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Well, here's chapter 1 of part 3.
It was a cool morning, the sky overcast, a sharp breeze whipping her hair around her head. Despite her grim errand, the weather did not reflect her mood. She walked through the cemetery to her mother’s grave, clutching a bouquet of yellow roses, with a slow, unhurried step. When she reached the tombstone, she knelt before it and laid the flowers down carefully.
She traced the words engraved on the marble. Joyce Summers. Beloved friend and mother.
“Hey mom,” she said softly. “I brought you flowers…yellow roses, your favorite. I didn’t come by just to drop off the flowers though, but they’re nice, aren’t they? Mom, I need to talk to you so bad, I really, really do. I think I did something…”
Buffy took a deep breath and fidgeted with the flowers. “I’m getting married. Crazy, isn’t it? You know him…I think you like him. I always wanted to tell you, you know? I wanted to tell you, but I was scared of what your reaction would be, and then you were gone. But yeah, we’re getting married. He asked me the other day…I would have come and told you sooner, but we were…busy.
“He’s not here because he’s getting our license and a few other things. He wants to get married right away…which makes sense. I’m not interested in a big wedding…well, not really. Just a hassle right? And besides, it wouldn’t be the same without you there. And I have no one to walk me down the aisle. You know, he didn’t even come to your funeral? I don’t know where he’s at…”
She sighed and waited for the tears, as it usually does when she thought about her absent father…but nothing happened. Her heart didn’t even hurt. Maybe she was over it.
“I’ll come by after we’re married, ok? To show you my ring. Spike is taking me to the jewelers today. Yes, his name is Spike. I’m going to be Mrs. Spike William.” Buffy made a face. “Maybe I’ll keep my own name. Or not, I don’t even know if that’s his real name.”
She stood up, straightening her back until it popped. “I don’t know if we’re going to back to Florida or what. But I have to go now, I’m supposed to meet him at 2.” She kissed her fingers and touched them to the stone. “I love you, and I miss you. I’ll bring him by.”
Buffy stood over the grave for another few moments, and then turned and walked away. She felt…lighter some how, as though a huge weight had been lifted off of her heart. Maybe all she needed to do was talk to her mom, one last time. She hoped she would be able to visit the grave regularly, but she had a feeling that they would not be staying in Sunnydale.
~*~
“Which one do you like?”
“I don’t know. I can only pick one?”
“That’s usually how it works.”
“Can I have an engagement ring too?”
“Do you need one? Our engagement is going to be pretty short.”
Buffy frowned. “I guess. Which one do you like?”
“They’re all beautiful.”
“That’s not helping, Spike. Help me pick one, or we’re going to be here all day.”
“Ok, what about that one?”
“That one? Really?”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“It’s all…gaudy.”
“Ok, then how about that one?”
“Too plain.”
“I see. Do you like any of the rings? At all?”
She pointed to one in the middle, a respectable sized diamond surrounded by dark blue sapphires. “That one is pretty.”
“It is,” Spike agreed.
“Do you really like it?”
“I’m not the one who has to wear it, Buffy. It’s your ring.”
“That means you don’t like it?”
Spike sighed. “I want whatever you want, Buffy. I think the ring is very nice, ok?”
Buffy asked the helpful man behind the counter if she could try it on. Surprisingly, it fit. “Wow, it’s like it’s meant to be.”
“It looks wonderful on you, Buffy. It really does.”
“Ok, then I’ll get this one.”
“And it only took three hours,” Spike muttered. “I guess I’m lucky we weren’t here all day.”
“You are, now quit your bellyaching, and pay the man.”
“I guess I better get used to this now?”
“What?”
“You bossing me around.”
She stuck her tongue out at him, and then removed the ring. “I wish I didn’t have to take this off.”
“Well, you’ll be putting it back on in…” He looked at his watch. “21 hours.”
“That’s really soon…I didn’t know it would be that soon.”
