A/N: I know, I know. With the flaying and the shouting for the lack of updating. But my muses are springing up to defend me, they have been taking some down time and feel guilty for leaving me in the barren land of writer's block for the past couple of month's. Plus, exams, also an issue. Sorry sniffs Hope this new chap is enough penance.

Disclaimer: Joss is a Genius, a God, and I am merely a humble slave to his creation.


"I still say the blue looks better"

"I want to say the blue to, but I'm oddly drawn to the green"

"That's because your fiancé is wearing it" Buffy replied rolling her eyes at Xander from her comfortable position in Spike's arms on the couch.

"Might be a factor" Xander said shrugging.

"Would you just pick a bloody colour already? We've been sitting here for hours" Spike grumbled

"Spike! This is an important decision! Don't forget I'm going to have to be wearing this dress all day, do you want your girlfriend to look horrible?" Buffy twisted around to give him a glare.

Spike lent over and nipped her earlobe, smiling. "Doesn't matter what you wear to me"

Buffy grinned and slapped him playfully on the arm around her waist. "Nice try"

"People, can we stay on topic please?" Xander asked irritably

"Yeah, I'm getting kinda tired" Willow moaned, stifling a yawn as she readjusted the dress for the fifteenth time.

"Aw, baby do you want some water?" Tara asked from the armchair.

Willow pouted and nodded as Tara grinned back and went to go to the kitchen.

"No! You can't have liquid within a five-mile radius of the dress; these are only on rental until we pick the final bridesmaid dresses tomorrow. The store won't give us our deposit back if they have water stains all over them" Anya ordered

Tara sat guiltily back down.

"Water stains?" Willow asked to tired to work out the crazy Anya logic.

Xander intervened sensing yet another argument "Ahn, maybe we should just pick a colour"

Anya took a deep breath "OK, but this has to be perfect. I'm not having anything spoil my wedding day"

"Take that water stains of America!" Buffy added trying not to laugh. Fortunately for her, Anya didn't notice her little sarcastic quip.

"Right, I've chosen. We're having the green" Anya proclaimed triumphantly.

Buffy turned a slight shade of green herself "The green? Really? But what about the blue? The blue looks good, Xander don't you think the blue looks good?"

"Well yeah but…."

"And blue is the colour of peace and serenity, I mean what kind of message is green sending out huh? Bogeys and vomit? You really should look at the bigger picture here guys" Buffy decided to stop rambling and hoped nobody could hear her gulping.

"Nice try" Spike whispered in her ear with a chuckle, but this only earned him a slightly harder slap.

Anya however, was having none of it. " Well frankly I don't care what other people think, this is my day and I'm going to have it exactly as I want it" She shuffled closer to the mirror they had brought downstairs from Buffy's room. "Besides, it's the exact colour of the pendant I had as a vengeance demon"

"Oh great, so you want us to be wearing a memory of your man killing day's as you marry my best MALE friend?" Willow asked unable to keep quiet.

"Yes! That's exactly it! A reminder of my old day's as I start on a new and brilliant future with the man I love" Anya replied, beaming down at Xander who sat at her feet.

Willow just looked like she was going to be sick. She caught Tara's eye and quickly wiped the look of her face. She had promised Tara that she was going to try and be more supportive of Anya, after all no matter what Anya said, it was Xander's big day to.

"Great so if we're finished here, I think I'm just gonna go upstairs and get changed…" Dawn said quietly getting up gently

"Get changed for what?" Buffy asked loudly immediately turning round to eye up her sister.

Dawn made a face at the stairs. Almost got away, she thought. She fixed an innocent smile on her face and turned round.

"Didn't I tell you? Me and a couple of friends are going to the Bronze to um…. Meet up with this new Bible group, yeah they are only in town for this one night so I thought I'd pop in. I mean its really a once in a lifetime experience" Dawn knew she sounded lame and Buffy would probably see straight through it, but she was just hoping the Spike induced glow she seemed to have lately would help her out.

"Bible group? Is that like slang for go out and stare at cute boys?" Buffy asked innocently

Dawn's shoulder's slumped and she let out a frustrated scream. "Ugh! WHY? Won't you let me do anything?"

Buffy feigned confusion "Who said you can't do anything? I didn't say you couldn't go to the Bronze"

Dawn instantly brightened up "Really?"

"Absolutely" She gave Dawn a smile before turning to the rest of the group. " We could all do with some down time couldn't we gang?"

"Yes, this is perfect! It could be another pre-wedding celebration" Anya exclaimed happily before gathering up her dress and rushing upstairs.

Willow watched her go before she whispered to Xander " Do you think I could get a drink now?"

He lent in close to her and whispered back "I wasn't here, I saw nothing"

Willow giggled and went with Tara into the kitchen.

Dawn just looked at Buffy trying very hard to resist the urge to hit something. Buffy however only gave her a smile back. "What?"

Dawn let out another scream and stomped up the stairs.

"You better watch with the bit. She might start to develop your violent temper" Spike said from behind Buffy.

"Oh, she'll be OK, we probably won't even see her at the Bronze once we get there" Buffy replied shrugging and snuggling further into Spike's chest.

"So if we are not going to see her then why do we need to go?" Spike asked teasingly looking down at Buffy

"Because she's safer with me close by, you know what kind of evil things hang around outside that place. Hell you were one of the evil things hanging round that place!"

Spike decided to ignore the past tense to his evil status and he slipped his hand further down. "Does that mean I'll get a dance from you then?"

