Chapter 17 –
Promises
The small
group stood in Judge Lawrence's office with Buffy and Spike in the center. The
judge stood in front of them with his secretary and Morgana next to Buffy while
Raven and Elijah stood next to Spike. It was time.
"Buffy,
William, please join hands." Judge Lawrence instructed.
They turned to
face each other joining their hands while their eyes fused together in this
moment that was only for them.
"Buffy, repeat
after me."
He began to
recite the words of the vows that Buffy had chosen to pledge herself to Spike.
"I, Buffy,
take thee, William to be my wedded husband,"
I had woken
that morning in a warm cocoon of darkness surrounded with the smell of sunshine
and Buffy. My face was buried in my pillow
with my arms around it and after blinking my eyes a few times awareness had
begun to seep itself into my brain. I
held the comforter over my head by my fingers trying to keep in the night. It
was a night that I didn't want to let go of. I was home and Buffy had let me
in. Into our home, into our bed and back into her heart and I knew that I
should cherish that privilege.
A small hand
began to move against my leg making me realize that Buffy was curled beside me
using my back as a pillow. And that she was buried under the covers.
"Can you
breathe, Love?" I asked her without moving my head.
"Yes,"
she answered in a muffled voice. Then her finger jabbed into my hip a few times
and she told me sternly, "Don't do anything to asphyxiate me down
here." A giggle accompanied her command and I smiled at her playfulness.
Her hand
returned to my leg, rubbing it with the palm then curled around it as it made
an upward path. My ass was her next destination as she held one cheek for a
moment before squeezing it gently. Two fingers dived between my legs prodding
my balls.
"Do you
want me to turn over?" I asked her.
"No. Not
done."
The other
cheek was now being given the same treatment as the first one had received. My
eyes shuttered close as desire started to lick at me and I let her lead me on.
My leg was caressed for as far as she could reach before making a return trek.
I was impatient as I waited for what she would do next as her hand moved to my
lower back slipping under the t-shirt I was wearing. Fingers delved under the
waistband of the jeans. Her nails scraped the upper curve and tickled the crack
of my butt.
I groaned as
my words from last night about wanting to wait until after the ceremony mocked
me. Buffy as usual was pushing me under so easily as her hand explored the
planes of my back then light as a feather her finger traced my spine from top
to bottom.
"Secure in the
knowledge that you will be my constant friend, my faithful partner in life, and
my one true love,"
She shifted,
coming up on her hands and knees over me. Her hands were on either side of my
head and her knees straddled my hips. I started to turn over but a hand was
planted between my shoulder blades.
"I told
you no that I wasn't done." This time her voice held more authority and
less playfulness and I wondered just what she was up to. We were still under
the comforter but it had been pulled up exposing my feet to the chilly morning
air.
I laid back
down closing my eyes again as I waited for her to make another move. A chill
ran through my body ending at my groin as her warm wet tongue ran up the back
of my neck leaving a trail of spittle in her wake. Her breath blew on it,
drying my skin and her head shifted so that her nose tickled the back of my
ear.
"Now turn
over," she whispered to me releasing my back.
"On this
special and holy day, I give to you,"
Still holding
the comforter over my head I turned under her. Even in the semi-darkness I
could see the outline of her face above me. Her lips invited me closer and I
rose up to kiss her.
"No
kissing allowed," she commanded as she pulled back and proceeded to rub
her heat down onto my growing erection.
My head tilted
in confusion as I looked up at her.
She shimmied
down over my legs until her face was over my pelvis. Anticipation made me smile as I thought I had
figured out what she was doing. Her face came forward to rub against me without
undoing the jeans then downwards until her nose was buried between my legs. The
sound of her sniffing me was soft at first but became louder as her face came
over me. She looked up at me briefly but
quickly turned her eyes down to her fingers, watching them as they outlined me
against my jeans. There was a gentle
squeeze to the tip before she moved on.
"Buffy?"