“You’d be surprised at how many people are getting married this time of year. All they had left was for 2 tomorrow. Are you ok?”
She smiled. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just feeling a bit…hungry. I haven’t eaten all day.”
“We’ll stop by the food court, ok?”
“Yeah, sounds good.”
Buffy watched as he paid for the ring, and then took the wrapped package. She would be someone’s wife in less than 24 hours. It was so sudden. Things were moving much quicker than she had counted on, and it almost felt like things were spinning out of her control. Spike seemed happy, though. Happier than she had seen him in a very long time, and if they were getting married anyway, what would be the point of putting it off for months?
She felt slightly reassured, but she could only pick at her food. Spike ate his with gusto, and Buffy realized that she hadn’t seen him eat in days.
“Spike?”
“Hmmm?”
“What are we going to do after the ceremony?”
“You mean for our Honeymoon?”
“Yeah.”
“Vegas is a short drive, if you want. Or we can go to Palm Springs, or we can go up into the mountains—there are some great little towns up there. Whatever you want. Or I can surprise you.”
“Surprises are good.”
“Are you sure?”
Buffy nodded. “I don’t really have a preference.”
“Buffy, luv, are you ok?”
“I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? You look a little…pale. And you aren’t eating your food.”
“I’m nervous,” she admitted. “I mean, I’m getting married tomorrow.”
Spike smiled. “I’m nervous too, for what it’s worth.”
“Excited nervous? Or ‘Oh my god what am I doing’ nervous?”
“A combination of the two, maybe.” He smirked. “Maybe I’ll feel better once I get you home.”
“You can’t sleep in my room.”
“What?”
“You have to sleep in the other bedroom.”
“Why, Buffy?”
“So our wedding night will be special.”
“You’re serious?”
“I am.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
His voice took on a distinct whiney tone. “Really?”
She laughed. “Spike, I think you can handle one night by yourself.”
“Yes, I can handle myself for a night…”
“Come on, let’s go.”
“Where?”
“I need a dress, don’t I?”
It was a cool morning, the sky overcast, a sharp breeze whipping her hair around her head. Despite her grim errand, the weather did not reflect her mood. She walked through the cemetery to her mother’s grave, clutching a bouquet of yellow roses, with a slow, unhurried step. When she reached the tombstone, she knelt before it and laid the flowers down carefully.
She traced the words engraved on the marble. Joyce Summers. Beloved friend and mother.
“Hey mom,” she said softly. “I brought you flowers…yellow roses, your favorite. I didn’t come by just to drop off the flowers though, but they’re nice, aren’t they? Mom, I need to talk to you so bad, I really, really do. I think I did something…”
Buffy took a deep breath and fidgeted with the flowers. “I’m getting married. Crazy, isn’t it? You know him…I think you like him. I always wanted to tell you, you know? I wanted to tell you, but I was scared of what your reaction would be, and then you were gone. But yeah, we’re getting married. He asked me the other day…I would have come and told you sooner, but we were…busy.
“He’s not here because he’s getting our license and a few other things. He wants to get married right away…which makes sense. I’m not interested in a big wedding…well, not really. Just a hassle right? And besides, it wouldn’t be the same without you there. And I have no one to walk me down the aisle. You know, he didn’t even come to your funeral? I don’t know where he’s at…”
She sighed and waited for the tears, as it usually does when she thought about her absent father…but nothing happened. Her heart didn’t even hurt. Maybe she was over it.
“I’ll come by after we’re married, ok? To show you my ring. Spike is taking me to the jewelers today. Yes, his name is Spike. I’m going to be Mrs. Spike William.” Buffy made a face. “Maybe I’ll keep my own name. Or not, I don’t even know if that’s his real name.”
She stood up, straightening her back until it popped. “I don’t know if we’re going to back to Florida or what. But I have to go now, I’m supposed to meet him at 2.” She kissed her fingers and touched them to the stone. “I love you, and I miss you. I’ll bring him by.”
