Love and Marriage

Buffy fumed as she paced back and forth in the bride's dressing room. "What the hell is that little idiot doing here?" Her arms were crossed over the cream silk bodice of her wedding gown. The short train whipped around her ankles. Anya and Willow exchanged glances. "It's okay, Buffy," her best friend said soothingly. "We can find Harmony and stake her later." Spike stalked across the lobby, furious. "Did you find her?" he asked Xander. Both men were dressed in tuxedoes with white rose boutonnieres. The other man shook his head. "She's not registered at any of the big hotels, Spike. At least not as Harmony Kendall." "Fuck me," Spike yelled. "Fucking bloody fuck!" "It's okay," said Xander reassuringly. "Everything will be okay." "Buffy is all bent out of shape," Spike retorted angrily. "It's our wedding day, and it's going to be bloody well ruined because of some stupid chippie that I had the poor taste to bang on the rebound." A large hand clamped down on his shoulder. "I really," said a soft voice, "don't appreciate you talking that way about my wife." A knock sounded at the door to the dressing room. Willow opened it and jumped back in alarm, her hand moving unconsciously to her neck. "Buffy, Harmony's here," she squeaked in a high voice. Harmony walked in, dressed in a replica of Princess Diana's wedding dress, complete with tiara and cathedral length veil. With her tiny frame, the effect was like a slightly evil Madame Alexander doll. Anya and Buffy turned around. Buffy's hair was halfway up in a twist, and Anya held the long length of antique lace that was Buffy's wedding veil. "Dim as ever," said the slayer, "but it saves me the trouble." She grabbed a stake off the vanity and stalked over to Harmony. "Congratulations!" said the vampire brightly. "I really like your dress." "What are you doing here?" asked Buffy, her stake pressed against Harmony's heart. "Her and her hubby are here to provide closure, apparently," said Spike's wry voice. Buffy looked up to see her fiancé and a familiar figure enter the room. "Riley?" exclaimed Buffy in disbelief. Anya grabbed Willow's hand and pulled her out the door. "Ceremony's supposed to start in ten minutes, Buffy." Riley and Spike stepped inside and shut the door. "I just wanted to let you know," began Riley earnestly, "that I'm sorry that things ended between us the way they did." He smiled. "And I forgive you." "You show up on my wedding day to tell me that you married a vamp ho and you forgive me?" she asked. "I really feel that..." her fist smashing into his face cut him off. He fell to the floor. "My little boo boo!" cried Harmony, as she fluttered over to his side. Buffy calmly walked to the mirror, fixed her hair and pinned her veil on before grabbing her bouquet of trailing yellow and white roses. She took Spike's hand and they left the room. "Now they'll never tell us how to get the Elixir of Gordath," said Harmony petulantly. Her husband kissed her gently on the nose. "Don't worry about it, pumpkin. I'll take care of it." She smiled at him adoringly as he pulled her into an embrace. Giles walked into the chapel and spied Hank Summers in the front row. His features locked in anger. He grabbed Buffy's father by the lapels and shoved him into a wall. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Giles hissed. "I know that Buffy doesn't want you here." "I'm her father," Hank choked out. "I belong here. Dawn-" Giles slammed the other man's head against the wall. "Buffy doesn't want to see you." He did it again. "Joyce wouldn't want you here either. You never treated her or the girls with any respect. You're a pathetic excuse for a human being." Angel walked over and grabbed Hank out of Giles' hands. "Let me take care of him," he said with a smile. He dragged him from the room. Cordelia ran over, wringing her hands. "Giles, you can't let Angel take that man," she said earnestly. "He may have had a moment of happiness." She bit her lip. "He's being all weird, and I can't tell if he's Angel in a really good mood or Angelus. It's so much easier when he wears leather pants." "So he might kill him then?" asked Giles. "I'm not sure," whispered Cordy.