A/N: Last Chapter, or is it? Read and see.
Disclaimer/Summary: See Chapter 1
Months have gone by since that night in the nursery when Giles asked me to marry him and I said yes. We are two days from the wedding and 4 days from Edward turning 6 months. The past few months have be a whirlwind of events, from announcing our engagement to taking care of Ed it has been quite the feat to stay sane.
Willow my wonderful maid of honor that she is has handled a few things for me that I would have never thought of. Even from Rome her skills were very useful. If she weren't the most powerful Wicca in the world then she could make an awesome living as a wedding planner somewhere. She kept me in line and got me to every appointment on time.
Giles has sparred no expense when it comes to Ed or the wedding. I figure since he knows it's the only wedding we are both having make it a good one. My dress is perfect only took me three months to get back down to my original size, so the alterations were minimal. Willows dress I am most proud of since we are having a early fall wedding I have placed her in a sleeveless dress that falls to the knee and can really be used over again unlike Anya's bridesmaid dress from so many years ago. And I have to say the color suits her a beautiful teal which makes her red hair stand out.
Tomorrow is the rehearsal dinner and then on Saturday I will become Mrs. Rupert Giles. Yeah I'm all sentimental so sue me. My baby blues have faded and my nerves have calmed.
Since that night in the nursery, not much has changed, Giles and I haven't been allowed to do much of anything thanks to the surgery and when I finally did get the all clear, we both decided that we would wait until the wedding, which can't come soon enough in my book. So I am two days from my wedding and I am nervous and frustrated and ready to be married.
If Giles is nervous he hasn't shown any sign of it, cool and collected as always. It has to be the British in him. Excited I know he is, he has something planned for the honeymoon, yet refuses to tell me where we are going, Xander apparently knows but won't tell me or Willow because he knows she would tell me. Apparently Willow will be told during the reception so that she may pack my bags for our trip. I agreed but informed Will there are a few things she has to pack for me.
The rest of the day flies by, I rush from my last fitting to a restaurant downtown where I am meeting Giles. Dawn is watching Ed for the next few nights so that we may both rest and also while we are away, so a quiet dinner for two is just what was ordered. I walk in to find him already seated and waiting for me. He looks so handsome, why did it ever take me so long to realize how much I loved him.
"Sorry I'm late, my fitting ran over." I say as I lean in and give him a kiss on the cheek.
"Quite alright my dear, I would rather you be late for dinner than in tears in two days because they couldn't fit your dress just right." He smiles as he tells me that knowing full well that I want to look my best on Saturday. "I ordered us a bottle of wine, should be here in a moment."
"Thank you!"
"You are quite welcome. So how was your day?"
"Busy, Willow has every minute scheduled, I can't believe all the things we have to do before tomorrow night. How was yours?"
"The same, wrapping up a few things at the office and making room for Xander to take over for a few weeks." As he speaks the waiter has brought us the wine and poured our glasses, as he walks away Giles continues. "I did however manage to stop and get you something today."
"Oh, I like presents."
"Well I really hope that you like this one." He says as he pulls a box from his pocket. I open it to find a beautiful pair of princess cut earrings inside, they match my ring perfectly and will go well with my dress, something I can wear for the wedding. "I hope that you like them."
"They are perfect, I will wear them on Saturday. Thank you!"
"You are welcome. They are sort of an anniversary present."
"Anniversary?"
"Yes, it was a year ago today that I found out that I was going to be a father and that was all thanks to you."
"Oh Giles."
"My life would be empty without you in it." I cry this man is so wonderful to me, I would be lost without him in my life. I wasn't sure that he remembered the date, I did which is why I reach into my purse and pull out a small gift box for him.
"I got this for you today, its your anniversary present." I watch as he opens it, the handkerchiefs I had embroider with the date last year and his initials. "I figure since you always clean your glasses you could do with something like this."
"Its wonderful. Thank you!"
"Welcome, so now are you ready to tell me where our honeymoon is going to be?"
"Not for all the money in the world."
"Can't blame a girl for trying."
The next day is a flurry of activity and since we both have things to do today, Giles and I don't even get to eat breakfast together, in fact the first time all day that I get to see him is at our rehearsal dinner. The events of the day have worn him out, as well as me. Ed is content being with Dawn and I am content just to be standing at this point.
We get through the ceremony rehearsal and then the dinner without any problems, oh except that we are both to busy to really talk to each other. And since Willow is all for not seeing the bride the day of the wedding, Giles is staying at the Academy and we can't even say good night properly. We get a quick peck in the parking lot before Xander drives him to where he is staying for the night and I drive me and the girls home.
Tomorrow all of this hubbub will be over and we can both breathe a sigh of relief. Until then I will wait, how patiently I will do that is another question.
In the morning I wake to see my dress all steamed out and hanging on my wardrobe, its perfect, better than I ever dreamed. Willow comes in a few minutes later with breakfast and my itinerary for the day, first hair then nails and makeup and then we go to the chapel to get dressed and for the ceremony. Countdown in 8 hours, 14 minutes and 36 seconds I will be Mrs. Rupert Giles, but who's counting.
Its now 30 minutes before the ceremony starts and I am dressed and ready to go, unfortunately I cannot sit down or the dress will wrinkle, I have to take my mind off of my nerves somehow, so I send Willow with Giles present to give to him. Traditions speak volumes with on this day of all days. I even went so far as to get a sixpence glued to the bottom of my shoe with Giles' birth year on it. I believe in some old wives tales the ones for weddings more so than others. Willow asked what I got him before she left, she loves surprises if only she wouldn't blab them. When I told her that I got Giles a pair of cufflinks that had his initials in them she got all teary eyed, just like Willow.
