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A/N:- Not long left.



Chapter 22





The Eve Of The Wedding.







1630 Revello Drive was a hive of activity. The flowers had arrived and were in the hall, kitchen and dining room. The dresses hung in Joyce's room . The gifts were piled on the floor in the spare room. The caterers were tutting as they bought in the equipment that they would need ,and had very little space due to the flowers. The Chef was throwing a tantrum and Buffy was having a hard time controlling her temper. She wanted so desperately to run to the crypt and snuggle with her vamp.Instead she was faced with an overweight, balding Chef that spat when he talked, Buffy considered punching him on his purple and swollen nose. Joyce could see her daughter fist her hands by her side and intervened. She sent Buffy upstairs to sort out the blow up mattresses. Xander was moving the flowers into one room, satisfying the Chef.



Joyce sighed and looked around her house. Thank god she only had one daughter and that this would be the only time she would be getting married. Joyce had learnt of the claim and was over the moon, which shocked the rest of the gang. Joyce saw it for what it was, a bonding that was eternal and that meant that both Buffy and Spike would be faithful and be together for always. Bit like a marriage for vampires she thought, only with no chance of a divorce.



Xander , Willow and Buffy had finally got the downstairs back to some sort of normality, the chefs would be leaving soon, and then they could cuddle up and watch movies and have pizza and popcorn, something they hadn't done since school. A nostalgic night was planned, they just hoped that it wasn't nostalgic enough to include the demon through the window part. Nothing was going to ruin the night.



Spike sat in his crypt going through the few boxes of things that he had collected over the years. Clem sat up on the sarcophagus watching, his drink in one hand and a chicken wing in the other.



"I gotta say man, never thought you and the Slayer would ever sort your lives out"



Spike looked up at Clem and smiled "Know wha' you mean mate, if that bloody demon hadn't of done that jiggery pokery we would probably still be beating each other round the place, 'cept of course I wouldn' be doing much of the beating"

"No chip now though so you would. You might of killed her by now"

"Nah, got bored with trying to off the bint years ago, she's more than my match , she'd 'ave staked me good n proper"

"She's a feisty one all right, and your marrying her "Clem started laughing "Your gonna be so whipped"

"Oi! She'll know not to try tamin' this vamp. She might of had the Poof wrapped round her cute digit but not this vamp mate"



Spike looked at Clems watch "Bugger" . He threw on his duster and flew out the door, Clem, curious, looked out the crypt door.



"Where you going?"

"Buffys, got to go for the last fitting of me suit, back in a bit"

"Oh no, he's not under the thumb already" Clem muttered to himself whilst he returned to his chicken wings and beer.





Spike ran in through the back door, straight into the fat Chef , who grunted some obscenity and pushed Spike back out the door. Spike frowned and growled, and walked back in. He held off his vampire visage as Buffy would go postal if he scared of the caterers.Didn't mean he wasn't pissed off.



"D'you mind? It's my bloody weddin' your doin' the food for, you want payin' I suggest you keep a civil tongue an' quit the bloody theatrics"

That said ,Spike went through to the lounge and hugged Buffy and Joyce.

"M'ere to check on my girls an' try on the suit. Everything alright 'ere? That ponce of a Chaf'e a right charmer in't he ?"

"Everythings fine , although you can't go up just yet as Buffy's dress is in the same room as your suit. Let me just go up and put it somewhere you can see it" Joyce said and then disappeared upstairs.



Buffy sunk into Spikes arms and breathed in his scent. One more night and then she would be with him in their new house, as his wife. Buffy the vampire Slayer would be married to William the Bloody, one of the most revered vampires ever. Buffy sniggered . Who would have thought this would be happening? I bet he didn't think he'd be getting married , Buffy let Spike go and sat down.



"What's so funny pet?"

"This, did you ever see yourself marrying a Slayer?"

He laughed "No pet , I came 'ere to kill you , not end up shackled to you for the rest of my unlife"



He moved out the way as she swung her foot out, aiming for his shins.He pulled her into his arms with a low growl and buried his head into her neck.



"I can't believe tomorrow's almost here, I don't even know what my last name will be"

"You mean in all these years you haven't read the Watchers Journals and read up on your enemy? You never read up on me?"

"Nope, I don't do the academic side to Slaying, always thought it too morbid. I couldn't get to know thy enemy and then go out and stake them"

"Right"

"Well then , you gonna tell me?"



Spike huffed "K, it's Pratt"

Buffy sniggered "No really.... what is it"

"That's m'surname Buffy" he looked at her a glint of amber in his eye, how could she sit there and take the piss?

"So, I'm going to be Buffy Pratt?" She found herself dumped out of his embrace and on the floor.



"If you don' bloody like it, then don' take my name, simple innit. "Spike paced the lounge. "We could always take your name, then maybe you'd be soddin' happy"

"Don't be like that, it was just a shock, that's all, I'm cool with it now okay"



Spike looked at her with questioning eyes, "You sure?"

"I can be pretty tactless at times, you know me, but yeah I'm fine, I'll be proud to be Buffy Anne Summers- Pratt"

"Still keeping the Summers then?"

"Yeah, do you mind? "

"No, think it sounds good actually"

"Glad we sorted that out, can you imagine having that argument half way through the vows"

"Wouldn' be a borin' wedding then "

"This is you and me Spike, do you think our wedding would be a dull one?"

"After the Whelps, yeah"



They both sniggered . Joyce came into the lounge and sat down.