"Shhh,
busy right now."
My stomach was
where she turned her attention next. The shirt was pushed up as she caressed my
lower abdomen. As she had with my back her fingers drifted under the waistband
tousling my pubic hair like she would the hair on my head. This game of exploration,
whatever it was, was taking me over the top as the feel of her fingers on my
skin sent darts of sexual chills through me.
"In the
presence of God and these witnesses my sacred promise to stay by your side as
your wife,"
As my response
grew so did my desire to participate and I reached out to entwine my hand in
her locks but was rejected as she shook me off.
"No
touching."
As I let my
hand fall to the bed beside us. Her tongue dove into my belly button, licking
it clean. My shirt was pushed up and out of the way as her lips journeyed toward
my chest. She sucked very quickly on one nipple then the other. There was no
tenderness in her administrations to this part of my body. Her mouth was harsh
against me as she tugged my nipples between her teeth. I inhaled sharply as the pleasure and pain of
her bite coursed through me. Buffy seemed to have an agenda and I wasn't sure
if it was to please me or punish me but something nudged me telling me to just
let her have her way.
"In sickness
and in health, in joy and sorrow, as well as through the good times and the
bad,"
As she
released me she pulled the comforter from where I was still holding it and
flipped it back exposing us to the morning light. It took a few blinks before I
adjusted to it but when I did I saw it there in her eyes, the hurt and
disappointment in me, in this mockery of her wedding day, and in herself for
still loving me. But it was gone in the blink of her eyes and was replaced with
a grin from ear to ear and mirth that danced in her eyes.
Her small hand
reached between us and into the waistband of my jeans again. Before I realized
what she was doing she had plucked out a few of my hairs.
"Owww,
what the bloody hell are you doing?"
She laughed.
"Something
old," she announced as she pulled her hand out and inspected her prize
before reaching over and laying them on the nightstand. Folding her arms across
my chest she leaned down toward me. "Something new are the children. Something blue." She rubbed herself
against my hardened length again effectively killing any hope I had of sex this
morning. "And all we need is something borrowed and we have the complete
set."
"Something
borrowed? How about carrying Mr. Pointy instead of a bouquet then you can
finish killing me off as they pronounce us man and wife?" I told her irritably.
"Good
idea," she responded with another giggle.
I looked up at
her in surprise as she laughed about staking me. For some reason her finding
humor in my demise bothered me. I didn't say anything though not wanting to
start a fight today of all days. Maybe it was just a joke and not intended to
hurt me in anyway.
Suddenly her
face grew pensive as she leaned closer to me. Her lips pursed as she blew
across my face.
"Do I
have morning breath?"
My eyes opened
wide as I looked up at her. She was serious. It was beginning to look like the
chit had gone mad while we were sleeping.
"It's not
the most pleasant thing I have ever smelled." I told her honestly.
Buffy nodded
her head and leaned in again. This time her nose was pressed against my mouth
as her index finger pulled my lips apart. She sniffed at my breath like she had
at my crotch. It was a little bit more delicate though as I blew some air out
for her to smell. I really wanted to laugh at this point because this was
bloody ridiculous. But it was also the most interesting thing to happen in our
bedroom in quite a while and I was curious as to where it would lead.
"It
smells like stale pussy," she told me quite seriously when she had
completed her inspection and was once again leaning on my chest.
I couldn't
help but laugh at her remark.
"How the
hell would you know what stale pussy smells like?" I asked her as soon as
I could catch my breath.
One eyebrow
rose quite haughtily at my question. Never breaking a grin or a giggle this
time she replied, "Lived in a house full of women. Remember?"
"I promise to
love you without reservation, comfort you in times of distress,"
I laughed
again as I reached up to caress her thighs. Suddenly there was a wagging finger
in my face.
"I told
you. No touching."
My hands were
removed from her legs to be laid flat against the bed then her knees shifted to
rest on them so that they were pinned against the mattress.
