Title: Figured it Out
Rating: PG/PG13
Pairing: Spike/Buffy
Summary: They looked at each other in silence for several moments, the back of Spikes hand still touching the swell of her breast. Then, in a move that rivaled the most clichéd movie romance scenes, they simultaneously reached forward, Buffy going for Spikes head and hair with both of her hands as Spike wrapped one arm around her sitting form, pulling her towards him and laid the other hand on her cheek as their lips meet in a passionate kiss.
Spoilers: AU- Post- S4 Spoilers. i.e. that Spike is somehow going to join the Scooby gang. Mentioning of some “Something Blue” scenes.
Total Story Word Count: 7 402
Author Notes: This is written for Hils for btvs_halloween on livejournal. The assignment was Fluffy Spuffy. Thanks to my beta Angela (spikesbint) for the editing & Jaqui (shagmedraco) for being my bouncing board and giving me the support I needed.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel: the Series, they belong to Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt, Fox, WB, ME, UPN and the other affiliates the shows might have. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

~*~

”I got it.” Buffy happily exclaimed. Spike looked up, surprised at her outburst, glad for whatever distractions she might be able to provide for him. He was rather bored at the moment truth be told, though he would never say it out loud. He was so whipped.

”Luv?” He asked after a few moments from the other side of the table, but his slayer and her mom ignored him, both of them were too wrapped up in the planning to even bother looking up.

The three of them had been working on the seating arrangements for over two hours now. Although they had seated all of Buffys relatives who would be coming and all of their friends fairly quickly, -as Spike didn’t really have anyone outside of the Scoobies and Buffy didn’t really know most of her relatives and the only reason she’d invited them was because Joyce had said so-, the main issue had been where to seat Angel.

Buffy argued that as Angel was Spikes only remaining family now that both Dru and Darla had been reduced to dust, he should be sitting with them at the top table, especially since the others from LA would. Spike of course, who even after 5 years of being a white hat and having worked with Angel several times during the years, still didn’t like him. All those years when he had been a fledgling and Angelus had tormented him, forcing him to become another version of him wasn’t something he was able to let go, even if he knew that Angel wasn’t Angelus. Not to mention the fact that Angel had been Buffy’s first love and first lover and he really didn’t want him to be there for their wedding. Spike might be a bit possessive, but damnit the woman was his.

Five years ago, during the summer after the Scoobies had Graduated High School, Whistler had somehow roped Spike into helping the Slayer and her merry band. He didn’t quite remember how it had happened, as he had been extremely drunk at the time, but he did remember Whistler telling him that they needed a vampire who could help the Slayer now that Angel had left town. Spike had tried everything he could to get out of it, but after a few very painful weeks he’d left New York for Sunnydale. Whistler had told him that the longer he resisted, the more intense the pain would be for him, and Spike didn’t like pain all that much. Well, at least not when it was inflicted on him.

When he arrived in Sunnydale, with Whistler at his side to ensure that he wouldn’t receive a staking in greeting, the pain just went away. Whistler had warned him that the pain would return again if he ever tried to leave Sunnydale without either the Slayer or the Watcher by his side. He had bitched and moaned about having to become a traitor and helping the Slayer, but with time he came to enjoy it. It was far more fun to fight demons that could throw a punch than mere humans who did nothing but scream and cry.

And now, 5 years later, Spike, AKA William the Bloody, Slayer of Slayers, Scourge of Europe, was marrying the Slayer. ‘Only on the Hellmouth’, he thought happily.

The only reason he was even considering human marriage was for Buffy and Joyce’s sake. To Spike, they were already married. His mind flashed back to that night almost 4 years ago when he’d first claimed her and she, to his utter surprise and happiness, had claimed him right back. Apparently, his girl had been reading up on Vampire Claims and Mating, as she knew just what to do and what it would mean for, and to them.

As the Mating ritual was usually only performed between Vampires, the bond would literary last forever. As Buffy had reciprocated, the bond was mutual and they would therefore share their strengths with each other and most of their weaknesses would disappear. Spike could still remember the first time he saw the sun in over a 100 years, and how he’d held on to Buffys’ hand so hard that had she been any other girl, it would’ve broken for sure. He could also clearly remember the first time he’d been able to look at himself in the mirror for just as long and how surprised he’d been over the changes in his face. Then again, he hadn’t really remembered clearly what he used to look like, as looking at himself in mirrors had not been something William took pleasure in and only did it to make sure his clothing was right.