"Has that Chef left yet? It's late and I can only stand so much of that arrgant man"

"He's still in there Joyce, but I doubt the man will be a problem since I threatened him"



Joyce raised her brows and tutted "Don't eat him before he's finished the food, please"

"Promise you pet, no eating of the staff" he put his hand over his undead heart.



"Bedtime for you Buffy, we don't want you having bags tomorrow" Joyce said " Spike go on up, try the suit on and then say your goodnight's"



The two of them walked upstairs, saying goodnight on the landing outside Buffy's room. Spike went into Joyce's room and tried his suit on. He listened as Buffy got into bed and pulled the covers around her. He dragged out his time in the next room, listening as her heartbeat settled to a slower rate which told him that she was asleep. He smiled to himself. Tomorrow night they would be married and tucked up in their bed , together.







Wedding Day.





The morning was frantic. They all thought the night before was mayhem, that was nothing. Buffy woke and pulled the covers over her head, trying in vain to block out the noise from the floor below. Groaning , she got up and walked sleepily to the bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror and poked her tongue out at herself.

"Morning Mrs Buffy Anne Summers Pratt" she said to her reflection



Buffy turned on the shower and turned the temperature to almost cold. She needed to wake up and deal with the blitz that was her life right now.



Willow ran down the stairs and into the back yard. Joyce finished telling the usher where to put the large tiered flower arrangement and turned to Willow "Is she up yet?" she looked at her watch.

Puffing Willow nodded "Yeah, she's in the bathroom" Willow gained her breath back and continued "The make up artist and hair dresser are waiting in the lounge, I gave them coffee so that should buy Buffy another twenty minutes"

"Thank you Willow, what would I do without you?"

"Not sure but I think prozac would be of the good about now"



Joyce laughed and threw her arm over Willows shoulder, steering them both back to the house and into the kitchen.



"What time is Spike getting here?"Willow asked

"About six tonight, he didn't want to risk coming before sun down"

"Will the L.A crew be turning up?" Willow poured herself and Joyce a coffee.

"I haven't heard from Angel , but I doubt he'll miss it. I know things were touchy but I think he'd be here for Buffy"



Joyce fights to get to her fridge and start making breakfast. The Chef huffs and tuts and finally shoo's Joyce out of the kitchen. He waffled something about breakfast being the most important meal and started whipping eggs and then threw an eggshell at Joyce and Willow to get them out the way.



Joyce and Willow went upstairs, just as Buffy exited the bathroom.



"Morning!" they both chirped cheerfully

Buffy groaned "What time is it, it feels like it's the middle of the night"

"It's ten am " Joyce says as she looks at her watch.

"Already?! Damn, I need to get ready, the photographers going to do some portraits to hang in the new house"

"Let me guess, Spike wants an old fashioned type of portrait of you and him?"

"Yeah, sometimes he reverts back to the sap he was unno, I love the sap but grrrr, I'm still so tired"



Joyce helps Buffy get into the dress that she will wear in the portrait and she walks downstairs looking a picture of elegance. Except for the trainers that are poking out from under the beautiful dress. The photographer tuts. Buffy poked her tongue out and tucked her feet under the frock.



"Satisfied?" she asked sarcastically



Joyce sees that the Chef has placed a buffet style breakfast on the dining table and called everyone so that they could eat. Buffy jumped up from her pedestal as she'd called it, and grabbed a plate full of everything.Xander arrived at the table and asked if Spike would be coming over soon, Buffy shrugged as she crammed another fork full of pancake in her mouth.



After three quarters of an hour , the perfect photo had been taken and the photographer was out of the house until the evening. One body less. The Chef had mumbled something and packed up his tools of the trade and disappeared making everyone breathe a sigh of relief. The house was more or less back to normal.



We have three hours left. The hairdresser had finished Buffy's hair and had fixed the small tiara and veil in place. So Buffy was in sweats and button up top with hair to die for, wearing a tiara and veil, she looked comical. The L.A crew arrived and were told that the basement would be free for them to use. Angel just stared at Buffy and then sniggered. His shin still throbbed an hour later and Buffy warned him the the next sarcastic comment that he made would result in another kick to his shins, with a possibility of it progressing to his manly bits. He immediately stopped sniggering and went to get changed.





Time dragged. Buffy was now ensconced up in her room, her dress was on, her shoes and jewels were in place. Now they were waiting for Spike and Clem to arrive.

Buffy watched as their friends and some relatives gathered in the garden . They took their seats and Xander flapped about getting nervous. He kept checking his pockets for the rings and would then wipe his brow with his handkerchief. Buffy smiled. The noise from below hushed and Spike walked into the garden. He had never looked so gorgeous .Buffy smiled and then flustered



"Oh god Mum, what am I doing?"

"Nervous?"

"The last time I felt like this was the night I found out I was the slayer and had to face my first vamp"

"It will be okay, you got a good man there Buffy, he'll stand by you no matter what. He'll be there for you and comfort you and protect you. That's more than I had with your father, trust me on this" Joyce rubbed Buffy's shoulder and kissed her cheek.

"He is special isn't he" Buffy beamed

"Yes, he's one in a million for sure, now I'm going to get Willow and tell them to start, okay?"



Buffy nodded and smiled again "Yep, lets do this!"



Willow looked wonderful in her blood red dress. Spike had chosen the colour, which Buffy had rolled her eyes at, but now she could see that it was perfect.



"Ready then Mrs Summers Pratt?"

"I'm not that yet, but will be in about an hour"

"Not if you don't get your booty downstairs" Willow said in a mock stern tone.



We walk downstairs and Willow and Joyce take their places behind Buffy. Buffy took a sharp breath and walked towards the back door. The music started to play and the door opened.