~ Part 5 ~
"Doorbell! Buffy can you get that? I'm trying to curl my hair."
"My wedding day and I'm getting the door. Better be a gigantic gift from you." It surprised Buffy that she was actually in a good mood about tonight, but she was. Talking to Spike hadn't been that bad, he really did always seem to get where she was coming from. She'd made a few sales while she'd been working and Willow said she was doing a great job. So all in all, a positive couple of days.
"You're right about the gift." Spike was standing on the other side of the doorframe, a large white box in his hands.
"What's this?"
"Some things I thought we needed for today." He placed it into her hands while she fingered the gold bow wrapped around the edges. "Come on, open it already."
She sat down on the living room floor, gently untying the ribbon. Spike's Doc Martens tapped nervously on the floor as she slowly went about the process. "Someone's antsy. You getting cold feet?"
"Not at all pet. Just want to see your face when you get to the contents is all."
"It's not a blender is it?"
"Slayer!"
"I'm going." She pulled off the fabric and with her nails, ripped the tape from the sides of the box. The lid fell open, and she gasped. "Oh Spike!"
"You like it?"
"Like it? This is just like one that I have a picture of. How did you?" Her fingers touched the smooth satin, lingering for more time over the tiny beads adorning the dress. "I can't take this, God, it must have cost a fortune."
"Doesn't matter, I want you to have it. You're not done yet either, there's some other stuff in there." She removed the strapless gown, gently laying it besides her. Underneath she found a navy garter, a veil, a pearl necklace and a pair of gold earrings. "Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. The earrings are your sister's and I have explicit orders to get them back. The dress and veil are new. The garter, as you can see, is blue. And the necklace was my mother's, so I think that counts as old enough."
She had started to cry, looking at all her special wedding day supplies. "I wish my mother could be here."
"Oh luv, I know." It had hit a nerve inside of him, her mention of Joyce. Really wasn't fair that she had to miss out on so much.
"She always said she'd do my hair when I got married, make bunches of little ringlets all over my head." She began to laugh a little. "I wanted to wear her dress for my wedding, but one day Dawn accidentally cut it up to make clothes for her dollies. Probably for the best. The high necked all covered in lace look isn't my thing." She wiped at her face "Thank you Spike, for all this."
"Figured I'd try to make this day as special as I could."
"You're doing a pretty good job."
"I'm glad you like it all pet, but don't you have some prepping to do? Want my bride to look her very best."
"Well then, you'd better be on your way, I'm not even supposed to be seeing you before the ceremony."
"Ah yes, the whole tradition thing. What's a matter Buffy, afraid that this marriage is going to wind up being a sham?"
His words actually hurt a little. But he was right; this was just a sham. This was all for Dawn. Not that it really mattered anyway; she so wasn't interested in Spike. That kiss was just a one-time thing. And these tingly feelings she'd been getting were just anger or frustration. "So funny. But really get out of here. Bad enough I'm going to be living with you for God knows how long."
"I'll see myself out." He headed back towards the door, boots clumping on the wooden floor.
"Thank you." She said again.
"You've already stated that luv. I know."
"Not just the gifts. For doing this. For putting up with me and helping me to clean up messes that you had no part of. You're a good man."
He smiled, a big grin that she could never really remember seeing before. "A man Buffy?"
"Yes, a man." She gave him a little peck on the cheek. "I'll see you later. And you better look smashing." Heading up the stairs, she left the dumbstruck vampire in her wake.
"Knew the dress was a good idea."
"Doorbell! Buffy can you get that? I'm trying to curl my hair."
"My wedding day and I'm getting the door. Better be a gigantic gift from you." It surprised Buffy that she was actually in a good mood about tonight, but she was. Talking to Spike hadn't been that bad, he really did always seem to get where she was coming from. She'd made a few sales while she'd been working and Willow said she was doing a great job. So all in all, a positive couple of days.
"You're right about the gift." Spike was standing on the other side of the doorframe, a large white box in his hands.
"What's this?"
"Some things I thought we needed for today." He placed it into her hands while she fingered the gold bow wrapped around the edges. "Come on, open it already."
She sat down on the living room floor, gently untying the ribbon. Spike's Doc Martens tapped nervously on the floor as she slowly went about the process. "Someone's antsy. You getting cold feet?"
"Not at all pet. Just want to see your face when you get to the contents is all."
"It's not a blender is it?"
"Slayer!"
"I'm going." She pulled off the fabric and with her nails, ripped the tape from the sides of the box. The lid fell open, and she gasped. "Oh Spike!"
"You like it?"
"Like it? This is just like one that I have a picture of. How did you?" Her fingers touched the smooth satin, lingering for more time over the tiny beads adorning the dress. "I can't take this, God, it must have cost a fortune."
"Doesn't matter, I want you to have it. You're not done yet either, there's some other stuff in there." She removed the strapless gown, gently laying it besides her. Underneath she found a navy garter, a veil, a pearl necklace and a pair of gold earrings. "Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. The earrings are your sister's and I have explicit orders to get them back. The dress and veil are new. The garter, as you can see, is blue. And the necklace was my mother's, so I think that counts as old enough."
She had started to cry, looking at all her special wedding day supplies. "I wish my mother could be here."
"Oh luv, I know." It had hit a nerve inside of him, her mention of Joyce. Really wasn't fair that she had to miss out on so much.
"She always said she'd do my hair when I got married, make bunches of little ringlets all over my head." She began to laugh a little. "I wanted to wear her dress for my wedding, but one day Dawn accidentally cut it up to make clothes for her dollies. Probably for the best. The high necked all covered in lace look isn't my thing." She wiped at her face "Thank you Spike, for all this."
"Figured I'd try to make this day as special as I could."
"You're doing a pretty good job."
"I'm glad you like it all pet, but don't you have some prepping to do? Want my bride to look her very best."
"Well then, you'd better be on your way, I'm not even supposed to be seeing you before the ceremony."
"Ah yes, the whole tradition thing. What's a matter Buffy, afraid that this marriage is going to wind up being a sham?"
His words actually hurt a little. But he was right; this was just a sham. This was all for Dawn. Not that it really mattered anyway; she so wasn't interested in Spike. That kiss was just a one-time thing. And these tingly feelings she'd been getting were just anger or frustration. "So funny. But really get out of here. Bad enough I'm going to be living with you for God knows how long."
"I'll see myself out." He headed back towards the door, boots clumping on the wooden floor.
"Thank you." She said again.
"You've already stated that luv. I know."
"Not just the gifts. For doing this. For putting up with me and helping me to clean up messes that you had no part of. You're a good man."
He smiled, a big grin that she could never really remember seeing before. "A man Buffy?"
"Yes, a man." She gave him a little peck on the cheek. "I'll see you later. And you better look smashing." Heading up the stairs, she left the dumbstruck vampire in her wake.
"Knew the dress was a good idea."