"If you
want we can get handcuffs." I told her hoping that maybe there was other
games that she wanted to play.
A quick shake
of her head and an emphatic no was my answer. Closing my eyes in resignation I
nodded. Her hair drifted across my face and neck as she came closer to me. My
earlobe was sucked into her mouth, the tip of it licked, then released.
"If you
want to get the restraints with the padding so my wrists don't get rubbed raw,
that's okay," she whispered. Her words sent me into a hazy rush of need so
strong that I involuntarily arched upward, pushing against her but she only
lifted herself away from my reach.
"Encourage you
to achieve all of your goals,"
With a sigh I
opened my eyes as she settled across my chest again. For a few moments she just
studied me. Taking in closely ever part of my features and I did the same to
her. Her face was void of makeup except a smudge of mascara under one eye that
had escaped last night's washing. In the corner of the other was still some
sleepies clinging to her eyelashes and over her eyes were a few stray eyebrows
she needed to tweeze. On her chin was the beginning of a pimple where she
propped the phone when she talked. And it was time for our roots to be done as
I took in the brown strands forcing their way to the surface.
She never
looked more beautiful to me in this moment. Today she would become my wife and
a mother to two children. And she had no fear of it. Her faith in us as a
family was strong enough for both of us. It needed to be. Even though I had
told her I wanted to try, I was still afraid of it. The only thing that I was
sure of was that I loved her. That I wanted her like no other woman I had ever
known.
"Change."
"What?"
I asked shaken from my reverie.
"Change.
I want the demon," she said calmly.
"I can't
just ch…"
My protest was
choked from me as she twisted my nipple roughly almost as if she was going to
twist it right off my chest. The pain
was so intense I immediately vamped out while growling up at her. Unshaken by
the meaningless threat she proceeded to study my vampire features as closely as
she had my human face. Her fingertips drifted over my forehead then down my
cheek to my mouth.
Her eyes came
to look up at me with a soft sadness in her eyes.
"Did you
give her this?"
"What?"
I was confused as to what she meant.
"Did she
get the demon side of you too?"
I shook my
head up at her knowing exactly what she meant. Since I no longer bit anyone for
food it was now only a sexual thing that I had just recently started to share
with Buffy and she wanted to know if that part of our relationship had been
defiled.
"No, I
didn't bite her."
"My
demon." Buffy said reverently as she kissed me softly on the lips.
"Laugh with
you and cry with you,"
Then I knew
what she was doing. What this all had been about. Buffy was taking back what
was hers. She was reclaiming her property and I relaxed. I would willingly give
her whatever she needed to feel confident again in us.
"Grow with you
in mind and spirit,"
Her fingers
came to my mouth pulling my jaw down some. One fang was explored then the
other. Buffy even went so far as to push my upper lip up to follow it up into
my gums. Then once she was satisfied with this she brought her face down to
mine so that we were almost touching but not quite. Her nose rested alongside
mine and unblinking eyes stared down into mine. Erotically her tongue ran along
one fang, tasting it, making me want to respond but I knew I couldn't unless I
wanted to make her feel rejected.
I watched as
her eyelids fluttered shut as she pierced her tongue on the tip. A drop of
blood fell into my mouth making me salivate in want. Between the sexual arousal
and the demon blood lust I was beginning to lose my control. Hurriedly I lapped
at her tongue trying to drink more blood when she pulled back.
There was a
light slap to my cheek for my indiscretion as I waited for her. My lip trembled
as I fought not to flip her onto her back and drink my fill. She swallowed very
distinctly, letting me know what I hungered for was now gone.
"No. You
have to say please first."
"Always be
open and honest with you,"
Very slowly
she lowered herself toward me rubbing her nose against mine. A light kiss then
her tongue darted between my lips again. The other fang was receiving her
devotion now. Then again she pierced her tongue on it and as I tasted the new
flow of blood she pulled back. Right above me it dangled. Her tongue coated in
rich and flowing blood. I whimpered in almost overwhelming want.
