Hi! Thanks for all your reviews and encouragement for this series. I have some outlines started for the next few chapters so hopefully I will be able to get what I have written up and posted before the weekend is over. And keep the reviews coming!
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Spike sat back listening as Joyce and Buffy argued over whether they should have cream or white invitations to their mating ceremony. It was just too funny. He chuckled and was greeted by twin glares from the Summers women.
"What?" He tried to look innocent but was unsuccessful as he started to smile at their expressions.
"Oh come on Spike! It's important!" Buffy said.
"Pet, I don't really think that anyone we're inviting is going to care if the invitations are white or cream." Buffy opened her mouth to arugue and closed it again, unable to think of an answer. She gave him a half-hearted glare and went to sit next to him on the couch.
"Maybe." she finally muttered.
"Now, Spike." Joyce interrupted. "All the little details are important. When Hank and I got married we spent hours..."
"Uh, mom. Not to interrupt or anything, but what are we going to tell dad? I mean, we have to bite each other and I think that Xander and Giles are going to freak out enough...but Dad doesn't even know I'm a Slayer, let alone a vampire."
"Huh. I didn't think about that." Joyce paused and looked at them thoughtfully. "I'm sure we'll think of something sweetie. Now, have you decided who you want to be your maid of honor?"
"Oh! Yeah! Willow of course will be my maid of honor. What about your best man, Spike? Oz?" Buffy looked at Spike expentantly but he wouldn't meet her eye. "What is it? Is there some minion out there that you want? I mean you can, you just have to explain that he can't eat my friends..."
"Pet." Spike turned to look at her uncomfortably. He thought that having people there was going to be unusual. "Maid of honour and best man...that's what humans do, luv."
"Well they're human...I mean mostly."
"We're vampires, pet." Spike said slowly and looked at him unconvinced.
"Oh come on Spike!"
"Bloody hell! HAve it your way. But I'm not getting you a ring." He crossed his arms defiantly and looked over at her. Buffy pouted at him and he sighed in resignation.
"Oh bollocks."
**********
Giles rolled his eyes as he listened to Xander on the phone. He understood that the boy was worried abuot Cordelia, but did he honestly think that he wanted Angel there either?
"Xander, you agreed with Cordelia that it was the best idea for her to stay here for the night since Angel is not invited in here and I have weapons."
"Yeah, I know G-man, but..."
"Don't call me that. Now I must insist that you stop calling me. She's asleep on the couch and I would very much like to go to sleep as well."
"But-"
"No! NOw this is the forth time you've called since you left!"
"Ok. Well tell Cordelia..."
"That you'll be here in the morning with donuts."
"Yeah and-"
"To call you if she needs to talk."
"Yeah-"
"Good-bye Xander."
"Alright. Good-bye. And thanks Giles." Giles finally hung up the phone and sighed rubbing his hand over his face. He always knew that these kids would be the death of him, but he never suspected that it would be because they irritated him to death. Just then his phone rang and he huffed in annoyance.
"Xander! I told you to stop calling!"
"Ripper?" The voice on the other end asked. It was not Xander.
"Who is this?" Giles asked lowly.
"This is Bradburry." The line was silent as Giles absorbed that information and memories that he thought were buried were dredged to the surface again.
"How dare you call me. After what happened with Fiona-"
"I'm not here to bring up the past Ripper. I need to warn you-"
"No. I told you at the funeral to never speak to me again." Giles slammed down the phone and starred at it as though he had seen a ghost.
"Giles?" Cordelia called from behind him. Giles turned around startled.
"You're awake!"
"Duh. Like I could sleep with Xander calling every five minutes anyway." She smiled wearily at him as Giles looks at the floor. "Who's Fiona?" Giles' head snaps up and he looks like he's about to yell but merely sighs and goes to sit next to Cordelia on the couch.
"She was my sister."
"Oh." Cordelia looks at him and can tell that he really doesn't want to talk about it. "I'm scared Giles."