After their Mating, Buffy had moved into Spike apartment and she hadn’t left since. They still argued like crazy, but now they did it with words instead of fists and the making up part was so good that Spike often started fights on purpose because of it. Over the years that Spike had been a part of the Scooby Gang, his apartment had become Scooby Central of sorts, and with Buffy moving in, to him it seemed that they never left. Not that he minded of course, having spent so long with Angelus, Darla and then with just Dru, he liked being around the somewhat naïve teenagers, even if they did get on his nerves from time to time.

When Giles bough the Magic Box later that same year, they usually had their meetings there instead, but even so, his place was the place they liked to hang out in; even now that Xander was married and his wife, Anya was expecting their second child and now that Willow and her girlfriend Tara were talking about adopting a child on their own.

Over the years Spike had begun to suspect that his girl wanted to get married the human way someday. Being the Slayer didn’t diminish her need to have something normal, something almost all the other girls had. In fact, being the Slayer and being mated to a Vampire had probably only enhanced that need and Spike was nothing if not loves’ bitch and there was little she wanted that he didn’t willingly and happily give her. He knew that she wanted to have children, and that being with him meant that she couldn’t have any. Because even if he could walk outside and more or less pass for human, he wasn’t alive and he couldn’t produce children. But this, this he could give her.

With only 2 weeks left until the wedding, they still hadn’t finished arguing about the seating arrangements and it was getting on all of their nerves. It had been hard enough to get Buffy to understand that he did not want to get married indoors, just so that Peaches could be there, when they both wanted be married outside in the sun. She had said that it was rude of them to do so, and that it would seem like they were throwing it in his face that he couldn’t be out in the sun, like they did it on purpose, but Spike had held fast. It was their wedding and he wasn’t going to let Peaches ruin another moment of his life. Personally he couldn’t understand why Angel would want to be there to see the two of them get married in the first place unless it was to ruin their wedding. Buffy had argued that it was in the past and that he was happy now, and happy for them, but Spike had only snorted. He knew that Angel still thought of Buffy as his and he’d be damned if he’d let Angel near her before, during or after the ceremony.

When Spike mentioned that she had been the one to suggest that they’d get married outside, and that she’d wanted to get married outside since she was a child, she’d agreed, but made sure that he would be the one to tell Angel that he wouldn’t be able to be there for the actual ceremony.

Spike had done so with a very happy and bright smile on his face and Buffy was sure that Angel could hear the glee in his voice. She and her mom, who’d heard the whole conversation, had to hide their smiles at his childish behavior.

At the moment, Joyce and Buffy were discussing whether or not her father should be allowed to sit with them at the top table too. He’d been invited and had accepted, but Giles would be the one to walk Buffy down the isle, something Hank probably took for granted was his job. They hadn’t felt the need to inform him that he wouldn’t be the one, as they doubted he’d even show up, even if he’d accepted the invitation.

Spike sighed and stood up from the table, walking into the kitchen and tuning out ‘his girls’ voices. He couldn’t understand why they’d invited him either when the man was clearly not a good one, cheating on such a lovely woman as Joyce and then leaving her and Buffy. How anyone could leave either of them, he didn’t know. Hell, in all the years he’d known Buffy, he’d never met her father. He hadn’t even been there when she’d Graduated Sunnydale University or any other major thing in her life. He for one wasn’t going to embrace or welcome his future father in law with open arms. He already had one and his name was Rupert Giles.

He glanced out of the kitchen window and smiled when he saw the various groups of children walking around outside, their parents or baby sitters walking closely behind. As it was beginning to get dark, there weren’t a lot of kids outside anymore and the fleeting thought of patrol entered Spikes mind before he discarded it. The demons in town had finally realized that you laid low on Halloween, even on the Hellmouth.

Spike walked up to the fridge and after opening it and glancing around at the various treats inside, he extracted a bag of blood. He then took out his favorite mug from the cupboard. Buffy had given him the mug as a joke in the beginning of their partnership. It was black with red blood dripping letters, which used to read; ‘kick the big bad’. After they got together, Buffy crossed over the ‘kick’ and wrote ‘kiss’ over it. Then she’d leaned up to Spikes waiting lips and proceeded to do just that.

