A/N : Hey guys! Thanks for all the great reviews; Aleesha, Rachel, SpIkEs AnGeL, SouthernRain, lilpuff, theoneandonlygurl, RougeCrayon. Of course, you all knew as soon as Buffy said 'What could go wrong?' that something undoubtedly would. Well keep on reading and you just might find out what it is...and as always, please review and let me know what you think of this chapter!

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 14 - Arrivals & Girl Talk

"Hey guys!" Buffy practically squealed as she opened the front door and found her two best friends on the other side. Willow and Xander had arrived back in Sunnydale quite late the night before, but still they had gotten up the next morning, desperate to see their friends.

Hugs were shared between the arrivals and Buffy, Spike, and Cordelia. Doyle was introduced, his semi-demon status one of the first things to be explained, so that no-one got any nasty shocks later. Joyce didn't seem to mind having a living room full of noisy young people. She was in a kind of love-haze since she'd started dating Spike's Uncle Johnny, and no-one minded since she was happy enough to agree to things that maybe she wouldn't have done in a non-loved-up state. She soon vacated the house anyway, as her 'boyfriend' was taking her to lunch, the gang barely noticed her leave the house, they were so deep in conversation.

Doyle and Cordelia had had two official dates in the past week and had spent most of their time together, as Spike and Buffy did the same. There were many stories to be shared about all that had happened in the past three weeks, in Sunnydale and abroad. Naturally the conversation soon turned to the upcoming nuptials, that everyone was looking forward to attending.

"Just two days to the wedding, I can't believe it" Willow grinned, thrilled by the impending happy day "Are your parents excited Spike?" she asked the bleach blond who shared a chair with his girlfriend, opposite the sofa that held Xander and Willow and the other armchair in which Cordelia sat, with Doyle on the arm of it.

"I s'pose so" Spike shrugged "but you know what Dad's like, not huge with the showing of emotions" he winced a little as he realised he sounded very much like Buffy during that sentence, as much as he loved her, he had no wish to become her "Mum's been so busy arranging things up to now, I don't think she's really had enough time to actually look forward to the day" he continued "but I know she will when she realises how close it is"

At that point the doorbell rang, just as Buffy began to speak and so Xander, being closest, got up to answer it.

"Giles" they heard him greet from the door, "hows it going?"

They didn't hear his reply as Spike turned to his cousin.

"That means we should be making tracks Doyle" he realised, turning his head to look at a disappointed Buffy "Gotta make sure our suits fit for the wedding" he told her.

"I bet you'll look so handsome" the blonde smiled.

"I don't usually?" he asked her with mock pain, making her giggle.

"You know that you do" she smiled, as he smiled back and they moved in to kiss each other. Willow watched with amusement as Doyle said goodbye to Cordelia, promising to see her later and kissing her soundly. It was so great to have all her friends so happy, and herself too of course, she smiled wider as Xander came back into the room.

"Oh great" he complained as the front door banged shut "All the guys are gone and it looks like a slumber party in here" he sighed as the three girls giggled from their positions on the sofa and two chairs, before throwing cushions at him. The sudden burst of laughter finally alerted Dawn to the fact there were more people than usual in the house and she emerged from upstairs.

"Oh, hey guys!" she grinned as she noticed Willow and Xander. They had been Buffy's best friends since kindergarten so she'd grown up with them always being around.

"Hi Dawnie" Willow smiled at her friends sister "Hows everything?"

"Just great" the younger girl nodded "And you?"

"Can't complain" the witch smiled particularly at Xander, the reason for her happiness of late.

"I can't stay" Dawn explained to the whole room "I'm meeting Janice and Amanda - we're going bowling"

"Did you check with Mom?" Buffy snapped immediately, knowing as she did, the kind of things that happened in Sunnydale, she worried a great deal for her sisters safety.

"Yes, I asked this morning" Dawn huffed, she knew her sister worried, but she already had a mother, she didn't need Buffy to be Mom #2.

"Okay, then I'll see you later" her older sister agreed as the brunette girl made for the front door, swinging her backpack over her shoulder.

"Hey Dawnster, you want an escort?" Xander offered "I really should be heading home and I think these girls need some time to talk nailpolish, shopping and boys for a while" he smirked.

"Totally true" Buffy nodded that she agreed with that statement as Willow and Cordelia did too.

"Sure Xand, thanks" Dawn agreed to let him walk her. She always liked Xander, in fact back when she was younger, she'd really liked Xander, but she was so totally over him now.

"Bye guys" he nodded to Buffy and Cordy "Bye sweetie" he said to Willow, going over to her and kissing her sweetly.

"Yuck" was Dawn's immediate reaction, but on receiving four glares she apologised with a quiet "sorry"

"Come on, small fry" Xander smiled, not really annoyed by her comments at all. She was young, one day he knew she'd feel much differently about the public displays of affection. As soon as the front door clicked shut again, the girls started giggling and talking about things that only girls ever did.

