*****
Chapter 29: For Eternity
*****
One Month Later
"Do you, Andrea, promise to love, honor and cherish this man, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do." She looked into Spike's eyes as she said those two tiny words that would bind them for eternity. He smiled lovingly, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. He repeated the words when so prompted by the reverend.
"The rings, please."
Xander handed the rings to the man, which he in turn gave to Andrea and Spike. They slipped them on each other's fingers, repeating the phrase, "With this ring, I thee wed."
"If anyone has reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Andrea half expected someone to jump up and yell, "STOP!" at the top of their lungs at that moment. The day had been too perfect. Something had to go wrong. Thankfully, everyone remained both silent and seated.
"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife." He smiled at Spike. "You may kiss the bride."
Spike dragged her against him, gently pushing her lips apart to deepen the kiss. The crowd laughed when Andrea pulled away, giving Spike a try-that-again-in-public-and-you're-spending-the-honeymoon-on-the-couch look. He responded with his trademark smirk.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasue to present to you Mr and Mrs William Sinclair." The audience cheered, whistling madly as the grinning and obviously in love bride and groom walked arm in arm down the aisle between the chairs.
* * *
"Wow, that was such a beautiful ceremony," Buffy said to Willow, who grinned at her friend because Buffy was still a little miffed that Dawn had caught the bouquet.
"I know. I would never have thought of a nighttime ceremony. Outside. The stars were so pretty. And I couldn't believe she asked us to be bride's maids."
"Yeah. April I can understand as Maid of Honor, but Andrea's only known us for, like, two months. We did save her life, though." Willow nodded.
"They're so happy together. And with a baby on the way, too. I'm so happy for them." Buffy smiled and a few seconds later, snorted.
"Who would've thought that Spike, of all people, would marry a slayer?" Willow laughed.
"It's true. He was all 'I'll kill you on Saturday.' Way too busy for on-the-job romance."
"Tell me about it. And remember when he went out with Harmony? God, she was even worse as a vampire than she was human, because she was immortal." Willow rolled her eyes in agreement, before changing the subject.
"Hey, I thought bride's maid's dresses were supposed to be ugly. These are beautiful."
The dresses Andrea had chosen for Buffy, Willow and April were a beautiful ice blue with sparkly beads placed strategically on the silky material.
"I know. But the reason bride's maid's dresses are ugly is to keep the focus on the bride. Even with us in dresses this beautiful, Andrea looks like an angel."
"Does she ever! I cried when I first saw her," the red-head admitted.
"Yeah, Will. I was there."
Andrea and Cody danced slowly to the music.
"Sydney was a great flower girl, Cody," Andrea told him.
"Thanks." He paused. "If Spike ever does anything . . .Just let me know and I'll beat him up." She laughed.
"I appreciate the offer, but I've got half the northern hemisphere offering. I'll pass, but thanks."
Spike lightly tapped Cody on the shoulder.
"Mind if I cut in, mate?"
"Not at all." Cody smiled and moved away to find his wife as Spike snaked an arm around Andrea's waist. He leaned in close to her.
"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" His breath tickled her ear.
"Yes, but feel free to tell me again."
"You look beautiful."
* * *
"Oh, my God. This hotel is so beautiful," Andrea gushed as Spike unlocked the door to the honeymoon suite.
"I know, pet. You sure know how to pick 'em." She was about to enter, when he stopped her. She looked at him questioningly. "I get to carry you over the threshold." She vehemently shook her head.
"No way. That's a stupid tradition."
"If you don't go willingly, I'll have no choice but to overpower you." He smiled crookedly.
"Oh, is that right?" She squealed when he effortlessly lifted her up and tossed her over his shoulder.
"Yeah, love. That's right."
"Put me down, you jerk, or I'm cutting you off." He lightly threw her down onto the lush king-size bed.
"You wouldn't."
"Try me," she dared. He crawled up the bed, spreading her thighs easily.
"You can't resist my sexy accent and my cocky smirk," he accused, lazily kissing her jaw.
"Can you say egotistical?" She pushed him away, trying not to smile as she attempted to slide off the bed. He caught her around the waist, 'accidentally' letting his hand slide up under her shirt.
"You love it."
"You wish."
"I wish you would hold still so I could get you undressed." She grinned, screaming when he tossed her back into the mountain of pillows. She dutifully fought him, not really trying, as he unsnapped her jeans and yanked them off. He wrestled her shirt over her head as she defiantly put up a token struggle.
"No. I'm mad at you. Pig," she lied, laughing as she swatted away his hand when he attempted to remove her bra.
"Oh, come on, babe. I'm sorry." He heard her breath catch in her throat as he teased her nipple through the red lace of her bra. She whimpered. "Forgive me?"
"Sure." He smiled and lightly nipped her shoulder with his teeth, expertly flicking open her bra. His skilled fingers roamed freely over her bare skin.
"Good." With his free hand, he tore her panties from her body, shredding the scrap of fabric.
"Hey," she protested weakly, both at the destruction of her undergarments and because his warm hands left her body to unsnap his jeans.
Without fully removing his jeans, he thrust into her and she moaned, clutching at the thin fabric of his t-shirt. The denim pants scraped against the sensitive inside of her thighs. His hands tilted her hips toward him as he repeatedly pushed himself deep inside her, shoving each of them quickly toward orgasm. Spike lightly kissed the swell of her breast as he reached between their sweat-slicked bodies and pressed his thumb lightly against the tiny bud of nerve endings hidden beneath her slick folds. Andrea cried out as wave after wave of orgasmic sensation crashed over her. She shuddered violently beneath him as he pumped his seed deep inside of her.
"Spike," she whispered a few minutes after he'd collapsed on top of her as their breathing slowly returned to normal.
"What, love?"
"One of us has too many clothes on. . . And it isn't me."