He emptied the blood into the mug and put it in the microwave, pushing the right buttons on auto pilot as his mind wandered back to that night, exactly 4 years ago, the last time a demon had thought it a good idea to start something bad on Halloween.

Spike had been visiting Willie for a bit of blood and information when he’d found out that a new demon who’d just rolled into town, a Pishurk, was planning on –surprise, surprise, – opening the Hellmouth and raise Hell on Earth. He’d hurried to Giles’s place and found the entire Scooby Gang present, preparing for the movie night he’d been late for. After the usual ‘hellos’ and what might pass for pleasantries, Spike got straight to the point and told Giles about the demon and his plans.

“And here I thought this Halloween would be dull.” Xander quipped.

“Xander. This is serious. The Pishurks’ are a highly dangerous species of demons, if he wants to raise Hell on Earth, he will.” Giles turned towards Buffy who sat on the couch next to Xander, as Xander looked down on the floor, feeling ashamed. “Your only chance to stop him is to prevent him from opening the Hellmouth in the first place.” He said and Buffy nodded, standing up from the couch and feeling herself getting ready for battle.

“Right. So Spike and I will go out and look for this thing. He’s probably at the School already, so we’ll go there first.” Buffy said, walking over to Giles’s weapons chest and opening it.

Spike smiled inwardly. A year of patrolling by her side, sparring with her several times a week and verbally fighting with her almost every day and he still couldn’t get used to the way she glowed as she got into battle-mode. ‘Come to think of it,’ the poet streak still remaining inside of him piped up, ‘she always glows.’

Spike sighed quietly. After having been tricked, -there was no other word for it really,- into helping the Slayer and the Scoobies he’d come to view her in a different way. He’d always wanted her; from the moment he’d seen her dancing in the Bronze. His desire for her had only grown after he had danced with her himself in her school on Parent Teacher Night years ago. Since then, his feelings for her had grown to a point where he could barely be in the same room as her without starting to have fantasies involving the two of them in very compromising positions.

Buffy didn’t look at Spike as she collected various weapons from the chest, she just held out his favorite weapons to him without thinking or looking up. In the year that they’d fought and practiced together, they’d grown so attuned with each other that often they didn’t need words to communicate.

Of course, thanks to Red and the Wolf Boy leaving that had changed now. During Willows ‘do-thy-will-spell’ a week ago, Spike and Buffy had not only thought they were getting married, were in love and made out like hormone-crazed teenagers, but they’d spent a great deal of their spell influenced time in Giles spare bedroom, doing things Spike had only dreamed off.

Ever since, they’d been avoiding each other on patrol and when they happened to be in the same room, they avoided each other’s eyes.

Spike frowned. That wasn’t exactly true. He wasn’t the one avoiding. Buffy was. He’d happily pick up where they’d left of when the spell ended, -he believed they had been making out on a mausoleum floor and were quickly approaching more, - but alas, the Slayer had another idea. ‘Just like her to muck up my plans,’ Spike thought with an ironic smile on his face as he accepted his favorite sword from the Slayer.

‘Although’, he mused as he followed her out of Giles house, watching her ass sway as she walked in front of him, ‘she can’t have been all that unaffected. After all, she did break things off with that farm boy.’

Riley Finn. The boy had been a thorn in Spike side ever since they’d first met almost 6 weeks ago. He’d been at the Bronze with Xander and Oz, shooting some pool as they waited for Buffy, Willow and Anya to arrive. When the girls showed up, the two couples quickly moved onto the dance floor, leaving the Slayer and the Vampire on their own. Buffy took over for Xander at the pool table and the two had spent almost an hour playing pool together, laughing and joking, and Spike had relished being close to her again, outside of patrol. She’d had had her finals the week before and had spent all her time studying or worrying about the tests.

Spike had been getting them something to drink from the bar when Riley had shown up.

Apparently, he was the TA in Buffys Psychology class and they were ‘close’. After a quick glance at Spike, who had waved her off with an aloof expression on his face, she and Captain Cardboard, -a very fitting name according to Spike-, had gone to the dance floor, leaving him alone by the pool table with two drinks in his hands.

That had been the start of their relationship, which, to Spikes knowledge had never progressed further than making out. And now it was over.