"I know Cordelia."
"I mean what if Angelus comes back again? I don't think I can ever look at him again..."
"Cordelia. You will be able to. I know. After he killed Jenny, I hated him. I could barely look at him. But I know that you will be able to. Do you know why?"
"Why?"
"Because you have to. You are a strong person Cordelia. And have already been through a lot. But you don't have to go through this alone, as you can tell from Xander's many calls tonight and everyone else's concern." Cordelia looked at Giles curiously as though she was seeing him in a new light.
"You know, I finally understand why Buffy respects you so much."
"Thank-you."
"Even you are just a school librarian now."
"Yes. Well. Good-night." and Giles left to go to bed.
**********
Bradburry stared at the telephone reciever in his hand. He heard a noise behind him and hung up the phone quickly turning around to face Murdock.
"Who was that?" Murdock asked.
"Huh?" Bradburry said trying to play dumb.
"On the phone just now." Murdock said narrowing his eyes. He didn't trust Bradburry as much as Travers did. He knew that there was some sort of bad blood between Rupert Giles and Bradburry, but he often wondered if Rupert was the one to break off their once strong friendship and not the other way around.
"Oh. The phone. It was...a wrong number." Bradburry replied hesitantly and quickly left the room before Murdock could ask anymore questions. He would have to try to reach Ripper another way.
Murdock stood there staring hard at the door. He would have to keep an eye on Bradburry. Make sure he didn't ruin Quentin's plans. And if it turned out that Bradburry was a traitor, then maybe he could get a promotion.
***********
Angel sat outside the Summers house and listened as Joyce laughed at something that Spike said about the preparations for the ceremony. He growled. He never had that good a relationship with Joyce. THen he saw Buffy lean over and kiss Spike on the cheek and he lost all his control. Angel walked up to the front door and knocked loudly.
"I'll get that!" He heard Joyce call to the other two. She opened to door and frowned when she saw Angel standing there.
"Hello Joyce. May I come in."
"No. Angel I'm sorry."
"What do you mean no?" He started to get angrier. Spike was allowed in to sit with them but not him?
"Well, Buffy said that I shouldn't invite you in." Joyce said more strongly than she felt.
"Can I talk to you Buffy?" Angel said trying to keep a tight reign on his temper. Buffy quickly appeared behind her mom.
"Mom it's ok." She pulled Joyce away from the door and stepped up to talk to Angel. Her sire. "Hello Angel."
"Buffy." Angel looked at her. She was still as beautiful as ever and still had her inner glow, even though now she was undead. "Can I come in?"
"No." She looked down unable to look him in the eye. She did feel a little guilty about shutting him out like this, but she didn't feel 100% comfortable with him either. Afterall, he did kill her.
"What? Why not? I don't understand." Angel tried to reach for her but the barrier stops him.
"Angel. I want Cordelia to feel safe here. The only way to do that is to have it so you can't come in." Angel flinched at the mention of Cordelia and Buffy felt even guiltier but she had to stand her ground. After picturing Spike's face post-torture she steeled herself against Angel's pleas.
"C'mon Buffy. You can invite me in and Cordelia would never have to know. I mean-"
"Oh God! HOw selfish can you be!" Buffy exclaimed exasperated with him. Angel growled at her and narrowed her eyes and BUffy took a step back in fear, seeing not Angel, but Angelus in his eyes. Spike jumped in front of her and growled back at Angel.
"Bugger off Angelus." Spike said in a low voice. Angel continued to growl at him his demon just at the surface chomping at the bit to be released. He slowly got himself under some form of control and took a few steps back from the door, never taking his eyes off Spike.
"She'll never be yours William. Whether you claim her, mate her...whatever. She'll always belong to me. And I'll be damned if I let you two mate." Joyce paled and leaned on the railing trying to catch her breath. Spike growled again and was about to jump out at Angel, but Buffy put her hand on his arm and pulled him back. She stepped forward looking at Angel with disgust.