Buffy grinned and pulled his hand up "Not if we don't get dressed first" She gave him a light kiss and went upstairs with Spike reluctantly following.

The Bronze was packed as usual, mainly because it was band night and seeing as how it was Christmas holidays, all of the school kid's were there.

"Wow, I haven't seen the Bronze this packed in ages" Willow shouted over the music.

"Isn't the band awesome?" Dawn shouted to all of them, already dancing.

"Who is it again?" Buffy asked, but Dawn had disappeared into the crowd.

"I'm gonna get a beer, anyone want anything?" Xander yelled

"Beer would be great thanks," Spike answered with a grin.

Buffy let go of Spike's hand and pulled Willow and Tara over to the dance floor. "Come on, let's dance!

"I'll sit this one out then pet, don't want the old crooner cramping your style" Spike shouted, winking evilly at Buffy.

"One dance and then your ass is mine" Buffy called back with a look equally as seductive as Spike's.

"You promise?" Spike answered smirking.

Buffy didn't answer, she just wiggled her hips suggestively at Spike and the three of them disappeared in the crowd.

Xander appeared at Spike's side drinking a beer.

"Hey where's mine?" Spike asked.

"Oh geez, I'm sorry, I must have forgot what with the not wanting to get you one" Xander replied sarcastically turning away from Spike to look around for Anya.

Spike looked at him. "You know Harris, you might find life a whole lot easier if you removed that great plank of wood you seem to have shoved up you somewhere"

"Speaking of wood, I've been meaning to introduce youto a redwood I think you should get real friendly with"

"Why don't you just back off mate huh?" Spike asked, taking a step closer to Xander

" I am not your "mate" " Xander air quoted " Whatever else may have changed in the last few day's that certainly hasn't"

"Oh wait while I go and cry in the corner because big strong Xander doesn't want to be my friend anymore. How will I recover?" Spike mocked.

"Xander! I found the perfect solution for the wedding!" Anya suddenly interrupted, reappearing with a bright smile on her face.

"Look you may have Buffy fooled, but don't think I don't see what's going on here" Xander said threateningly, closing the space between him and Spike again and completely ignoring Anya. "You think that you can just waltz into Buffy's life, take over everything and hope that you might be able to find out how to destroy her that wa-"

"I would never hurt Buffy" Spike interrupted, in deadly quiet tones

"Won't or can't? I mean how do we really know that the only thing holding you back from killing Buffy in her sleep is the chip? For all we know you could just be settling for second best, you can't kill her so you might as well-"

Spike cut him off by punching him in the face. Both of them recoiled in pain.

"Stop it! Both of you! You're ruining my pivotal drama moment to tell you about the wedding!"

Buffy, Willow and Tara ran over. Buffy crouched down next to Spike. "Are you OK?"

"Is he OK? The guy try's to rearrange my face and he gets your sympathy?" Xander spat bitterly. He stood up to reveal a bleeding cut on the side of his face.

"Oh god" Anya covered her face with her hand's

"It's all right honey I'm fine" Xander reassured her, wiping the blood off with his shirt.

"No, the pictures!" Anya gasped

All of them rolled their eyes.

"What if you're irreplaceably scarred and look deformed during the pictures? What if instead of being a symbol of light and joy, our wedding pictures turn out to be a source of ridicule and humiliation?" Anya asked truly horrified.

"Anya it's OK, it's just a scratch, we'll fix it up" Buffy said soothingly.

"Yeah, and if that doesn't work I could always punch the other eye you know, make it even" Spike added

This time it was not Xander but Anya who lunged Spike. Buffy held her back easily.

"If you ruin these wedding pictures I swear to god I will call down every vengeance demon in every dimension to torture you for a thousand death's" Anya threatened, struggling slightly.

"I think it's probably best if we all head home, get some sleep, cool down" Tara suggested.

"Good plan" Buffy replied, letting go of Anya who stormed out, quickly followed by Xander.

Willow and Tara followed suit, and Buffy led Spike outside.

She folded her arms and looked at Spike.

"What? Oh don't give me that Mother Superior look, it was just a scratch"

"Right, a scratch that just happened to have my best friend attached to it"

"What do you want me to do, send him a singing telegram? I'm sorry, alright?"

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to"

"Balls to that, I am NOT apologizing to the whelp without a brain"

"You punched him!"

"He was asking for it!"

"Somehow I doubt a verbal contract was made"

"He was saying stuff, stuff about us, he just got under my skin that's all" Spike shrugged and looked down at the floor.

Buffy took a step towards him. "Unless he has a secret passion for voyeurism I don't think it's anything I haven't heard before."

Spike raised his eyebrow.

"Just be patient, this stuff with us…it's new to Xander, and he was just trying to protect me"

"Not so comical way of showing it" Spike grumbled.

"We just have to show them that this is real. That this is serious and that's going to take time. But if that's going to work then you can't start picking battles with Xander, or anyone for that matter"

"I just… I hate how they doubt how much I love you. Like I could do anything else. I've always been love's bitch"

"Yeah, but…." Buffy linked her finger through Spike's belt buckle and pulled him forward to her. "But that doesn't mean your not pretty good at it"

She grinned and pulled him in for a hug. Spike allowed himself a brief moment of bliss before he considered the large feat that was apologizing to Xander.

Suddenly that redwood was looking more appealing.


I would like to say that updates will be coming faster, but I'm moving house so I don't know how much I will be able to keep that promise. But I can say that Stronger Together is a very high priority at the moment, so an update for that is not far away! And be nice people, give a tired girl a present in the form of a long, lengthy, large, review. ;)