He knew that Riley had never liked him, and seemed to be on edge when they were around each other and he knew it was ridiculous of him to think it, but he couldn’t stop hoping that he might’ve had something to do with them breaking up.

He’d already known that he was in love with Buffy at that point, and now she’d hopefully realize that she felt the same, or was at least beginning to.

They walked together in silence to the old burnt out High School, and when they entered it they found the Pishurk, along with some friends, already standing in a circle around the Hellmouth. Buffy and Spike glanced at each other fleetingly before jumping into the room and starting to kick demon ass.

After a long and hard fight, Buffy and Spike finally stood victorious among the dead demons that littered the Library floor. Buffy had gotten hurt during the fight and as Joyce wasn’t at home and Giles’s house was to far away, Spike took her home to his apartment.

When Spike first joined the Scoobies, he had been living with Giles. He wasn’t able to buy himself an apartment or house, as technically, he was dead. To help him out, Giles had contacted a few old friends and all of a sudden, Spike was William Giles, a 25-year-old Oxford Graduate and his own son. When he’d asked Giles why he had made him his son, Giles had said that not only was it easier to do, but it made the most sense at the time. And, as he’d begun to work with the Council, and getting paid by them, it did make sense.

It wasn’t the first time Buffy had been at his place to get patched up after a fight, as she preferred Spike to do the patching up than her mother. If Joyce knew of all the times Buffy had gotten hurt, seriously hurt, she’d demand that she quit being the Slayer. And it didn’t quite work that way.

After motioning for Buffy to sit down on the closed toilet lid in his bathroom, Spike helped her out of her jacket and top, doing his best to ignore the breast he had been dreaming of for years being clearly visible and the fact that the only thing keeping them from his view was her red bra.

‘It just had to be red didn’t it?’ Spike thought as he turned his back on her, opening the medicine cabinet and taking out his first aid kit, while trying to get his raging hormones under control.

Her wound, a large gash tight under her right breast, had already started to clot, but Spike knew he had to get it cleaned up. Who knew where that demons knife had been?

With experience that only came with a lot of practice, he set to work, cleaning the wound and dressing it, doing his best to ignore the soft skin under his hands, the heart beating away right by his ear, the scent of her skin and hair and her blood just right there for him to just lean in and lick off. He was doing a mighty fine job of ignoring his urges until, after finishing dressing the wound, he began to stand and the back of his hand accidentally brushed against her right breast.

Buffy inhaled sharply and they both froze, looking each other in the eyes for the first time since the spell had been broken, any fleeting eye contact during the fight excluded as that had been pure habit.

This though…

They looked at each other in silence for several moments, the back of Spikes hand still touching the swell of her breast. Then, in a move that rivaled the most clichéd movie romance scenes, they simultaneously reached forward, Buffy going for Spikes head and hair with both of her hands as Spike wrapped one arm around her sitting form, pulling her towards him and laid the other hand on her cheek as their lips meet in a passionate kiss. Their tongues battled for dominance for a few moments before they parted slightly, allowing Buffy to breathe. They stared at each other, both of them breathing raggedly and their lips swollen and red. Then they leaned in again, their lips and tongues meeting in a heated kiss.

That was the night that they truly made love for the first time, although it had been making love for Spike while under the spell, this time it was real.

And later that night, when he had held Buffy’s sleeping form in his arms and whispered to her how much he loved her, he’d been very pleasantly surprised when she’d opened her eyes, smiled at him and before leaning up and kissing him had whispered; ‘I love you too.’

That had brought another round of lovemaking, and that round turned into several more.

The next evening, as they announced that they were together, the Scoobies had happily accepted it. Xander did complain, but only as he lost the bet he and the rest of the Scoobies had made. He had put his money down on them being able to last another week. That had brought a round of laughter and though Buffy hadn’t appreciated her and Spike being in a bet, she did see the humor of it. Especially when Giles announced that he was going to take them all out for dinner, and paying for it with his winnings. Turned out that it hadn’t been just the Scoobies involved in the betting on when the blond couple would finally get together.

Spike was brought out of his thoughts of the past as Buffy came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and kissing his neck. He turned in her arms and leaned down slightly to kiss her properly, making her breathless as usual.

“All done with the seating then luv?” He asked her after regaining his composure. It wouldn’t do for him to lose control with Joyce only being in the next room. No matter how much he wanted to.