One Month Later
"Do you, Andrea, promise to love, honor and cherish this man, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do." She looked into Spike's eyes as she said those two tiny words that would bind them for eternity. He smiled lovingly, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. He repeated the words when so prompted by the reverend.
"The rings, please."
Xander handed the rings to the man, which he in turn gave to Andrea and Spike. They slipped them on each other's fingers, repeating the phrase, "With this ring, I thee wed."
"If anyone has reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Andrea half expected someone to jump up and yell, "STOP!" at the top of their lungs at that moment. The day had been too perfect. Something had to go wrong. Thankfully, everyone remained both silent and seated.
"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife." He smiled at Spike. "You may kiss the bride."
Spike dragged her against him, gently pushing her lips apart to deepen the kiss. The crowd laughed when Andrea pulled away, giving Spike a try-that-again-in-public-and-you're-spending-the-honeymoon-on-the-couch look. He responded with his trademark smirk.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasue to present to you Mr and Mrs William Sinclair." The audience cheered, whistling madly as the grinning and obviously in love bride and groom walked arm in arm down the aisle between the chairs.
* * *
"Wow, that was such a beautiful ceremony," Buffy said to Willow, who grinned at her friend because Buffy was still a little miffed that Dawn had caught the bouquet.
"I know. I would never have thought of a nighttime ceremony. Outside. The stars were so pretty. And I couldn't believe she asked us to be bride's maids."
"Yeah. April I can understand as Maid of Honor, but Andrea's only known us for, like, two months. We did save her life, though." Willow nodded.
"They're so happy together. And with a baby on the way, too. I'm so happy for them." Buffy smiled and a few seconds later, snorted.
"Who would've thought that Spike, of all people, would marry a slayer?" Willow laughed.
"It's true. He was all 'I'll kill you on Saturday.' Way too busy for on-the-job romance."
"Tell me about it. And remember when he went out with Harmony? God, she was even worse as a vampire than she was human, because she was immortal." Willow rolled her eyes in agreement, before changing the subject.
"Hey, I thought bride's maid's dresses were supposed to be ugly. These are beautiful."
The dresses Andrea had chosen for Buffy, Willow and April were a beautiful ice blue with sparkly beads placed strategically on the silky material.
"I know. But the reason bride's maid's dresses are ugly is to keep the focus on the bride. Even with us in dresses this beautiful, Andrea looks like an angel."
"Does she ever! I cried when I first saw her," the red-head admitted.
"Yeah, Will. I was there."
Andrea and Cody danced slowly to the music.
"Sydney was a great flower girl, Cody," Andrea told him.
"Thanks." He paused. "If Spike ever does anything . . .Just let me know and I'll beat him up." She laughed.
"I appreciate the offer, but I've got half the northern hemisphere offering. I'll pass, but thanks."
Spike lightly tapped Cody on the shoulder.
"Mind if I cut in, mate?"
"Not at all." Cody smiled and moved away to find his wife as Spike snaked an arm around Andrea's waist. He leaned in close to her.
"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" His breath tickled her ear.
"Yes, but feel free to tell me again."
"You look beautiful."
* * *
"Oh, my God. This hotel is so beautiful," Andrea gushed as Spike unlocked the door to the honeymoon suite.
"I know, pet. You sure know how to pick 'em." She was about to enter, when he stopped her. She looked at him questioningly. "I get to carry you over the threshold." She vehemently shook her head.
"No way. That's a stupid tradition."
"If you don't go willingly, I'll have no choice but to overpower you." He smiled crookedly.
"Oh, is that right?" She squealed when he effortlessly lifted her up and tossed her over his shoulder.
"Yeah, love. That's right."
"Put me down, you jerk, or I'm cutting you off." He lightly threw her down onto the lush king-size bed.
"You wouldn't."
"Try me," she dared. He crawled up the bed, spreading her thighs easily.
"You can't resist my sexy accent and my cocky smirk," he accused, lazily kissing her jaw.
"Can you say egotistical?" She pushed him away, trying not to smile as she attempted to slide off the bed. He caught her around the waist, 'accidentally' letting his hand slide up under her shirt.
"You love it."
"You wish."
"I wish you would hold still so I could get you undressed." She grinned, screaming when he tossed her back into the mountain of pillows. She dutifully fought him, not really trying, as he unsnapped her jeans and yanked them off. He wrestled her shirt over her head as she defiantly put up a token struggle.
"No. I'm mad at you. Pig," she lied, laughing as she swatted away his hand when he attempted to remove her bra.
"Oh, come on, babe. I'm sorry." He heard her breath catch in her throat as he teased her nipple through the red lace of her bra. She whimpered. "Forgive me?"
"Sure." He smiled and lightly nipped her shoulder with his teeth, expertly flicking open her bra. His skilled fingers roamed freely over her bare skin.
"Good." With his free hand, he tore her panties from her body, shredding the scrap of fabric.
"Hey," she protested weakly, both at the destruction of her undergarments and because his warm hands left her body to unsnap his jeans.
Without fully removing his jeans, he thrust into her and she moaned, clutching at the thin fabric of his t-shirt. The denim pants scraped against the sensitive inside of her thighs. His hands tilted her hips toward him as he repeatedly pushed himself deep inside her, shoving each of them quickly toward orgasm. Spike lightly kissed the swell of her breast as he reached between their sweat-slicked bodies and pressed his thumb lightly against the tiny bud of nerve endings hidden beneath her slick folds. Andrea cried out as wave after wave of orgasmic sensation crashed over her. She shuddered violently beneath him as he pumped his seed deep inside of her.
"Spike," she whispered a few minutes after he'd collapsed on top of her as their breathing slowly returned to normal.
"What, love?"
"One of us has too many clothes on. . . And it isn't me."