"You already are damned." She hissed and slammed the door leaving him outside in the cold.
********
Spike sat back listening as Joyce and Buffy argued over whether they should have cream or white invitations to their mating ceremony. It was just too funny. He chuckled and was greeted by twin glares from the Summers women.
"What?" He tried to look innocent but was unsuccessful as he started to smile at their expressions.
"Oh come on Spike! It's important!" Buffy said.
"Pet, I don't really think that anyone we're inviting is going to care if the invitations are white or cream." Buffy opened her mouth to arugue and closed it again, unable to think of an answer. She gave him a half-hearted glare and went to sit next to him on the couch.
"Maybe." she finally muttered.
"Now, Spike." Joyce interrupted. "All the little details are important. When Hank and I got married we spent hours..."
"Uh, mom. Not to interrupt or anything, but what are we going to tell dad? I mean, we have to bite each other and I think that Xander and Giles are going to freak out enough...but Dad doesn't even know I'm a Slayer, let alone a vampire."
"Huh. I didn't think about that." Joyce paused and looked at them thoughtfully. "I'm sure we'll think of something sweetie. Now, have you decided who you want to be your maid of honor?"
"Oh! Yeah! Willow of course will be my maid of honor. What about your best man, Spike? Oz?" Buffy looked at Spike expentantly but he wouldn't meet her eye. "What is it? Is there some minion out there that you want? I mean you can, you just have to explain that he can't eat my friends..."
"Pet." Spike turned to look at her uncomfortably. He thought that having people there was going to be unusual. "Maid of honour and best man...that's what humans do, luv."
"Well they're human...I mean mostly."
"We're vampires, pet." Spike said slowly and looked at him unconvinced.
"Oh come on Spike!"
"Bloody hell! HAve it your way. But I'm not getting you a ring." He crossed his arms defiantly and looked over at her. Buffy pouted at him and he sighed in resignation.
"Oh bollocks."
**********
Giles rolled his eyes as he listened to Xander on the phone. He understood that the boy was worried abuot Cordelia, but did he honestly think that he wanted Angel there either?
"Xander, you agreed with Cordelia that it was the best idea for her to stay here for the night since Angel is not invited in here and I have weapons."
"Yeah, I know G-man, but..."
"Don't call me that. Now I must insist that you stop calling me. She's asleep on the couch and I would very much like to go to sleep as well."
"But-"
"No! NOw this is the forth time you've called since you left!"
"Ok. Well tell Cordelia..."
"That you'll be here in the morning with donuts."
"Yeah and-"
"To call you if she needs to talk."
"Yeah-"
"Good-bye Xander."
"Alright. Good-bye. And thanks Giles." Giles finally hung up the phone and sighed rubbing his hand over his face. He always knew that these kids would be the death of him, but he never suspected that it would be because they irritated him to death. Just then his phone rang and he huffed in annoyance.
"Xander! I told you to stop calling!"
"Ripper?" The voice on the other end asked. It was not Xander.
"Who is this?" Giles asked lowly.
"This is Bradburry." The line was silent as Giles absorbed that information and memories that he thought were buried were dredged to the surface again.
"How dare you call me. After what happened with Fiona-"
"I'm not here to bring up the past Ripper. I need to warn you-"
"No. I told you at the funeral to never speak to me again." Giles slammed down the phone and starred at it as though he had seen a ghost.
"Giles?" Cordelia called from behind him. Giles turned around startled.
"You're awake!"
"Duh. Like I could sleep with Xander calling every five minutes anyway." She smiled wearily at him as Giles looks at the floor. "Who's Fiona?" Giles' head snaps up and he looks like he's about to yell but merely sighs and goes to sit next to Cordelia on the couch.
"She was my sister."
"Oh." Cordelia looks at him and can tell that he really doesn't want to talk about it. "I'm scared Giles."
"I know Cordelia."
"I mean what if Angelus comes back again? I don't think I can ever look at him again..."
