~ Part 4 ~
"So you're really going to do it? Get married! You and Spike together! I couldn't have picked someone better if I tried! Oooh, do I get to wear a pretty dress? Can it be green? Please please please pick green bridesmaids dresses."
"No bridesmaids Dawn. We're getting married at the courthouse by a judge. We're going to sign the papers, and it'll be done."
"What do you mean it'll be done? No dinner after, or bouquet tossing, or cake cutting? It's bad enough that Anya and Xander got all crazy and decided to just get married already without anyone there."
"I'd love to have everyone be here, Giles and Xander and Anya, and to have a big wedding with a party and a gorgeous white dress, but it's not what can be right now."
"You're not going to have a dress?" Dawn looked even more crestfallen if that was possible. "But you even have that whole notebook of clippings Buffy."
"Just because I have some pictures cut out of magazines in a drawer doesn't mean anything."
"Some? There must be like over a hundred. You've had them for as long as I can remember. You even made Mom subscribe to Modern Bride Magazine for three years."
"Another time I'll get to wear a dress. Just not this one."
"Where's Spike going to sleep?"
"What do you mean where's he going to sleep? In his crypt, where he's always slept."
"I just figured that he'd be here all the time after this."
"Figured wrong. He has his life, we have ours. This is just a paper deal. Why don't we go downstairs? He's probably still in the living room talking to himself."
Buffy had gone into the kitchen and was trying to encourage Willow and Tara to let her work at the Magic Box, even if it was only until she found another job, as well as passing along that they'd be needed as witnesses as soon as Buffy and Spike had made appointments with the right people.
"You're really going to marry her?"
"Sure Lil' Bit. It's what needs to be done. And it'll be horrible having to live with the two women I love more than anything."
"Buffy doesn't seem to think you're going to be living here."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean she said you'd still be in the crypt and that it was only a deal on paper."
"Did she really? Isn't that interesting." He was fuming, eyes flickering slightly gold instead of blue.
Buffy sauntered into the room, a big smile on her face. "It's a done deal. We have two witnesses, an appointment for seven Tuesday night, and I have a job. That Mrs. Gont woman is going to have nothing left to say."
"She might not, but I do."
"I think I'm going to go do some more homework." Dawn quickly picked herself up and headed past her sister.
"What's your problem now Spike?"
"Not letting me even live in the house? What am I, a disobedient dog?"
"Phrase it however you like but I don't need the undead staying in my house."
"How are we supposed to look like a married couple then? You start to think about that Buff? I'm pretty sure they follow these custody cases as closely as they follow green card attempts."
"What are you talking about?"
"What did you think was going to happen, you'd show them the license and they'd go along their merry way never to be heard from again?" He looked at her. "You did think that didn't you. God you can be such a bint sometimes."
"That's not what I thought at all. I just thought that, umm, I'd cleverly explain your absence."
"Right Slayer. But I really have a feeling that they're just going to be dropping by, checking up on things just like they've been doing. Conducting interviews, making sure that this is not exactly what you want it to be, a deal on paper. What would the point be of them wanting to put Dawn into a home with two parents if one of them is nonexistent?"
"I'm sorry, is that what you want me to say?"
"Say whatever you want now luv, but just a little while ago you said you'd let me help her, so I'm going to be here as much as I can. Maybe you don't want to think of me as your husband, I bloody well doubt you'd want to, but I'm going to think of myself as her guardian."
"Fine. If that's what you want to do."
"It is. Oh, and by the way pet, I think Social Services expects us to share a bed."
"That's a topic for a whole other time. I really don't have the patience for it right now Spike."
"I have time Slayer, why don't you enlighten me about some other things. Let me get to know you like any other fiancée knows their future mate. When during the month do you bleed?"
"Ew, God that's disgusting."
"Hey, for Dawn."
"Right, right for Dawn." She sat down across from him on the sofa. It was going to be a long night.
"So you're really going to do it? Get married! You and Spike together! I couldn't have picked someone better if I tried! Oooh, do I get to wear a pretty dress? Can it be green? Please please please pick green bridesmaids dresses."
"No bridesmaids Dawn. We're getting married at the courthouse by a judge. We're going to sign the papers, and it'll be done."
"What do you mean it'll be done? No dinner after, or bouquet tossing, or cake cutting? It's bad enough that Anya and Xander got all crazy and decided to just get married already without anyone there."
"I'd love to have everyone be here, Giles and Xander and Anya, and to have a big wedding with a party and a gorgeous white dress, but it's not what can be right now."
"You're not going to have a dress?" Dawn looked even more crestfallen if that was possible. "But you even have that whole notebook of clippings Buffy."
"Just because I have some pictures cut out of magazines in a drawer doesn't mean anything."
"Some? There must be like over a hundred. You've had them for as long as I can remember. You even made Mom subscribe to Modern Bride Magazine for three years."
"Another time I'll get to wear a dress. Just not this one."
"Where's Spike going to sleep?"
"What do you mean where's he going to sleep? In his crypt, where he's always slept."
"I just figured that he'd be here all the time after this."
"Figured wrong. He has his life, we have ours. This is just a paper deal. Why don't we go downstairs? He's probably still in the living room talking to himself."
Buffy had gone into the kitchen and was trying to encourage Willow and Tara to let her work at the Magic Box, even if it was only until she found another job, as well as passing along that they'd be needed as witnesses as soon as Buffy and Spike had made appointments with the right people.
"You're really going to marry her?"
"Sure Lil' Bit. It's what needs to be done. And it'll be horrible having to live with the two women I love more than anything."
"Buffy doesn't seem to think you're going to be living here."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean she said you'd still be in the crypt and that it was only a deal on paper."
"Did she really? Isn't that interesting." He was fuming, eyes flickering slightly gold instead of blue.
Buffy sauntered into the room, a big smile on her face. "It's a done deal. We have two witnesses, an appointment for seven Tuesday night, and I have a job. That Mrs. Gont woman is going to have nothing left to say."
"She might not, but I do."
"I think I'm going to go do some more homework." Dawn quickly picked herself up and headed past her sister.
"What's your problem now Spike?"
"Not letting me even live in the house? What am I, a disobedient dog?"
"Phrase it however you like but I don't need the undead staying in my house."
"How are we supposed to look like a married couple then? You start to think about that Buff? I'm pretty sure they follow these custody cases as closely as they follow green card attempts."
"What are you talking about?"
"What did you think was going to happen, you'd show them the license and they'd go along their merry way never to be heard from again?" He looked at her. "You did think that didn't you. God you can be such a bint sometimes."
"That's not what I thought at all. I just thought that, umm, I'd cleverly explain your absence."
"Right Slayer. But I really have a feeling that they're just going to be dropping by, checking up on things just like they've been doing. Conducting interviews, making sure that this is not exactly what you want it to be, a deal on paper. What would the point be of them wanting to put Dawn into a home with two parents if one of them is nonexistent?"
"I'm sorry, is that what you want me to say?"
"Say whatever you want now luv, but just a little while ago you said you'd let me help her, so I'm going to be here as much as I can. Maybe you don't want to think of me as your husband, I bloody well doubt you'd want to, but I'm going to think of myself as her guardian."
"Fine. If that's what you want to do."
"It is. Oh, and by the way pet, I think Social Services expects us to share a bed."
"That's a topic for a whole other time. I really don't have the patience for it right now Spike."
"I have time Slayer, why don't you enlighten me about some other things. Let me get to know you like any other fiancée knows their future mate. When during the month do you bleed?"
"Ew, God that's disgusting."
"Hey, for Dawn."
"Right, right for Dawn." She sat down across from him on the sofa. It was going to be a long night.