Disclaimer: Joss owns them, not me. I’m still wishing for my own Naked Spike.
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Chapter 27: Wedding Jitters

It wasn’t raining. Buffy was wearing a beautifully well cut mint green coloured dress that accentuated her curves. It had been oh so very long since she’d been to a wedding, and even longer that she’d been an actual participant in one.

Despite her doubts about Xander and Anya were still planning to go through with it. The collected masses of relatives, demon and other wise were living at Xander’s house, Buffy’s house and even at Giles’ apartment.

She just prayed that this time the wedding wouldn’t end in heartbreak and vengeance. Buffy had been having nightmares for days now. She had woken up Spike in the middle of the night with her pointed toes, kicking.

All Spike could comprehend was that it was about the wedding. He had fears about how hard she would kick in dreams about her own wedding.

In the end Buffy enjoyed this wedding much more than the last Anya/Xander wedding she had attended. Possibly because Spike was her date, and skanky ho girl from the past wasn’t making a guest appearance.

The Harris family were still very much on the bigoted side, Anya’s demon relations were hard to deal with too, but some how they all made it to the ceremony without killing each other. A marvel that Buffy still did not quite understand. Mr Harris had still barfed in her pink purse, and one of Anya’s demon relations had inadvertently turned a rabbit fur coat worn by a distant Harris relation into a real rabbit, causing panic and a near fainting from Anya. And all this at the rehearsal dinner.

Buffy led Xander to the altar by the hand, as he expressed the need to keep his parents away from the bar. Buffy nodded with understanding, she had done this before, she was aware of the Harris’ propensity for liquor.

Buffy’s new cell phone rang. Buffy rolled her eyes as she listened to the song it sang to her, ‘I Wanna be Sedated’ Spike had obviously been playing with her phone again.

“Yes, my undead lover?” asked Buffy sweetly into the phone earning a grossed out look from the groom beside her.

In the lobby Spike, dressed in a tux, was holding his own phone to his ear while holding up an old man by the collar.

“We have a crasher, love,” responded Spike, “Smells demony.”

“Earlier than I expected really,” noted Buffy. “Well go ahead and do what you want with him, just don’t you dare get blood on your tux. Or goo! No goo on that tux!”

Buffy sensed her mate roll his eyes.

“Hey!” protested Buffy from the back of the hall. “No eye rolling, You are going to be wearing that thing for your own wedding in a few months. No goo!”

“Bloody Buggering Hell,” muttered the vampire as he flipped his phone closed.

Back next to Xander, Buffy apologized to her friend. She wasn’t going to let this wedding end the way the other one did.
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Buffy let Xander do the meet and greet thing for a few minutes, and headed to the bar, where she forcibly removed Xander’s father from the bar. Unfortunately she couldn’t do that without enduring a few comments from Mr Harris that she really didn’t want to hear.

“Nice chassis, what's under the hood? Rrowr!” slurred the inebriated man.

“You know, I could use a strong cup of coffee. Hey, let's get you one too, what do you say?” asked Buffy.

“Did you used to own a little square pinkish purse?” continued the father of the groom.

Buffy sighed sadly remembering the purse that this particular man had puked in the night before at the rehearsal dinner. “I did.”

Mr. Harris pinched her ass.

Buffy let out a squeak and slapped the man’s hand away. Sure she was flattered that a man so much younger than her was interested in her, but eww, he was Xander’s father.

On their way to the kitchen for that cup pf coffee, Buffy passed Spike, who was doing his duty as usher. Buffy smiled as she heard a small possessive growl in Mr Harris’ direction.

“I thought so. Hey, what do you say we slip in the back room and I show you my-” continued Mr. Harris.

“You finish that sentence and I guarantee you won't have anything to show,” threatened the Slayer.

Buffy and Mr. Harris continued on their way, this time passing Halfrek who was looking for Anya.

“I’m late, I know! But D’Hoffryn, you really can’t say no to that man can you?” said Halfrek.

“Willow did,” observed Buffy, quietly.

“Beg your pardon?” asked Hallie.

“Willow is with Anya I think, in the dressing room, you should go there, the wedding should start soon.”

With another pinch on her rear, Buffy finally managed to get the inebriated father of the groom into the kitchen and a cup of coffee into his hand. Leaving him in the capable hands of one of the caterers, Buffy headed back out into the fray.

Halfrek and Spike had met up. At the back of the hall, the two demons were exchanging thinly veiled insults.

“Why William, the tuxedo does so much more for you than the tweed you used to wear,” observed Hallie.

“Why thank you Cecily, I am sorry that I can’t say the same for your present attire.”

Buffy snickered. Hallie’s dress, while it was the same as Buffy’s looked like it had been made for someone else. It wasn’t the most flattering garment that the demon could have worn.

Hallie flashed Spike a sick smile then noticed Buffy.

“There you are Slayer, I seem to be a little turned around, could you possibly show me to Anya’s side, I’m sure she is waiting for her Maid of Honour to show up, so that the ceremony can start.”

Buffy and Spike shared a look.

“Halfrek, you do realise that I am the Maid of Honour right?” asked Buffy.

Halfrek put her hands on her hips. “Maybe that’s what Anyanka told you so that you would do all this planning for her, but really, I’ve known her longer than you’ve been alive sweetie. Why would she want you to be her Maid of Honour?”

“Perhaps, due to the fact that Buffy has actually spends time with demon girl..” noted Spike, standing up for his mate.

“Please, that Anyanka would enjoy hanging out with humans, much less the Slayer is laughable. She’s a demon through and through.”

Buffy’s fists clenched at her sides.

“Mind you it seems that you attract demons don’t you, Slayer?” continued the vengeance demon. “Does he recite his poetry to you? Is it just as awful as it ever was?”

