Q & A #48
Buffy tried to regain her composure. A call from Riley on her wedding day was the last thing she expected. "I'm just ... What's up?" She looked around the living room at the guests. She knew Riley would find out, but she had wanted to handle things in her own time. "To be honest? Getting married. No, just a few people. Immediate family, really."
Cordy was about to say something, when Willow clamped a hand over her mouth. Angel reacted, but at Willow's glare, backed off.
"Well, you didn't invite me to yours, either. Yes, it was very nice. Quiet and intimate. Nope, no helicopters. So, just call to chat?" Spike was twitching next to her, holding Meredith in his arms, trying to listen to both ends of the conversation.
"Is that Uncle Riley?" Meredith asked.
Buffy covered the receiver with her hand. "Yes, sweetie. Now let Mommy talk." She put the phone back to her ear. "Thanks. I appreciate that. I think we'll be very happy. We already are."
The guests shifted awkwardly. Something was obviously wrong. Only Willow, Xander and Dawn had an inkling of the importance of the call. She held her breath.
"Sam?" Buffy shook her head. "Not since the day after you were here for dinner. Sure, I'll call you if I hear from her. Something wrong?" She looked at Spike. Something was up. "No, sure, Riley. Yeah. Talk to you later." She hung up the phone.
Cordy pulled away from Willow's hand. "What the hell was that about?"
Angel gave her arm a reassuring squeeze, then looked at Buffy. "Do you want to explain to us what's going on?"
Buffy sighed. "Not really. I can't." She looked at her guests. "Trust me, you guys. I can't get into it right now."
The guests nodded and went back to their discussions, occasionally glancing at Buffy warily.
Spike put Meredith on the floor. "Go play with Nigel." He took a shaking Buffy in his arms. "What did he want?"
"He asked if I'd heard from Sam, but then tried to brush it off like it was no big deal. Something's wrong."
There was a cold edge to Spike's voice. "Think she's smartened up and left the wanker?"
"I don't know." She looked into her husband's eyes. "But I'm not going to let him spoil our day."
Spike smiled. "Bloody right, wife."
Xander and Willow went into the kitchen, getting two bottles of champagne and some ginger ale from the fridge. Willow picked up a tray of glasses. Her hands were shaking, and the glasses tinkled together. Xander put the bottles down and steadied the tray. "It'll be okay. He didn't think anything was up."
"Is that what life will be for them? Walking on eggshells? Maybe it would have been better if they didn't know."
Xander wrapped his arms around her. "They need to know. And you couldn't carry that on your back all by yourself, anyway." He kissed her forehead. "Slayer and vamp. If they can deal with that, they can deal with anything. Now, let's get this nice sparkly booze into the other room."
Buffy tried to regain her composure. A call from Riley on her wedding day was the last thing she expected. "I'm just ... What's up?" She looked around the living room at the guests. She knew Riley would find out, but she had wanted to handle things in her own time. "To be honest? Getting married. No, just a few people. Immediate family, really."
Cordy was about to say something, when Willow clamped a hand over her mouth. Angel reacted, but at Willow's glare, backed off.
"Well, you didn't invite me to yours, either. Yes, it was very nice. Quiet and intimate. Nope, no helicopters. So, just call to chat?" Spike was twitching next to her, holding Meredith in his arms, trying to listen to both ends of the conversation.
"Is that Uncle Riley?" Meredith asked.
Buffy covered the receiver with her hand. "Yes, sweetie. Now let Mommy talk." She put the phone back to her ear. "Thanks. I appreciate that. I think we'll be very happy. We already are."
The guests shifted awkwardly. Something was obviously wrong. Only Willow, Xander and Dawn had an inkling of the importance of the call. She held her breath.
"Sam?" Buffy shook her head. "Not since the day after you were here for dinner. Sure, I'll call you if I hear from her. Something wrong?" She looked at Spike. Something was up. "No, sure, Riley. Yeah. Talk to you later." She hung up the phone.
Cordy pulled away from Willow's hand. "What the hell was that about?"
Angel gave her arm a reassuring squeeze, then looked at Buffy. "Do you want to explain to us what's going on?"
Buffy sighed. "Not really. I can't." She looked at her guests. "Trust me, you guys. I can't get into it right now."
The guests nodded and went back to their discussions, occasionally glancing at Buffy warily.
Spike put Meredith on the floor. "Go play with Nigel." He took a shaking Buffy in his arms. "What did he want?"
"He asked if I'd heard from Sam, but then tried to brush it off like it was no big deal. Something's wrong."
There was a cold edge to Spike's voice. "Think she's smartened up and left the wanker?"
"I don't know." She looked into her husband's eyes. "But I'm not going to let him spoil our day."
Spike smiled. "Bloody right, wife."
Xander and Willow went into the kitchen, getting two bottles of champagne and some ginger ale from the fridge. Willow picked up a tray of glasses. Her hands were shaking, and the glasses tinkled together. Xander put the bottles down and steadied the tray. "It'll be okay. He didn't think anything was up."
"Is that what life will be for them? Walking on eggshells? Maybe it would have been better if they didn't know."
Xander wrapped his arms around her. "They need to know. And you couldn't carry that on your back all by yourself, anyway." He kissed her forehead. "Slayer and vamp. If they can deal with that, they can deal with anything. Now, let's get this nice sparkly booze into the other room."