Summary: The wedding day. The third installment of my Color series.
Spoilers: Minor through the forth season. Also, spoilers for Something In
Red and The Color of Jade. <G>
Disclaimer: Joss made them. But they deserve to be happy once in a while, so
I wrote this.
Rating: PG
Distribution: Just ask.
Feedback: It's a perfect yum.
Thanks to Tracy and Laura. And, guys, I *know* they're brown. (Actually sort
of hazel-y.) Sorry for the mistake, I feel just terrible about it. ;)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I'm looking for something in white...
Something that shimmers in soft candlelight.
Everyone calls us the most perfect pair.
Should I wear a veil or a rose in my hair?
The train must be long and the waist must be tight...
I'm looking for something in white."
--Lorrie Morgan
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Oh, God... Oh, God..." Willow sucked in her breath. "I think I'm
hyperventilating. God... Buffy!"

"If you feel like calling me God, I think I'm up to the task," Buffy quipped
with a grin. She reached Willow and took her hand, stroking it soothingly.
"Come on, now. In ten minutes, you're going to march down that aisle and
look Xander in the eye and hopefully not vomit all over him. But you need to
calm down before I can assure that."

Willow cracked a smile and then took another deep breath, letting it out
slowly. "Okay. Okay, I can do this. Thanks." She paused, a panicked look
rushing over her face. "Where's my veil?!"

"Relax." Buffy grinned. She walked over to the table and picked it up,
smoothing it out as she returned to the bride. "Here." She placed it on
Willow's head, and adjusted it until it looked right, fluffing it out. "You
look perfect."

"Perfect?"

"Perfect," Buffy said firmly. "Like a pearly.... Princess or something.
Anyway, you're gorgeous. Xander won't be able to take his eyes off you."

"I hope not," Willow giggled. "We are getting married today, after all."

Buffy joined in her laughter. Then she paused, glancing at the clock. "Oh,
Lord. I'm late. I should be out there already, right?"

"You have a couple of minutes before it's your cue to go out there," Willow
said. "But you'd better go now anyway."

"Okay." Buffy gave her a brief, warm hug. "I love you. Remind me later to
thank you for being the only bride on record with good taste in bridesmaid
dresses."

Willow graced her with a smile and nodded. "I love you too. I'll... see you
in a few minutes, I guess."

"Good luck," Buffy said quickly, before ducking out of the door.

Willow sat down carefully for a moment, steadying herself, and tried not to
crush her dress. She glanced at herself in the mirror across the room and
forced a smile, trying to ignore how pale she looked. "I love him," she
whispered. "This is going to be..."

"Perfect," breathed a voice from the doorway. Willow glanced up in surprise
to see Giles standing there. He was looking at her fondly, and a little
sadly. Then he looked down. "I'm sorry for interrupting," he apologized.
"I knocked."

"No, it's all right," Willow said with a smile, standing back up. "Perfect?"

Giles stepped farther into the room. "You are a vision, Willow. A vision in
shimmering white."

Willow blushed prettily under his gaze, her mouth curving up. "Thank you."

Giles approached her, clearing his throat. He touched her hand lightly, then
took it. "There's been something that I've had on my mind for quite a while,
but I've never had the right moment to tell you... I think perhaps now is
that moment."

Willow looked up at him, her eyes large and curious. "What is it, Giles?"

He cleared his throat. "You all know that I never had any children. Right
now, I'm an old man... Too old, I suppose, to even regret that fact about my
life. And you all know that Buffy *is* my life. That I would do anything,
even die, to keep her safe... Not from duty anymore, but from love. But,
what I've never told you is that..." His voice cracked.

"Giles?" Worry filled her gaze.

"What I've never told you," he continued, "Is how important you are to me,
too. I-- I tried to show it to you, you and Xander both, over the years, but
in case it's still unclear to you, I wanted to say it... At least once... To
let you know that I love you. Willow, I look at you, and perhaps I'm
flattering my tired ego, but I see myself. It's a lovely feeling. I think
of the fire that you have, of the intelligence, the skills and I'm so
*honored* to imagine that you got a part of that from me, even if it's
untrue. As for Xander.... You couldn't have chosen a better man. I'm so
pleased for the both of you. My children." Tears brimmed in his eyes. "My
children finally coming together, like was destined to be. I think that
that's why I never longed for children. ...It was because I had you three."