“Yeah.” She said and he crooked an eyebrow at her in question. “Angel is sitting with us,” she put a finger over his mouth to stop his protests, “but as far away as possible.” She finished and Spike groaned.

“Fine.” He said, turning towards the microwave that he hadn’t realized until now pinged quite a while ago.

“But if he starts anything…” He warned her and Buffy smiled up at him.

“I’ll personally kick his ass all the way back to Ireland.” She said.

“As long as we’re clear.” Spike said, wrinkling his nose at the now cold blood. He put it back into the microwave and pushed the buttons again before turning towards Buffy and kissing her, Joyce be damned. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d catch them in a compromising position anyway.

Continues in Part 2

The ceremony was being held in the Sunnydale Park. Everyone, including the guests wore white clothes, as the invitations had insisted on. The theme for the wedding was white, white, white and some silver and Buffy had wanted the guests to match.

Jaqui, the High Priestess who married them, had combined the classical wedding ceremony that everyone recognized with several unorthodox ones, creating a personalized ceremony for the two warriors. When they had first met, through Willow and Tara who belonged to Jaquis’ coven, there had been an instant likeness. As neither Buffy nor Spike was religious, she’d been the best choice and they’d been very happy when she’d agreed to marry them.

The Park they were in had been rented for the day, as had the nearby reception hall where Angel waited and no one would be there but them.

Earlier that day, as Willow did her maid-of-honor duty and helped Buffy into her simple yet elegant white wedding dress in lace and sheer silk, she’d broached the subject of the dates. That was something she’d been wondering about for a while, as when everyone found out they would be getting married, they’d expected them to do so on Halloween, as that was their anniversary.

Buffy had grinned like a Cheshire cat as she let Willow in on the reason for the date. On that day, 4 years ago, when they had first claimed each other, and they’d been discussing dates for their wedding, they had both agreed that although getting married on the day they first got together was a good idea, getting married the human way on the anniversary of their first ‘wedding’, was an even better one.

The two girls had giggled and blushed, reduced to the high school girls they had never really been, as the moment called for it while Willow fixed Buffys’ hair, making sure that the long locks cascaded down her back. Her hair was very long now and the only thing holding it up was a few silver barrettes with blue flowers on the sides, representing her ‘something blue’, which pulled the hair back from her face. Once, when they’d begun dating, Spike had mentioned that he loved Buffys’ hair, all bounce and sunshine just like her, and ever since, she’d let it grow. Just for him.

After putting on her silver and white toe slippers, and Willow finished the light make up Buffy wore, she was good to go. She picked up the wedding bouquet, which consisted of white roses, while Willow smiled secretly behind her.

Just then there was a knock on the door, and Willow, after making sure Buffy couldn’t be seen from the door, opened it. She met the smiling faces of Joyce, Giles, Tara and a very pregnant Anya and she let them in with a smile on her face.

“Mom? Why aren’t you guys outside?” Buffy asked, bewildered. She didn’t know why they were there. If it hadn’t been for the smiling faces and the fact that Spike wouldn’t leave her, she’d start thinking something was very wrong.

“Honey, you look beautiful,” Joyce whispered with tears in her eyes. And Buffy did. She glowed with happiness and the smile on her face was wide. The right below her knees-dress glittered in the light and her eyes sparkled. Buffy really was a beautiful bride.

“Thank you mom.” Buffy said, and the two women embraced, Buffy doing the best she could to keep her tears at bay. They pulled away from each other and Joyce traced Buffys cheeks with her hands, smiling down at her. Giles cleared his throat.

“We come bearing gifts.” Anya said, taking Giles’s hint, and showing Buffy a small blue box with a white ribbon around it, covering the words ‘Tiffany’s’. Buffy accepted the gift and after opening it she gasped. Inside the box, a pair of diamond studs in platinum settings sparkled at her. She looked up at Anya with more tears in her eyes, and at a loss for words. “They are from me, Xander, Willow and Tara.” Anya explained, “They represent your ‘something new’.” She finished proudly. After thanking her and the other two girls, exchanging hugs and kisses; Buffy changed her old earrings for the new ones, smiling in happiness.

