Chapter Twelve

"That sounds a little out there Giles," Kennedy said.

"We need a plan of some sort," he said, getting frustrated.

"Now don't get your knickers in a twist," Spike said. Everyone but Giles smiled at the comment.

"All right, I'm dressed as a woman! I'm still a respectable Watcher." Everyone restrained themselves from commenting.

Buffy was glad Giles was there with comic relief, but that still didn't change what she had to do. "I'll do it." Everyone glanced at her. "Don't look so surprised."

"It's just, if things don't turn out like we want..." Giles trailed off.

"I'll become a vampire. I got it. I just... don't want to think about that part."

Half an hour later, two henchmen entered Buffy's quarter's. She was alone because everyone else went down to the ceremony to blend in. Her back was turned to them. "You're wanted downstairs."

She sighed and stood up. She pulled down the veil and walked towards them. She waited for them to start leaving but they just bowed. Guess I go first. She walked past them and into the hall.

"Follow me," the first said. She obeyed him. The second was trailing behind her, closing her escape.

They went to a different corridor. They had her stay by the door while they entered. The room was big and dark. Everything was black and the seats were filled with seventy vampires. Angel and the others were in the front corner seats.

The first henchman whispered in Lenity's ear. He nodded and they stood next to him. Lenity nodded to the piano player who started playing the 'Wedding March.' Two men in tuxedos opened the doors. Everyone stood up and watched as Buffy walked down the aisle.

Buffy walked to Lenity and faced him. Lenity looked at the vampire priest, waiting for him to start.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join Buffy Summers and our Lord Lenity. If anyone thinks they should not be wed, let them speak now or forever hold their peace." No one said anything. "Do you take each other to love and cherish and all that stuff for the rest of your undead lives?" Lenity nodded. Buffy hesitated before nodding. "I pronounce you husband and wife. You may sire the bride." Lenity smiled and bared his teeth. He gently lifted the veil to reveal-

"Surprise." Spike punched Lenity in the face, making him fall to his knees. Spike ripped the dress in two. "It was a little too small."

Angel, Giles and Kennedy stood up in unison. Kennedy had two crossbows stretched out, ready to trigger them. Angel held two stakes while Giles held a bottle of holy water and a stake. Two screams were heard in the back.

Buffy stood with a stake in each hand and stretched out. Her victims were already dust. She was wearing her sweatpants and black t-shirt. The cloak she concealed herself with was now lying at her feet. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" Lenity looked at her. "Guess the wedding jitters just got the best of me."

The crowd stood up, ready to attack. Kennedy shot her crossbows, taking out two men. Angel staked five in a row who were looking the other way. Giles staked two and tossed holy water in a woman's face. She screamed as her face smoked. He drove the stake through her heart. Buffy killed four vampires, who charged the door, without any exertion.

Buffy ran forward to Lenity. She tackled him and knocked him over. The priest kicked her in the back and tossed her off Lenity. Buffy flipped to her feet. She did a circular kick to his face, spinning him to the ground. She shoved the stake in his heart and looked at Lenity. He rose.

"I will rule a world of darkness."

"Not as long as I'm in this world."

"I guess I'll have to remove you from it then."

"Good luck with that. It's been done twice but I'm still here."

Lenity bore his fangs and jumped at her.

Giles, now wigless, was struggling with a vampire in a grey suit. He punched him in the face, but the vampire wasn't fazed. Giles punched him harder and the vampire pulled away far enough for Giles to get his foot underneath him to push him off. The vampire landed on his back while Giles scrambled to his feet. The vampire jumped up and started to wrestle with Giles. After a couple rolls the vampire resided on top. "Nice outfit," he said. "Couldn't hack it as a man?"

Giles gritted his teeth and grabbed a broken piece from a wooden chair and jabbed it into his chest. "I see you couldn't either." The vampire turned to dust.

Kennedy was fighting off a woman. She staked her with a crossbow bolt and sensed someone behind her. She turned and kicked him in the gut, then the jaw, then again in the gut. He took a swing at her, but she grabbed his arm and punched him twice in the face. He swung at her with his other arm, but she ducked and caught it. She yanked it back, and she heard it snap. While she had him leaning back she thrusted a stake into his heart. He exploded into ashes.

Angel grabbed Buffy's wedding dress from the floor and tossed it over the vamp's face. He knocked him to the floor with a kick to the head. He scrambled out and stood to fight. Angel side kicked the advancing vampire in the stomach. He went flying backward, landing hard on his back. Angel rushed him, grabbed his legs and pushed them up, forcing him into a back roll away from him. The vampire ended up in a standing position and tried to punch Angel, but missed him entirely. Angel tried a punch, but the vampire middle blocks him and takes a swing with his free hand at Angel's face. He ducked it and spin kicked his face. Angel jabbed a stake through his chest and started on the next vampire.

Lenity tried two kicks, which Buffy easily blocked. She ducked a swing to her head and swung back, but Lenity grabbed her arm in mid-swing and flipped her over onto a set of chairs. She let out a pained breath. He reached down for her. She kicked up, with both legs, into Lenity's face and made him fall backward to the floor. She flipped to her feet.

"Did I ever tell you I took on Dracula?" Lenity brushed his face. His lip was bleeding. He licked what excreted onto his hand. "I won. He also didn't bleed when I fought him. Well, at least on my part. I'm thinkin', I'm gonna walk away from this."

"As a vampire."

"Try. Oh wait, you have been haven't you?" Buffy smiled, shoving his failure in his face. "We can't all be winners."

"Like your lover over there?"

Buffy's attention turned behind her. Spike was being pinned down by three men. One was holding a stake. "Spike! Someone help Spike!" Angel looked at Buffy and at Spike. He dusted the vamp he was fighting with and tackled the vamp with the stake to the ground.

Buffy turned back and Lenity was gone. She slowly walked forward. She looked all around before she took a step. She felt something rush past her which made her turn to the crowd of vampires that was diminishing. She turned back and Lenity punched her. Buffy staggered to the side. He punched Buffy in the face. She spun with the punch and followed through with a backhand fist. He caught her arm and kneed her in the small of her back. He uppercut her jaw and sent her in the air. She fell on her side on a pile of broken wood and black linens. She grabbed the linen and wrapped it around Lenity's neck. She tried strangling him but he leaned back and heaved her over his head. She lost grasp and was grabbed from the collar of her shirt.

"It's over." He revealed his fangs and sunk them into her neck. Buffy showed pain as Lenity drank her.