"Please?"
With approval
she came forward tapping the side of my mouth telling me to open. I did. Wide.
Anything just to receive the prize in front of me. Her tongue came into my
mouth then she tapped me again to let me know that it was okay. I clamped down
on it with all the power in my jaws sucking at it like it was a lifeline. My
hips came up trying to satisfy my burning need. This time she ground herself back into me and I came like a schoolboy at
his first groping session, soaking the front of my jeans with my seed.
Tears flowed
down my face as I looked up at her after I had taken all her tongue was willing
to give me knowing I was now broken by the woman above me.
"You will
never find anyone who knows who you are or what you need more than me," she
told me as she lovingly wiped the tears from my face.
"And cherish
you for as long as we both shall live."
~~~~~~~~~~~
The judge
smiled in satisfaction as Buffy completed her vows with a calmness and power
that showed her dedication to the man she was marrying. It was good to see two people so obviously in
love and suited for one another.
"Now,
William, please repeat after me."
Buffy squeezed
Spike's hands as she noticed the subtle trembling in his body. A tear fell
across Spike's cheek as he tried to swallow the lump that had formed in his
throat. He knew that his voice was going to crack as he tried to say the vows
he had written with Raven but his only thought was he was able to say them for
her.
"I, William, take you Buffy, to be my wife, my friend
and my soul mate."
We had just
finished dressing after our shower when there was a knock on our bedroom door.
It was Raven. After glancing at Spike to make sure he was decent I called out
for her to enter.
"Hey,
Buffy, I'm going to go down and start the coffee…" Raven stopped in
mid-sentence when she noticed Spike standing by the bed. Her eyes widened in
delight as he smiled at her. "Spike!"
She screamed
as she ran across the room and into his arms. He picked her up squeezing her
tight in embrace that showed his affection for this girl.
"Elijah,"
Raven called out over her shoulder then turned to bury her face in Spike's
neck. "I'm so glad that you're home."
There was the
sound of footsteps as they pounded across the hall toward us. Elijah came
through the door in his usual style of full steam ahead and didn't stop until
he had been scooped up in Spike's arm.
Spike looked
up at me with a stunned smile showing his surprise that he had been so missed
in his few days away. I smiled back at him as he moved to sit on the bed with
his children. Raven came to sit next to him with one arm still looped around
his neck and one hand on his arm. Elijah came to rest on his knee with Spike's
arm supporting him.
The two
children began to rapidly talk over each other as they tried to fill Spike in
all we had done in the past few days. Tears formed in my eyes as I watched my
family together in such perfect comfortableness that even I had yet to reach
with them. Leaving them to their reunion I slipped away to head downstairs.
"Before these witnesses I promise to love you and
take care of you for all the time we are given together."
Spike hovered behind me with his hand on my hip as I
tried to get breakfast finished. Elijah happily munched on a cut up apple as he
watched Spike and me.
"I love you, Buffy," he whispered as he took the
plate of pancakes from my hand to carry it over to the table. As I turned the
stove off and took the pan to the sink he speared a couple for Elijah smearing
the butter over them. While he prepared our son's breakfast he kept glancing at
me with a look of bewilderment on his face. This morning had taken him by
surprise; actually it had taken me by surprise too, as I had taken back what
was mine. It had been pure instinct that had driven me on as I let him know
that I wouldn't share ever again. And if keeping him meant that his demon had
to be catered to then he would receive his due attention.
Raven came into the kitchen coming to sit between
Spike and me. She laid her new cell phone on the table beside her plate. Since
Josh had given it to her she hadn't let it out of her sight for more than a few
minutes.
"You have a cell phone?" Spike asked her as he saw it
lying there.
"Yeah, Josh gave it to me a couple of days ago and
Buffy showed me all the emergency numbers and the way to send messages to the
rest of the family. It is like totally awesome," she explained as she reached
for the food to fix her breakfast.