When she comes back, she is holding a box for me. I open it to find a tennis bracelet that goes with my earrings, I ask her help in putting it on. I would have never thought that Giles was a traditions sort of a guy but he has once again managed to surprise me. I start to cry but it only lasts for a moment before Willow tells me I will ruin my makeup. 10 minutes and counting, time to take my place.
Willow is out after Dawn being my made of honor and all, but before she goes to walk down the aisle, she turns and gives me a hug.
"You are so beautiful, I am so happy for you."
"Thank you Will. Now get going, no need to keep the man waiting."
I watch as she walks out then the doors close again and I am standing there all alone waiting to walk down the aisle. My dad refuses to come and with Xander doing best man duties no one but Andrew was left to give me away and I actually wanted to make it down the aisle without problems. The music has now changed, and I can hear Pacabel Cannon in D being played that's my cue. As the door opens everyone stands and turns to look at me. I'm nervous, but my nerves calm when I focus on Giles standing there looking at me. The man does know how to wear a tux.
His smile beams at me and I am lost as I smile back at him. This is what the past 8 years have been about to get us to this moment in time. I love him, I could never love anyone else like I love him. He completes me, and we are a family.
The ceremony itself is relatively short, but the last few words are all that really matters to me.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I now have the pleasure of introducing you to Mr. and Mrs. Rupert and Elizabeth Giles." The crowd claps as we walk down the aisle to the waiting area. Once we are through the doors, Giles leans in and kisses me with more force than he did during the ceremony. My man has skills that's all I can say.
"I have been wanting to do that all day."
"And I have been wanting you to do that all day. Its over and done, now we can go back to being ourselves."
"You mean after our reception and our honeymoon of course."
"Of course. Oh by the way where are we going for our honeymoon?"
"It's a surprise."
"Meany!" I say with a pout, his remedy is to kiss me when I pout so even if I never get my answer I still get a kiss which lets face it is better than the answer most times. I never want him to stop kissing me, if it were up to me, he would never be allowed to stop. We wait in the wings for the church to empty and go outside to throw bird seeds at us while we get to the car that will be taking us to our reception.
I think Willow and Dawn we aiming at us more than just carelessly tossing the bird seed, cause some of those actually hurt when they hit us. Inside the town car that is taking us to our reception, I notice that Giles has the cufflinks I gave him on, I wonder what his initial reaction was of them, but him wearing him is enough for me.
The car was hired to drive us around town in order to give our guests time to get to the dining hall. When we finally arrive an hour later, we notice the place is packed with our friends and family. Our first dance is magical, Willow helped pin my train up before we arrived so that it wouldn't be in my way. At the end he dipped me followed promptly by a kiss.
The afternoon is a pure delight, in the end we bid farewell to our friends and then left for our honeymoon. It will be hard for both of us to be away from Ed for so long but I'm hoping that Giles has plenty in mind to distract me. Another car has been hired to take us the two hours from the Academy to London where we will stay the night until our flight in the morning. Still don't know where we are going to go yet, but I am sure I will have fun.
I'm still in my wedding gown when we get to the hotel in London, but I don't care I plan to be immersed in marital bliss for the rest of the night, and better the people adjacent to us know now instead of later. Coincidentally we are in the same hotel where Ed was conceived all those months ago. Ironic but fitting at the same time. Giles does know how to surprise me.
In the elevator we are the picture of perfection, nothing out of the ordinary, all we do is hold hands. Granted we are standing close enough to almost be on top of one another but who cares, this is the man that I am in love with and he loves me and we are married and in about 3 minutes we will be on our way to bigger and better things.
At the door, Giles inserts the key, opens it and then turns around and carries me over the threshold. Still never would have pegged him for the traditions kind of a man. He closes the door with his foot then places me down so that we are facing each other.
"Happy?"
"More than you shall ever know. And that is all thanks to you."
"You make me very happy. I love you very much Buffy."
"And I love you Giles." We make love for hours, until finally we get some sleep for our flight tomorrow. In the morning I wake up and go to get dressed. Willow is coming down later to pick up my dress and Giles' tux for storage, but that didn't mean that she didn't send my suitcase down in the car with us last night. Inside I open it and find the usual jeans and some t-shirts a dress or two and all of my bikini's. Finally I can ask where we are going.
"Care to tell me our destination yet?"
"Any guesses?"
"Somewhere tropical."
"Yes, that much is true, the rest you shall find out when we board the plane." He smiles, I wish he would tell me where we are going. The suspense is killing me.
We get to the airport after breakfast in the terminal and to the departure gate. We are early so I don't know where our actual plane is going to until after this one leaves. When boarding times comes and they announce the flight I couldn't be happier.
"Ladies and Gentlemen we are now boarding Flight 1280 non-stop from London to Aruba, all first class passengers may now board at this time." At this time we are walking to the gate, we are going to Aruba and going first class. I really love Giles, and last night was just an appitizer to what I am going to do to him when we get to Aruba.
At last I am finally Mrs. Elizabeth Giles. Who would have thought.
A/N: I know this one was long, but it wrapped everything up. Maybe if you ask nicely I will write and epilogue for the honeymoon and include smut. Review nicely please.