"Oh Wills, it's so great to have you back" Buffy enthused as the three lie across the floor on cushions pulled from the sofa, a half eaten box of chocolates between them on the carpet "but I'll bet you wish you were still away, right?"

"Some" Willow admitted "it was so awesome Buff. We laid on the beach and we played in the ocean, there was music in the evenings and we danced and sat under the moonlight...it was all big with the fun days and romantic nights" she smiled wistfully at the past two and a half weeks worth of memories that she wouldn't part with for the world.

"Romantic nights?" Buffy smiled a certain way "You two didn't...?"

"Oh my God, you really did!" Cordelia interrupted with a squeal as Willow's face started to match her hair in colour.

"Kind of...yeah" she muttered under her breath, putting the nearest chocolate into her mouth so she had something else to do, other than look at or talk to her two friends.

"Wow, thats like a major deal..." Buffy gasped "and was it...?" another question was left hanging since both the other girls knew precisely what she meant.

"It was perfect" she sighed, a little less embarrassed as she remembered just how wondrous it all had been "the most wonderful thing in the whole world"

"You are so lucky" Cordelia told her, picking the pieces of hazelnut out of the sweet in her hand "My first time was a total disaster"

"Cordy, I never knew that you'd done...that thing" Willow gaped and Buffy looked kind of sad. She knew all about it.

"Yeah, well, Buffy is the only one that knows" Cordelia admitted, concentrating on the chocolate in her hand and not on the other people in the room "It's not something I'm proud of"

"Who was it?" the red-head asked, almost afraid of what Cordy's reaction would be. She could be volatile, it was unclear right now whether she would burst into tears, get very angry, both or neither.

"This guy I met in LA, Parker" the brunette shrugged after a while "I thought he really liked me and I liked him and, well, everyone else seemed to be doing it so..." she laughed humourlessly at how stupid she had been "it was big with the ick factor" she explained with a shake of her head, giving up on the hazelnut cluster and throwing it in the bin "not about love, just another notch on the headboard for him"

"I'm sorry" Willow said sincerely, reaching over to out her hand on Cordelias.

"It's okay" she smiled "not your fault...Anyway, happy now with Doyle" she smiled more brightly at the thought of her boyfriend "not that we've..." she quickly added "but, well, y'know...What about you Buff?" you said, turning sharply toward her best friend, anything to get the subject off of herself. Usually Cordelia loved to be all center-of-attention-ish, but not when this was the topic. The one time she'd liked a boy enough to go that far and he'd treated her so badly.

"What about me?" Buffy asked, nervously as her two friends looked at her.

"Well, I guess with Angel's curse and all" Willow mused "Spike must've been your first"

"Yeah...right...sure" Buffy mumbled, looking everywhere but at her friends.

"And...?" Cordelia prompted, wondering why her friend was suddenly so quiet. The Slayer was just wishing the floor would open up and swallow her, not that she had anything to be ashamed of or feel bad about, but she was kind of embarrassed to be the only one who'd never...

"And...y'know I think we need popcorn" she said with a shake of her head, diving up from the floor and practically running to the kitchen.

"Buffy..." her friends called after her, a little bemused. Willow made to follow but Cordelia stopped her with a hand on her arm

"Maybe she and he haven't, y'know, sealed the deal yet" she guessed.

"Oh, I never thought about it" the red-head gasped as she sat back down with a thump "I just assumed...oops" she shrugged, wondering what she was going to say to Buffy when she finally returned from the kitchen. She didn't have to worry for long as a knock on the door was heard.

Cordelia moved to answer it and Willow followed her. On the other side was a young man, of about twenty five, not bad to look as both girl noticed, with several bags at his feet and a nervous look on his face.

"Hello" Cordelia greeted, hoping the man planned to introduce himself.

"Oh, hello" he smiled slightly as he answered her in a smooth English accent "I'm looking for a Rupert Giles? I thought he lived here" he frowned slightly on realising it was unlikely he did live there, given two young girls had answered the door.

"Oh no, you want next door" Willow informed him, pointing out of the door to the next house "but he's out right now. You want us to tell him you stopped by?"

"I was hoping to see him actually" the Englishman said, looking over at the house Willow had been pointing too.

"Whats up?" Buffy's voice broke through as she joined her friends by the door and spotted the man on the other side "Hi" she said to him, warily.

"Buffy, this guy was looking for Giles..." Willow explained "I guess, you've come a long way, right?" she said as she turned back. English accented guys were not huge in number around Sunnydale, except for Giles and Spike.

"Yes, from England actually" the young man nodded.

"So, you must be one of the many relatives right?" Buffy smiled, though, being the Slayer and knowing what she knew, she was a little uneasy about strangers on her doorstep, she was only glad it was daylight.

"Er, well, yes" the mystery man agreed, slightly confused as to why he was one of 'many' relatives. With a shake of his head he dismissed the girls words and finally introduced himself properly "my name is Wesley Wyndham-Pryce" he said "but...I'm Rupert Giles' son"

To Be Continued...