"Buffy's been busy since I've been gone." His
scathing look took in the phone and the refrigerator door with the chore
charts. "Anything else I need to know?" Spike looked at me with his temper
being give a short leash behind the blueness of his eyes.
"No, sweetheart, I told Raven that when you got back
that you would show her the tunnels, escape routes and the safe house. Also,
the rules and chores that were given while you were gone are temporary." I
defended myself trying not to be sarcastic. I knew he would feel displaced when
he returned that's why I had left things for him to show Raven and the children
informed that things would be discussed further when he got back.
"Yeah, thank God, you are back. We have been living
under Buffy's regime and it has been not pleasant." Raven joked with a trace of
seriousness underlying her words. I knew
she hoped that with Spike being back that she could go back to a life of
leisure.
My eyes turned back to him as he relaxed under our
words. A sheepish smile was flashed my way and I smiled back at him reaching
across the table to squeeze his hand. This was our life together I tried to
tell him without the words.
"I promise that I will stand beside you in sickness
and in health, in times of prosperity and want, and all that life shows us of
good times and bad times."
I worked the gel through Spike's hair as he watched
me in the mirror. We only had about an hour before Morgana came to pick us up.
She had called earlier telling me not to let Spike leave that he would ride
with us to the courthouse. I didn't know yet what she had planned but it would
be good for us all to be together. It would be good for him.
"Thank you," he said so low that I could barely hear
him.
"What for?"
"For being you."
His hands reached up to take my wrists and he pulled
me around to sit on his lap. Leaning forward I kissed him chastely. That wasn't
the time to get into anything as I stood again. He sighed as I turned the dryer
on to finish styling his hair. After it has been spiked to my satisfaction I
flipped the dryer back off as I placed a kiss on the back of his neck then
gently nipped him on the curve of his shoulder. As I pulled back I saw that he
was grinning from my attention. It's been too long since we had made love; really
made love. Tonight I hoped we would be able to. While Spike had been in his
study with Raven earlier, I had made some phone calls and arranged for Raven to
stay at Dawn's and Josh's tonight and for Elijah to stay with Xander and Anya.
I moved around to sit on his lap but as he moved in
to kiss me I started to do up his tie. He gave up throwing his hands into the
air then letting them wrap around my waist and he let me do what I wanted to
do. After it was tied I pulled him to me and gave him the kiss he's been
wanting. I could feel him getting hard against my hip and my tongue started to
duel with his even more.
"Argggggh." Raven exclaimed somewhere in the vicinity
of the bathroom.
"What's wrong?" I called out to her as she stomped
our way.
"Look at my hair. It looks like a frickin' brillo pad,"
she complained at the mess she had made as she tried to look nice for this
afternoon.
"Come here." Spike gestured her into the room then
directed her to take his now vacated seat at the vanity bench. As I moved off
to put my jacket on Spike began to fix her hair for her.
"You know how to do hair?" She asked in disbelief as
she watched her hair move without aid in the mirror.
"Yeah, took care of Dru's hair for a century," he
explained then at her quizzical look, "vampire ex-girlfriend."
Raven nodded her head in response and patiently
watched as he expertly twisted her hair up on top of her head.
When he was done he turned around to watch me for a
moment as I fastened my shoes.
"Well, I guess everybody is ready," he said reaching
for his own jacket.
"Just have to get Elijah dressed…Elijah, where is
he?" I asked.
The three of us look at each as we realized he had
been completely forgotten in the last few minutes then with Spike in the lead
we took off in search of him. We didn't have to look far because he was in the
middle of Raven's bed with her make up bag emptied around him. He was busily
drawing on his arm with lip gloss. As we stopped just in the doorway staring at
him he looked up at us nervously.
"Elijah pretty too." He explained what he was doing
with his lip trembling, afraid of being in trouble.