“And this,” Giles said, handing Buffy an old carved wooden box, “is your ‘something borrowed’.” Buffy opened the box, and found inside the most beautiful bracelet she’d ever seen. It also was set in platinum, and diamonds and rubies were scattered across the link. She looked up at Giles, afraid to even touch it. “It was my mothers.” Giles said and Buffy smiled at him, throwing her arms around him. He gladly hugged her back and they stood like that for a few moments before he pulled away taking the box from Buffys hands. He picked the bracelet up and after Buffy had raised her right hand and presented her wrist to him, he clasped it for her. Buffy wiped away the tears falling from her eyes as she smiled up at the man she now considered to be her father.

“I guess its time for your ‘something old’ then.” Joyce said and presented Buffy with another wooden box. This one didn’t have carvings on it though. “Open it.” She urged Buffy who accepted the gift and opened the box, a big smile on her face.

“Mom…” Buffy gasped, stunned at what she saw. Inside the box laid a very old looking pendant necklace, made in silver. It was very simple, but the elegance of its simplicity only added to the charm. Buffy glanced up at her mother in wonder. “Its been in our family for generations,” she answered Buffys’ unasked questions, “my mother gave it to me on my wedding day, as her mother had done before her. And now, it is my turn to give it to you.” She said, tears falling from her eyes as she looked at her beautiful daughter, proud of the woman she’d turned out to be, and proud to be part of her life.

Mother and daughter embraced, and tears fell from both of their eyes. After several moments, they pulled away, once again wiping tears from their eyes as Giles glanced at the clock on the wall. Seeing that it was time to go, he began to usher everyone out of the small room, but Willow and Tara held back.

“There’s something else for you.” Willow said, smiling at Buffy as Tara handed her a bouquet of wild flowers. “We picked this for you to use as your wedding bouquet on the day that you and Spike announced your plans on getting married.” Willow explained and Buffy smiled.

“But they are fresh, and new…” she said, looking oddly at the flowers as she accepted them, ignoring the old bouquet lying on the table beside her.

Willow smirked at her. “We’re witches Buffy. We’ve been preserving them with magic.” Buffy smiled at the two of them.

“Its supposed to bring happiness and good fortune for the newly weds.” Tara explained and Buffy thanked them. She was moved by the gesture and found herself loving the two witches even more.

“Well,” she said with a smile, “I guess there’s nothing else for me to do but get married.”

~

The ceremony had gone off without a hitch. It had been beautiful, the gazebo they’d been joined in had been dressed with flowers, inside and out, and the chairs the guests sat on were also dressed with flowers.

When Giles had walked Buffy down the aisle and her eyes had met Spikes for the first time in the 24-hours they’d been apart, she could feel her breath hitch in her throat. Her mom had insisted that some traditions were hard to give up and even though both she and Spike had complained about it at the time, seeing him now, she realized it had been worth it.

In the beginning, Buffy had been very adamant about Spike wearing a tux, but after much pouting, puppy-eyes and romantic gestures, not to mention all the amazing sex, Spike had persuaded her in letting him forgo the suit jacket. Instead he and Xander, his best man, only wore the white dress pants and shirts, leaving the ties at home with the jackets.

Buffy had to admit that Spike did look extremely good like that, the top buttons undone and his hair disheveled, something that made her smile as she just knew he’d been running his hands through it repeatedly and had forgot to look in the mirror afterwards.

To Spike, Buffy had never looked more like an angel. The light reflected of her dress, the skirt of it flared slightly and swayed behind her as she walked, as the sun caressed her skin and hair.

The happy smile on her face and the love he could see shining in her eyes made him smile in turn, knowing it was him that had put that look on her face.
Giles had led her up the rest of the way, then with a kiss on Buffys cheek and squeeze of Spikes shoulder; he had sat down next to Joyce who was silently crying into a handkerchief. He smiled down at her, taking her free hand in his own and giving it a squeeze. She looked up and they smiled at each other briefly, before turning back towards the just starting ceremony, both looking like the proud parents they were.

The ceremony was over fairly quickly and after congratulating the newly weds, the guests left the park and walked together to the reception hall, waiting for the bridal party to arrive. While they waited, they mingled and caught up with each other. Happy to meet not only family members they hadn’t met in a while, but Buffy and Spikes friends as well.

The wedding photographer was a very enthusiastic young man named Andrew who seemed especially interested in taking pictures of Spike, and had used several rolls of film during the wedding and after, finishing up with a few more of the bridal party in different combos. He’d too gone to the reception hall, waiting for them, so he could take more pictures as they arrived. While waiting, Andrew got quite a few shots of the guests who were all happy to be memorialized by him.