Buffy stood over the grave for another few moments, and then turned and walked away. She felt…lighter some how, as though a huge weight had been lifted off of her heart. Maybe all she needed to do was talk to her mom, one last time. She hoped she would be able to visit the grave regularly, but she had a feeling that they would not be staying in Sunnydale.
~*~
“Which one do you like?”
“I don’t know. I can only pick one?”
“That’s usually how it works.”
“Can I have an engagement ring too?”
“Do you need one? Our engagement is going to be pretty short.”
Buffy frowned. “I guess. Which one do you like?”
“They’re all beautiful.”
“That’s not helping, Spike. Help me pick one, or we’re going to be here all day.”
“Ok, what about that one?”
“That one? Really?”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“It’s all…gaudy.”
“Ok, then how about that one?”
“Too plain.”
“I see. Do you like any of the rings? At all?”
She pointed to one in the middle, a respectable sized diamond surrounded by dark blue sapphires. “That one is pretty.”
“It is,” Spike agreed.
“Do you really like it?”
“I’m not the one who has to wear it, Buffy. It’s your ring.”
“That means you don’t like it?”
Spike sighed. “I want whatever you want, Buffy. I think the ring is very nice, ok?”
Buffy asked the helpful man behind the counter if she could try it on. Surprisingly, it fit. “Wow, it’s like it’s meant to be.”
“It looks wonderful on you, Buffy. It really does.”
“Ok, then I’ll get this one.”
“And it only took three hours,” Spike muttered. “I guess I’m lucky we weren’t here all day.”
“You are, now quit your bellyaching, and pay the man.”
“I guess I better get used to this now?”
“What?”
“You bossing me around.”
She stuck her tongue out at him, and then removed the ring. “I wish I didn’t have to take this off.”
“Well, you’ll be putting it back on in…” He looked at his watch. “21 hours.”
“That’s really soon…I didn’t know it would be that soon.”
“You’d be surprised at how many people are getting married this time of year. All they had left was for 2 tomorrow. Are you ok?”
She smiled. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just feeling a bit…hungry. I haven’t eaten all day.”
“We’ll stop by the food court, ok?”
“Yeah, sounds good.”
Buffy watched as he paid for the ring, and then took the wrapped package. She would be someone’s wife in less than 24 hours. It was so sudden. Things were moving much quicker than she had counted on, and it almost felt like things were spinning out of her control. Spike seemed happy, though. Happier than she had seen him in a very long time, and if they were getting married anyway, what would be the point of putting it off for months?
She felt slightly reassured, but she could only pick at her food. Spike ate his with gusto, and Buffy realized that she hadn’t seen him eat in days.
“Spike?”
“Hmmm?”
“What are we going to do after the ceremony?”
“You mean for our Honeymoon?”
“Yeah.”
“Vegas is a short drive, if you want. Or we can go to Palm Springs, or we can go up into the mountains—there are some great little towns up there. Whatever you want. Or I can surprise you.”
“Surprises are good.”
“Are you sure?”
Buffy nodded. “I don’t really have a preference.”
“Buffy, luv, are you ok?”
“I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? You look a little…pale. And you aren’t eating your food.”
“I’m nervous,” she admitted. “I mean, I’m getting married tomorrow.”
Spike smiled. “I’m nervous too, for what it’s worth.”
“Excited nervous? Or ‘Oh my god what am I doing’ nervous?”
“A combination of the two, maybe.” He smirked. “Maybe I’ll feel better once I get you home.”
“You can’t sleep in my room.”
“What?”
“You have to sleep in the other bedroom.”
“Why, Buffy?”
“So our wedding night will be special.”
“You’re serious?”
“I am.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
His voice took on a distinct whiney tone. “Really?”
She laughed. “Spike, I think you can handle one night by yourself.”
“Yes, I can handle myself for a night…”
“Come on, let’s go.”
“Where?”
“I need a dress, don’t I?”