"Cordelia. You will be able to. I know. After he killed Jenny, I hated him. I could barely look at him. But I know that you will be able to. Do you know why?"
"Why?"
"Because you have to. You are a strong person Cordelia. And have already been through a lot. But you don't have to go through this alone, as you can tell from Xander's many calls tonight and everyone else's concern." Cordelia looked at Giles curiously as though she was seeing him in a new light.
"You know, I finally understand why Buffy respects you so much."
"Thank-you."
"Even you are just a school librarian now."
"Yes. Well. Good-night." and Giles left to go to bed.
**********
Bradburry stared at the telephone reciever in his hand. He heard a noise behind him and hung up the phone quickly turning around to face Murdock.
"Who was that?" Murdock asked.
"Huh?" Bradburry said trying to play dumb.
"On the phone just now." Murdock said narrowing his eyes. He didn't trust Bradburry as much as Travers did. He knew that there was some sort of bad blood between Rupert Giles and Bradburry, but he often wondered if Rupert was the one to break off their once strong friendship and not the other way around.
"Oh. The phone. It was...a wrong number." Bradburry replied hesitantly and quickly left the room before Murdock could ask anymore questions. He would have to try to reach Ripper another way.
Murdock stood there staring hard at the door. He would have to keep an eye on Bradburry. Make sure he didn't ruin Quentin's plans. And if it turned out that Bradburry was a traitor, then maybe he could get a promotion.
***********
Angel sat outside the Summers house and listened as Joyce laughed at something that Spike said about the preparations for the ceremony. He growled. He never had that good a relationship with Joyce. THen he saw Buffy lean over and kiss Spike on the cheek and he lost all his control. Angel walked up to the front door and knocked loudly.
"I'll get that!" He heard Joyce call to the other two. She opened to door and frowned when she saw Angel standing there.
"Hello Joyce. May I come in."
"No. Angel I'm sorry."
"What do you mean no?" He started to get angrier. Spike was allowed in to sit with them but not him?
"Well, Buffy said that I shouldn't invite you in." Joyce said more strongly than she felt.
"Can I talk to you Buffy?" Angel said trying to keep a tight reign on his temper. Buffy quickly appeared behind her mom.
"Mom it's ok." She pulled Joyce away from the door and stepped up to talk to Angel. Her sire. "Hello Angel."
"Buffy." Angel looked at her. She was still as beautiful as ever and still had her inner glow, even though now she was undead. "Can I come in?"
"No." She looked down unable to look him in the eye. She did feel a little guilty about shutting him out like this, but she didn't feel 100% comfortable with him either. Afterall, he did kill her.
"What? Why not? I don't understand." Angel tried to reach for her but the barrier stops him.
"Angel. I want Cordelia to feel safe here. The only way to do that is to have it so you can't come in." Angel flinched at the mention of Cordelia and Buffy felt even guiltier but she had to stand her ground. After picturing Spike's face post-torture she steeled herself against Angel's pleas.
"C'mon Buffy. You can invite me in and Cordelia would never have to know. I mean-"
"Oh God! HOw selfish can you be!" Buffy exclaimed exasperated with him. Angel growled at her and narrowed her eyes and BUffy took a step back in fear, seeing not Angel, but Angelus in his eyes. Spike jumped in front of her and growled back at Angel.
"Bugger off Angelus." Spike said in a low voice. Angel continued to growl at him his demon just at the surface chomping at the bit to be released. He slowly got himself under some form of control and took a few steps back from the door, never taking his eyes off Spike.
"She'll never be yours William. Whether you claim her, mate her...whatever. She'll always belong to me. And I'll be damned if I let you two mate." Joyce paled and leaned on the railing trying to catch her breath. Spike growled again and was about to jump out at Angel, but Buffy put her hand on his arm and pulled him back. She stepped forward looking at Angel with disgust.
"You already are damned." She hissed and slammed the door leaving him outside in the cold.