Jonathan, the wedding planner, and his assistant Warren, had been busy all day with making final arrangements and changes. The reception hall was swimming in white, and there were large flower arrangements standing all around the hall. The tables were set in white, with just a hint of silver, and the dance floor had been lined with small lights, which would be lit once it got dark. The band they’d hired, ‘Dingoes Ate My Baby’ who came back and played just for Buffy and Spike, were already up on the stage, playing softly in the background.

Later that night, after dinner, the first dance and feeding each other with cake, -and of course rubbing the cake pieces in the others face and then “helping” in the clean up-, the newly weds left the still on going party for their honeymoon.

When they had discussed where to go on their three week long honeymoon, Spike had suggested that he took care of everything regarding their trip, while Buffy worried about the wedding together with the Trio. The Trio, which consisted of their wedding planner Jonathan, Warren and the photographer Andrew, weren’t Spikes kind of people and he’d rather leave all the wedding details to Buffy. She had reluctantly agreed, and despite the numerous times she’d tried to threaten and seduce their destination out of Spike over the weeks, he’d never let anything go. Her husband could be very tightlipped when he felt like it, which he did usually when he knew she’d be annoyed by it.

The destination had been a secret to everyone except for Spike himself, Giles and the Council. When the Council had heard of Buffy and Spikes wedding, they’d called Spike and asked him where he’d been planning on taking Buffy for their honeymoon, wanting to pay for it all as a wedding gift. Spike had told them, and after just a few hours, everything had been taken care of. They’d fixed a townhouse for the two of them to stay in, in the heart of London. Spike had been meaning to take Buffy to England for years, but something had always come up. Not to mention the fact that Spike wanted to go back home for a while and show the love of his life around his hometown.

~

Three weeks later, they came back from England, happy and rested. They’d spent some time walking around, and Spike had managed to show Buffy around a big part of London, but most of their vacation had been spent in bed.

As they hadn’t had the time to open up their gifts after their wedding, and hadn’t wanted to do it during the reception, as they didn’t want to make anyone feel uncomfortable if they gave them something they didn’t want, they decided to do it after their honeymoon.

The gang had already taken the gifts and left them in their apartment, and the day after they returned they began to open them all up.

They received the usual things; beautiful china, knick-knacks, books and weapons from everyone, and they were happy with everything. As Buffy began to fill out the thank-you cards her mother had provided them with, Spike noticed an envelope, lying underneath the all the other gifts. He picked it up and looked on both sides, but there was no text on either side.

He frowned before opening the envelope, taking out the single sheet of paper.

‘By the power invested in me by the Powers that Be, I, Whistler James, hereby grant you, William ‘Spike’ Giles and Elizabeth ‘Buffy’ Giles, one wish. It is my wedding gift for you. Talk it over and once you decide what you want, call on me. I will come and make it so. No consequences and no hidden agendas. You can have anything you want. I promise.’

Spike read silently, glancing up at Buffy. She sat with her back against him and hadn’t noticed a thing. Silently, now worried that she might sense what he had just found, Spike folded the paper and put it back into the envelope, sliding it into his back pocket before continuing to clear up the room of all the boxes and wrappings.

~

Later that night, as Buffy lay asleep in their bed, satiated and blissfully unaware of the wish they had received from the Powers, Spike stood outside on the balcony, waiting for Whistler to show up. He’d just called on him, and now he was nervous that Buffy would suddenly wake up and find out what he was about to do.

He’d already decided, once he saw and realized the possibilities of the gift, that he wouldn’t let Buffy see it. He knew it wasn’t fair to her, but he also knew that she’d wish that vampires weren’t real, that demons didn’t exist and it was not her place to do so. He was going to be selfish, extremely selfish, but he didn’t care. This was his shot, and he was going to take it.

“You called.” Whistler said suddenly behind him and Spike whirled around, shushing him.

“Yes. I have made up my mind about the wish.” He said quietly, not wanting to take any chances of waking Buffy up. She was the slayer after all and her hearing was almost as good as his.

