love2

"Pity," said Giles as he took off his glasses. He polished them with a handkerchief as he walked away.

Dawn rapped on the door of Tara's room. "Lorelei? Tara?" The door opened abruptly and Tara and Lorelei stepped out. All three girls wore matching navy blue gowns and dyed satin shoes. "The flowers are downstairs," said Dawn. She turned to Lorelei. "Do you have the sheet music?"

Lorelei sighed. "If I had a brain, I'd be dangerous." She ran back inside.

"It's just nerves," Tara explained to Dawn. "She's one of the best music students at the University, but she still gets performance anxiety." Lorelei returned and the three girls ran down the hallway.

Buffy stood outside the chapel door. Spike held her hand. "Now, it's perfectly normal to be nervous, sweetheart," he said.

"I'm not nervous, I'm just impatient," she replied. He kissed her gently.

The officiant walked up to them. "Are you two ready?" asked Mrs. Ellenby.

"We're ready to rock and roll, " said Spike with a smile. He turned to see Xander coming up behind them, the rest of the wedding party in tow. "It's time," he said, and he and Xander walked inside the chapel.

Giles took Buffy's arm. "I love you," he said softly. He gently lowered her veil to cover her face.

"And I love you," she answered, her eyes clouding with tears.

"I'm very proud of you Buffy," he said. "And I know that if your mother was here, she would be proud of you too." He smiled at her. Lorelei ran past, papers fluttering, and the sound of the wedding processional echoed out of the chapel.

"They're playing my song," Buffy said with a smile, and they walked inside. Willow, Dawn, Tara, and Anya proceeded behind them in slow cadence, carrying their small bouquets of yellow roses.

Buffy moved down the aisle, catching glimpses of familiar faces out of the corner of her eye. But what she focused on was Spike. He stood waiting for her, watching her, his face tight with tension. She reached him, and Giles released her arm as he kissed her cheek, and sat in the front pew. She slipped her hand into Spike's, surprised to feel his hand shaking. She rubbed her thumb over his, and he looked at her and smiled.

Willow stood to her right, and smiled at Xander, who was directly across from his wife.

"We are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in marriage," said Mrs. Ellenby. She turned to Spike. "Spike, do you take Buffy to be your wedded wife?

"I do," he answered as he gazed at Buffy.

"Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only unto her?"

"I do," he said solemnly.

She turned to Buffy. "Buffy, do you take Spike to be your wedded husband?"

"I do," she replied.

"Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all others and holding only unto him?"

"I do," she said as she gazed lovingly up at Spike.

"Wedding rings are an outward and visible sign of the unbroken circle of love, signifying to all the union of this man and this woman in marriage," explained Mrs. Ellenby.

Xander handed a small gold ring to Spike. "With this ring, I thee wed," he promised, as he slid it on her finger.

Willow handed Buffy a larger ring and she slipped it on Spike's finger. "With this ring, I thee wed," she promised in return.

"Willow Rosenberg, the maid of honor," said Mrs. Ellenby.