A/N : Well, here we are at the conclusion of this funny little fic. I'm glad to see so many people have enjoyed reading it. Thanks to everyone eho reviewed the previous chapter; SpIkEs AnGeL, spike wuvs buffy, Atterb, RougeCrayon, chazza, Tobert tinkerbell42, twisty-treat, ms trick, gyrlfriend, mar, artemis66, Rachel, Leanne8582, Azrielle - you guys are the best and you make me smile. Oh, Leanne, I loved your idea, but I really can't write sex/smut, I'm no good at it at all, so it's just the kiss at the end of the wedding ceremony that should break the spell in my fic, sorry if that's a little boring, lol. Anyway, here is the end, whch I hope you like, I think it might be a little unbelievable and silly but, well, you'll see what I mean...please review!
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 5 - Something True
As Buffy's lips parted from Spike's, their little audience were perched on the edge of their seats, awaiting the reaction from both the vampire and the Slayer. They expected cursing and yelling and maybe a little violence on Buffy's part, they did not expect what they saw.
There was silence to begin with, whether it was through shock or something to do with the spell no-one was sure as the bride and groom locked eyes and everyone held their breath, only the registrar unaware of what was happening.
Suddenly without warning Buffy bolted toward the side room where she'd talked to Angel, Spike watching her go with a look of confusion, no-one really noticed, they were too busy worrying about the Slayer.
"I'll go after her" Joyce said gently, rising from her seat but Willow stopped her.
"Please, Mrs Summers, let me go" she more or less begged, "I'll come get you if she asks but I really think I should go first"
Buffy's mother smiled at the red head and nodded. Understanding there would be things the young witch needed to say to her friend, apologies she needed to make, she allowed her to follow Buffy into the adjoining room.
As Willow entered she was not wholly shocked to see tears streaming down the Slayer's face, salt water taking with it most of the eye make-up that the girl had so carefully applied.
"Hey" the red head half-smiled and Buffy sniffed, rubbed the back of her hand across her face and tried to stop her sobbing, but she couldn't. Willow moved to hug her and it was a couple of minutes before either spoke. It was Buffy, who managed to stop her tears for a while, who eventually broke the silence.
"I feel awful" she said sadly and Willow winced.
"I'm sorry" she told her best friend honestly, "I didn't mean for any of this to happen, but..."
"It's not your fault" the Slayer cut her off, turning away, "The spell, it..., well..." she didn't know how to say what she wanted to and when she tried she only made herself cry more. Her friend decided perhaps she should tell Buffy the honest truth that she'd been hiding from everyone, it certainly couldn't make her anymore upset that she already was.
"Buffy, there was no spell" she said slowly, and Buffy's head shot around to look at her with wide eyes, "Oh well, there was a spell" Willow back-pedalled, "only, not now, before" she sighed as she realised she was making an awful mess of what she meant to say.
She sat down on one of the two chairs in the room and told Buffy she should probably take the other. With that, Willow took a deep breath and started again.
"When I broke the spell, and you and Spike kept on kissing and...stuff, well, Giles assumed, we all did really, that the spell was broken for everyone except you because you hadn't fulfilled your part of it. We thought you had to get married for the spell to break but as much as I agreed it was the only logical explanation, it didn't seem right. I checked all the books, all the similar spells, I couldn't find anything like it, and the more I saw you and Spike together, the more I started to wonder...could it be real?"
"Willow..." Buffy tried to interrupt but the witch waved a hand to dismiss her words and continued to talk.
"I wasn't sure, whether it was real or not, but I figured the only way to know was to go along with it and see the reactions today...I'm sorry Buffy, I was wrong"
The blonde shook her head, not sure whether to laugh or cry, the tears that streamed down her face made the decision for her.
"Wills, you weren't wrong, you were right" she admitted, trying to wipe away the tears that soaked her face, "The spell started it off but...but it's a different kind of magic now"
"Oh my goddess" Willow gasped, realising she was right all along, that Buffy was really in love with Spike, but if that were true..."Why are you crying?"
"Because it's over now" the Slayer sniffed, "Spike will go back to being a hateful jerk and the gang would never understand even if he really did love me like he seemed to"
"Buffy, he can't be that good of an actor" Willow scoffed, "I've seen you two together, knowing there was no spell, he has to love you Buffy, he just has to"
Right on cue, the bleach blond opened the door and stepped somewhat shyly into the room. Willow smiled, wondering how the former Big Bad could look so sweet and innocent and almost a little afraid.
"Thought I'd come and see what was going on with you two, don't think anyone noticed me slip in here, too busy being frantic over the tearful Slayer here" he half smiled as he came in, closed the door behind himself and moved towards the two young women who got to their feet now.
"I think maybe I should leave you two alone..." Willow trailed off and Spike turned to stop her leaving.