“What about the Slayer? Has she agreed?” Whistler said, already knowing the answer. It was no coincidence that Spike had been the one to find the letter, nor that Buffy was otherwise occupied at the time. The only reason he’d written that the wish was for the both of them to make was because of his bosses. They were the most powerful beings in this universe after all. Thankfully, he’d been able to get some help in distracting them while working his magic on the newly weds. He also already knew what Spike was going to ask for, which was the sole purpose of the gift. He didn’t have the power to execute the plans without the Powers help and thankfully, they had thought it a good idea as well when he’d broached the subject. But they were all about equal share these days, which was why he’d had to include Buffy in the wish making.

“She doesn’t know.” Spike said, knowing he wouldn’t be able to lie to Whistler and deciding that it wasn’t even worth trying to do so.

“Alright.” Whistler said, “What do you wish for?”

~*~

Two months later.

Buffy stared dumbfounded on the stick in her hand. It wasn’t possible yet here it was plain for her to see in white and blue. She stood for a few moments, just looking at the stick, not believing her eyes.

When the front door opened and closed, she broke out of her reverie and stuffed the stick back into the box together with the manual before hiding it behind some cleaning supplies.

“Luv?” Spike called from the living room. “I have the movies and food.” He continued and Buffy glanced in the mirror, making sure she looked normal as she called back out to him that she’d be right there and walked out of the bathroom.

Later that night, or early morning as it were, as they laid in bed, basking in post- coital, Buffy turned to Spike with a serious expression on her face.

“Do you believe in miracles?” She asked him and he glanced down at her, wrapping an arm around her.

“Of course. I have you don’t I?” he answered and placed a kiss on her forehead. She smiled a sappy smile at him but then sighted. “What is it?” he asked, pulling away from her slightly to be able to look her in the eyes.

“I…okay, don’t freak now.” She warned and Spike nodded

“Okay.” He said and Buffy took a deep breath.

“I’m pregnant.” She said, worried about Spikes reaction. They had never talked about kids and whether or not they wanted them, as Spike wasn’t able to produce any and it was a mote point anyway. She didn’t know if he wanted any, and what if he thought she’d slept with someone else and gotten pregnant? If he did that, she didn’t know what she’d do.

All her worries had been for naught she realized when Spikes face lit up like a Christmas tree and he began to rain kisses all over her face and down to her tummy.

“Ehh…Spike?” she asked, interrupting his monologue with their unborn baby about all the things he would show him and all the things they would do. He looked up at her, smiling broadly. When he realized she was confused about his behavior, happy, but confused, he crawled up to lay next to her again.

“I already knew.” He said, and she looked at him in shock. “Not that you were pregnant now, but that you would be.” He explained, but Buffy only looked more confused and shocked.

“How?” she asked him and he gave her a sheepish smile.

“We might’ve received a wedding gift which I might’ve made use of.” He said. Seeing that she had no idea what he was talking about he heaved a sigh before telling her the whole story, the risk of getting thrown out of the bed be damned.

After he finished, Buffy laid in silence for a while, letting it all sink in. They had received a wish from the Powers, and Spike had, instead of wishing that all the demons were wiped out from the face of the Earth, except for a selected few, or something equally as good for mankind, he’s wished for them to be able to have children.

“You have to understand love, that yes, the thought of wishing all demons were good, or turned human with souls, I realized I couldn’t do that. No matter how much we both don’t want them to exist, the truth of the matter is that they do, and for a good reason. I might’ve been selfish, but so what? We deserve this, and I know that no matter what everyone else might say, most would do something selfish too.” Spike said, and Buffy turned her head towards him.

“I know. I was just…I mean…its kind of…I think I’ve had one to many surprises today.” She said with a smile and Spike smiled back, leaning down to kiss her. He was happy and relieved when she reciprocated and he sank into the kiss.

“Spike?” she asked a few moments later as they broke the kiss. He looked at her questionably, as one of his hands had slid down under the covers to stroke her still flat belly. “I won’t be allowed to patrol anymore will I?” she continued and Spike smiled at her, shaking his head.

“Of course not.”

“Then, are you going to do it alone?” She asked, and Spike shrugged.

“I wouldn’t mind. Have to keep you and the bit here all safe.” He said and she smiled, happy to be able to get a rest from slaying for a while.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

They met in a passionate kiss and were soon lost in each other as outside, the dawn rose on the horizon, proclaiming the beginning of another day.

The End.