Tears fell off of Willow's lashes, and she pulled Giles close for a quick,
tight embrace. He hugged her back warmly. "Thank you," she whispered into
his chest, "I just never... That's the most... I love you, too, Giles."

She finally pulled away, and broke into a laugh when she saw herself in the
mirror. Swiftly trying to wipe off the running mascara and trying not to
damage the rest of her make-up in the process, she glanced at Giles and
shared a warm smile with him in the mirror. When she was finished, she
walked back over to him, her face upturned to his. He smiled gently and
lifted the veil over her face, letting it drift down into place. Willow
looked at him through voile and seed-pearls.

"Are you ready?"

Willow took a deep breath, then laced her hand through Giles's arm. "I'm
ready."
* * * * * * * *

Xander's eyes were glued to her as she walked down the aisle that was laid
across the grass in her parents backyard. Her dress was whiter than lilies
or snow, amplifying the fire in her hair, most of it hidden by the veil.
Willow kept her eyes on Xander as well, her stomach in delicious knots,
soaking in the way he was staring at her. When she reached him, she turned
to Giles and gave him a small kiss on the cheek, thanking him for giving her
away. Giles nodded, seemed moved, and sat down as Willow stepped up to join
Xander.

He took her hands in his, gripping them tightly. The Justice of The Peace
stood back, announcing, "The bride and groom have informed me that they've
written their own vows." He looked at the couple. "When you wish."

Xander lifted his head, his throat working silently. "There's nothing about
me that's good that isn't there because of you, Willow," he started, his
hands warm in hers. "I think about all of the times that we've had, and all
of the friends that we've made, and adventures that we've... carried off, and
I don't have a single memory without you in it. I love you for that; for
being there, like only you could be. I love you for the way you look at me,
the way that makes me think I could be more than what I ever dreamed. I love
you for the way your heart touches mine, for the way that you laugh, for the
way that you cry. For everything about you, Willow. And you've always been
a part of me. So there was nothing more that I wanted to do than to make it
legal, even though it always has been... In my heart." His hazel eyes
glittered, and he slipped the small circle of gold on her trembling finger.

Willow nodded, gazing at Xander. She cleared her throat. "We've been
through... More than almost anyone in the world could imagine. We've fought
so many things, so many indescribable forces, that it's surprising that we're
alive. But we are. Because we went through it together." The wind ruffled
her veil, lifting it for a moment, and Xander caught a clear glimpse of her
soft green eyes. "I've... I've loved you my entire life, it seems. Ever
since we met that day on the playground, and you came over and hugged me.
And it seems that since then, I've been falling and falling... And I've
finally landed. Thank you for catching me. My heart has always known it was
you." A tear spilled down her cheek as she slipped the gold band on his
finger.

The Justice smiled. "By the authority invested in me, by the state of
California, I now pronounce you husband and wife." After a beat of silence,
he nodded at Xander. "Which means that you can kiss the bride."

A ripple of laughter wove through the crowd, and Xander smiled slowly,
lifting Willow's veil. He ducked his head slightly as she rose up on her
toes, and their mouths met for a sweet, pure moment, in which there was
nothing in the world but Willow and Xander, their love... and their future.

When they finally pulled away, Xander rested his forehead against hers,
looking deeply in her eyes and seeing himself mirrored there. He smiled, his
fingertips brushing her cheek. Willow gave a little giggle, feeling like a
child and a woman all at once when Xander whispered, "I've never seen you
look more beautiful."

Willow glanced down at her dress and her lips turned up. "In this old
thing?" she teased.

"In that old thing," he confirmed, his eyes darkening it. "But you know what
I love best about your dress?"

"What?"

Xander smiled. "That it's going to come off tonight."

The End


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