at hiding her dress, despite his efforts to peek. He hadn't expected this. She was wearing an ivory lace dropped waist dress, from the 1920s. A simple platinum circlet held the lace veil covering her hair.
"Isn't Mommy pretty?" Meredith asked.
Spike squeezed his daughter's hand. "Mommy is glorious."
Buffy walked to her little family and took Spike's hand. They stood before Willow's friend, Reverend Annie of the Church of Universal Redemption, as she started the vows. "Friends and family, we are gathered in this loving home to witness the bond between these two special people. Marriage is the ..."
She was interrupted by a knocking sound. Buffy rolled her eyes as Willow pulled open the front door. The tall man standing there shrugged, as his girlfriend rushed into the room. "I am so sorry, guys, but Angel wouldn't move until almost sundown, even though I offered him a perfectly good blanket to hide under, and then we got caught in construction and ..." She looked at the couple standing in front of the minister. "Oh, god, you've already started." She turned around and slapped Angel on the arm. "See. I told you."
Buffy waved. "Hi, guys." Spike scowled. Angel quietly led Cordy to the side of the room.
Rev. Annie continued. "Marriage is the outward union of the inner bond that already exists between two hearts. Buffy and William ..."
Meredith tugged at her father's coattail. "Who's William?"
"I am, pet," her father answered.
"Is that your groomed name?"
"Yeah. All right." He looked back at the minister. "You were at 'Buffy and William...'"
"Buffy and William express their love and bond today with all you loved ones present. If there is anyone here that has just cause why they may not marry, speak now ..."
There was another knock at the door. "Bloody hell," Spike groaned between his teeth, as Willow once again opened the door.
"I am so sorry we're late, but there were no rental cars available. So we had to call a cab. Terribly sorry."
"Giles!" Buffy ran into her former watcher's arms.
"Nigel!" Meredith ran to her Auntie Anya and reached up towards her little friend, perched in his mother's arms.
"We really don't have all night," Spike said, as he led his family back to the centre of the room.
The rest of the vows continued without interruption. "I do now declare that they are husband and wife." Spike pulled Buffy into his arms and kissed her, then reached down for his daughter. Her parents kissed her, one on each cheek.
"Are we married now?" Meredith asked.
"Yes, pet," Spike answered, tears in his eyes.
Meredith smiled. "Okay."
The handful of guests gathered in the living room. Spike may have been overdressed in his black tuxedo, but he wanted the best for his girls. His daughter, all lavender ribbons and bows, held his hand as she bounced up and down with excitement. Clem rested his hand on Spike's shoulder, and smiled.
"Is it time for us to get married, Daddy?" Meredith asked.
"Yes, love," he smiled. "I do think it's time."
The classical CD on the stereo played "Ode to Joy", as Dawn descended the staircase. She was beaming. Her sister was five steps behind her. Buffy held the stair rail as she walked to the music, careful not to trip. She clasped a nosegay of white roses in her free hand.
Spike smiled at Dawn, and nodded. As she stepped to the ground floor level, he could see his bride unobscured. She'd been coy at hiding her dress, despite his efforts to peek. He hadn't expected this. She was wearing an ivory lace dropped waist dress, from the 1920s. A simple platinum circlet held the lace veil covering her hair.
"Isn't Mommy pretty?" Meredith asked.
Spike squeezed his daughter's hand. "Mommy is glorious."
Buffy walked to her little family and took Spike's hand. They stood before Willow's friend, Reverend Annie of the Church of Universal Redemption, as she started the vows. "Friends and family, we are gathered in this loving home to witness the bond between these two special people. Marriage is the ..."
She was interrupted by a knocking sound. Buffy rolled her eyes as Willow pulled open the front door. The tall man standing there shrugged, as his girlfriend rushed into the room. "I am so sorry, guys, but Angel wouldn't move until almost sundown, even though I offered him a perfectly good blanket to hide under, and then we got caught in construction and ..." She looked at the couple standing in front of the minister. "Oh, god, you've already started." She turned around and slapped Angel on the arm. "See. I told you."
Buffy waved. "Hi, guys." Spike scowled. Angel quietly led Cordy to the side of the room.
Rev. Annie continued. "Marriage is the outward union of the inner bond that already exists between two hearts. Buffy and William ..."
Meredith tugged at her father's coattail. "Who's William?"
"I am, pet," her father answered.
"Is that your groomed name?"
"Yeah. All right." He looked back at the minister. "You were at 'Buffy and William...'"
"Buffy and William express their love and bond today with all you loved ones present. If there is anyone here that has just cause why they may not marry, speak now ..."
There was another knock at the door. "Bloody hell," Spike groaned between his teeth, as Willow once again opened the door.
"I am so sorry we're late, but there were no rental cars available. So we had to call a cab. Terribly sorry."
"Giles!" Buffy ran into her former watcher's arms.
"Nigel!" Meredith ran to her Auntie Anya and reached up towards her little friend, perched in his mother's arms.
"We really don't have all night," Spike said, as he led his family back to the centre of the room.
The rest of the vows continued without interruption. "I do now declare that they are husband and wife." Spike pulled Buffy into his arms and kissed her, then reached down for his daughter. Her parents kissed her, one on each cheek.
"Are we married now?" Meredith asked.
"Yes, pet," Spike answered, tears in his eyes.
Meredith smiled. "Okay."