"I have told you to leave my stuff alone." Raven was
about ready to go off on a tantrum when I laid a hand on her arm.
"No time. Morgana is going to be here in a few and we
need to get him cleaned up and dressed."
She released a loud dramatic sigh but moved into the
room to get him off the bed. Spike headed off to run a bath and I started to
clean up the mess. With the three of us working together we were all ready by
the time that the door bell rang.
"I promise that I will be here as your friend, your
lover, your partner in life, the father to our children and to always stand
beside you in battle."
We settled into the car that Morgana had rented to
take us to the courthouse. It wasn't too pretentious but still very nice. The
windows were darkly tinted so that there was no problem with Spike riding with
us. It was just a mad dash from the house with a blanket. Thankfully the
courthouse had a covered parking garage so we could get in under shade.
Raven was so excited about riding in a limousine that
she forgot about Elijah destroying all her makeup. She sat next to Morgana with
Spike and I facing them and Elijah was between us. Spike looked more nervous every
moment that went by. It was good to know that he couldn't just get out and run
at every stop light like he looked like he wanted to. Then suddenly he turned
to me and reached over to take my hand. He mouthed his love to me then he
seemed to calm down.
"Are you going to be my parents?" Elijah asked.
"Yes." Spike answered.
"You going to be Mommy and Poppie now?"
"No, they are not. Mommy and Poppie are gone and no
one can take their place." Raven passionately answered him before either Spike
or I could. The hurt on her face was so deep I wanted to hug her but knew that
she wouldn't allow it. Her pride was in the way now.
"Well, Elijah, do you want to call Buffy and Spike
something else?" Morgana asked.
"They parents shouldn't they be called parent names?"
He replied to her looking from Spike to me.
Raven ignored the exchange staring steadfastly out
the window.
"Well, there are other names besides Mommy and Poppie.
How about Mama and Papa?" Morgana suggested.
"Pistol packin' Mama and her big bad Papa." Spike
drolly twisted the names thus vetoing those ideas.
Morgana and I both laughed at his humor.
"How about Mum?" Spike suggested. "Or Mummy?"
"Mummy." Elijah said patting my leg while laughing in
the way only little children can with his head thrown back and loud enough to
wake the dead.
"And since your Father was Poppie, how about Daddy
for Spike?" Morgana supplied Spike's new
title.
"Daddy." Elijah turned to Spike patting his leg.
In that moment we became more their parents than the
paperwork we would receive shortly, although Raven still refused to call us
anything but Buffy and Spike. We understood her reluctance and let her know
that we were okay with it. If in time she changed her mind that was okay too.
~~~~~~~~~~
"I promise that I will be open and honest with you,
be faithful to you, and cherish you for who are because you are the one I
choose to spend this lifetime with."
"Buffy and William in so much as you both have agreed
to live in the bonds of Matrimony, have promised your love for each other by
these vows, in front of these witnesses, I now pronounce you husband and wife.
William, you may kiss your bride."
There was nothing left to hold onto to keep himself
together and Spike sobbed as the judge told them they were married. Buffy
reached up to touch his face as he cried realizing that she had tears flowing
down her face too. His arms came around her pulling her to him as he buried his
face in her neck.
"Come on, Spike, kiss her." Raven encouraged as she
practically danced next to them.
"Yeah, I guess I need to." He raggedly agreed wiping
his face with his hand. With his other hand he pulled Buffy to him. "I love
you, baby," he whispered right before his lips met hers.
"Yay!" Raven and Elijah both shouted when they
started to kiss.
The kiss started off sweet but quickly became more as
she opened her mouth to him. The rest of the world disappeared as they became
lost in their first married kiss. Finally after the coughing of the other
adults in the room did they finally separate from each other.
"Okay, all we need to do is sign some paperwork for
the children and then you all are on your way," the judge told them as he
headed for his desk.
Within half an hour the new family made their way out
of the courthouse and headed for home to begin their life together.
TBC