Buffy took a deep breath and smiled up at Halfrek. She could feel the waves of anger coming off her mate. Buffy stepped between the two former acquaintances.

“Perhaps this isn’t the best place to....” started Buffy.

“You shut your demon trap, Cecily,” spouted Spike, his fangs and bumpies coming out.

Buffy knew that his poetry was the one thing that he didn’t tolerate teasing about.

“Isn’t it like you William, hiding in the skirts of your mommy.”

“EXCUSE ME?” yelled Buffy. “I am NOT his mommy.”

“Don’t have a bloody Oedipus complex,” Spike muttered.

By now the wedding guests had directed their attention away from the differences between them, and the commotion that the trio were causing.

“Oh no?” continued Halfrek. “Let’s look at the track record? Your mother? Drusilla?”

The fighting was interrupted at this point by Dawn coming from Anya’s dressing room.

“There you are!” said Dawn frantically. “Anya is looking for you, something about how she wants Matron of Honour time, or something like that. And Spike, one of the wedding gifts has gotten loose.”

“Loose?” asked Buffy.

Dawn nodded, “It has tentacles.”

“Matron of Honour?” asked Halfrek. “Did I miss something?”

Buffy smiled in Halfrek’s direction. “Oh did I forget to tell you? That’ s too bad then,” said Buffy with a smile. “Let’s go see Anya.”

Buffy turned Halfrek around and pushed her in the direction they needed to go.

The last thing Buffy heard from the assembled congregation as she passed through the doorway was Xander’s mom shouting, “You mean demons are real? They’re all demons?”

Buffy let out a groan.

“Buffy!” came Dawn’s eager voice from the corridor. “Isn’t it great, Andrew got a day pass for the wedding!”

Buffy felt like her head was going to explode. Well, at least she had her own teeth, and she had put on clean underwear this morning, small reassurances when her head really did explode. This was Sunnydale after all.
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Anya was ecstatic when Buffy arrived in the dressing room.

“Buffy! I need you, Tara is clearly bored of my vows by now. I need another opinion.” Anya was staring into the mirror in front of her, only catching the reflection of Buffy in the mirror, Halfrek was still out of view.

Buffy took a look at the blond witch on the floor by Anya’s feet, sitting on the edge of the platform. She was looking a little weary.

Buffy flashed a smile at Tara and sat down beside the witch.

“Ok, hit me with it Anya,” said Buffy indicating that she was ready for Anya’s vows.

Anya turned and gasped. “Hallie! When did you get here?” asked the bride.

“Just now, the Slayer led me here.”

“Excellent, I’ve got maybe ten minutes before the ceremony. Hallie, you need your bouquet. You didn’t come to the rehearsal, you are just going to have to wing it.”

“I’ll show you where we are keeping the bouquets,” said Tara, standing up and taking the vengeance demon by the hand.

Halfrek looked back towards the bride in time for her to hear Anya start in on her vows.
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Buffy wiped away a tear and smiled at her friend.

“Oh Anya, I’m so happy for you,” said Buffy adjusting the bride’s veil.

“I’m happy for me, I’d be happier if Xander’s family would realise that demons are people too. It has been most trying having them live with us.”

Buffy nodded. “I can only anticipate badness when I have Spike’s relatives in for our wedding.”

“Drusilla, Angel?” Anya laughed.

Buffy paused for a moment to consider what Drusilla would do to a room full of her ordinary human relatives and shuddered.

“Are you ready for this?” Buffy asked, meaning the ceremony.

Anya nodded. “Xander’s gonna be there, right at the altar, waiting to marry me?”

“I hope so,” said Buffy.

Buffy took her hand and helped her off the platform that she had been standing on.

“No matter what happens Anya, you are my friend too.”

“Oh,” said Anya, “I want to hug you, but I’d wreck the dress. Mental hug?”

Buffy smiled. “Mental hug.”

Buffy led Anya to the lobby, from which she was going to enter the main hall and take Xander as her husband. There was shouting coming from inside the hall. Buffy sincerely hoped that it wasn’t what she thought it was. The Slayer peaked inside the hall to find that it was humans on one side, and demons on the other, a stand off of sorts, with Xander and Spike trying to referee.

“Demons!” shouted Mrs. Harris. “You are marrying a demon?”

“She’s not a demon anymore!” retorted Xander.

“And what’s wrong with demons?” asked one of Anya’s guests.

“Well they’re evil,” retorted Xander’s Uncle Rory.

“They are not! Not all of them!” shouted Dawn.

“She’s probably one of them too!” shouted Mrs. Harris.

“You leave the bit out of this!” challenged Spike.

“Silence!” screamed Willow, power sparking out from the tips of her fingers. “Everyone sit down!” A wave of power flashed out from the mint clad Best Person. The whole crowd of assembled guests and wedding party members were forced down into seats.

“Xander and Anya are getting married, regardless of your bickering! Yes Demons exist, yes Anya used to be one. Get over it! Xander is happy with her, shouldn't’ that be enough?”

The mutterings in the room ceased and they all looked the witch who had them confined in their seats.

“Willow? Are you a demon too?” asked Mrs Harris reluctantly.

“No!” shouted the witch.

“She’s a witch,” said Dawn proudly.

“Cool,” noted Andrew, who was confined in a chair on the bride’s side of the room.

From her safety on the other side of the doorway, Buffy giggled. Then she stopped. This was wrong. It was wrong to laugh at Willow’s over use of power.

“What’s going on in there?” asked the bride.

Buffy turned sheepishly to Anya.

“Slight seating argument,” said the slayer.

Willow’s voice cut through the wooden door. “Xander get you ass to the altar, Bride’s maids and Giles to the back. Let’s get this wedding going already.”

“I think there’s something wrong with Willow,” said Anya nervously.

Buffy agreed.
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tbc...