"Hey Red, I don't know what mojo you put on us but it made me realise something I never thought was possible, that I could be in love and that I could be loved so much"
"Spike" Willow smiled, "My crazy spell may have jump started this but that magic was broken almost a week ago. You two were in love before, you just didn't notice, what with love being blind and all, and you're in love now, right?" she checked she hadn't just jumped in at the deep end and been wrong.
"Yeah" he nodded, turning to look at Buffy, "Yeah, I'm in love alright"
As the Slayers eyes began to water again, neither she nor Spike took much notice of the fact that Willow was still in the room. Their eyes met, their lips followed, and they held each other tightly as they proved just how real their love was. When they finally broke apart, Buffy sighed.
"You do know this will never work, right?" she said sadly, looking at her feet, "I mean, I'm a Slayer, you're a vampire..."
"Hey" Spike interrupted her rambling, lifting her chin with his finger, he looked deep into her eyes and asked, "Do you love me?"
There was barely a pause before Buffy replied with a smile.
"Yes, I do love you" she told him truthfully.
"Then it will work" he promised her, his gaze never wavering from hers, "because that's all that matters"
She believed him and what's more she trusted him completely. When he said he loved her, she knew he meant it from the look in his eyes. When he kissed her, she felt completely safe, knowing he'd never push her into anything she didn't want. When he held her she felt safer than she ever had with another being.
"Er, guys" Willow interrupted, wishing she didn't have to but knowing she must. They turned to look at her and she smiled nervously, "er, guests out there, kind of wondering what's going on" she reminded them and Buffy's smile disappeared.
"They're never going to understand" she sighed sadly, "They didn't understand before and...he who shall not be named" she smirked, "he had a soul"
"You are my soul" Spike told her with a smile, "you're my everything"
As Willow watched him kiss Buffy again, she just knew this was real. There was not a doubt left in her mind that although it was the magicks that had started this, it was love now in it's truest sense that made these two people want to be together.
"Would you guys be mad if I tried out a spell?" she asked suddenly, causing them to pull apart and look at her strangely, "I promise, I can do this one, and you do want a honeymoon, right?" she smiled slyly as they both nodded and she gestured for them to move to the side so she could concentrate on the back wall.
"Dissolvate" she commanded, waving a hand, and the wall shifted and distorted before their very eyes, before opening up in the shape of an archway.
"Will, that was so cool" Buffy congratulated her on a spell well done and the witch smiled back.
"Thanks" she said, inwardly sighing in relief that she could control at least this little amount of magic, "Now go" she told them, "I'll cover for you"
"Go?" Buffy echoed, "but we can't just..."
"We can, luv" Spike interrupted her, "Red can cover and we'd be gone before they knew what was happening...off on that honeymoon we wanted" he smirked and she blushed as she remembered precisely all the plans they'd made, most of which meant they'd never leave the hotel.
With a glance toward the door that stood between herself and her friends and family, then another look out into the night through the magic door Willow had made, Buffy made her decision.
"Let's go" she grinned, grabbing Spike's hand tightly, using her other hand to hold the edge of her bridal gown up as she prepared to run. They made it through the door that had once been a wall, and turned back just beyond the exit to mouth a 'thanks' to Willow, who smiled before closing the magical door behind them.
"You're welcome" she said to the empty room as she turned to go back into the main hall. She had some explaining to do, for herself and for Buffy and Spike, and it would be complicated, but true love had conquered all so far, and that was what really mattered.
Hurtling down the motorway in Spike's black windowed DeSoto, the newly-weds were on their way to their honeymoon destination as well as the rest of their lives, or life and unlife to be more specific. There were no words, there didn't need to be. Both of them knew why they were there and how much they loved each other, that was all that mattered.
It was several minutes before Spike remembered something and turned to his new wife.
"Here" he said simply, passing a box to her that he'd retrieved from his pocket with his right hand as he drove with his left on the steering wheel.
"A tape?" she said quizzically, tuning the audio cassette over in her hand, "What's on it?" she wanted to know.
"Well put it in the bloody machine and you might find out" Spike told her, his tone only slightly annoyed.
The music started and then the lyrics drifted from the speakers and Buffy's face lit up as her eyes filled with joyful tears as she realised what it was - Wind Beneath My Wings.
"Oh Spike" she sighed.
"It was supposed to be for our reception, the first dance like you wanted" he grumbled in annoyance and a little embarrassment that he'd done something that may be considered sweet.
"It was a beautiful thought" the Slayer told him honestly, a warm smile on her lips.
"So are you" Spike smiled too, glad to know she appreciated his gesture, "A beautiful thought, a beautiful vision, and my beautiful wife"
His right hand picked up her left and their fingers entwined as they continued their literal and metaphorical journey together, accompanied by the music from the car stereo, and the wonderful, magical feeling of true love in their hearts.
THE END