Chapter 24 – THE END
Short little chapter to wrap things up...
Spike growled as he attempted to place the bowtie of his tux on correctly. "Poncey, bloody tie!" He shouted as he let it fall around his neck. He opened the door to his room and walked quickly down the hall. He banged on the door in front of him.
"Red! Are you there?" He yelled. He heard some rustling and voices behind the door. He smirked as Willow finally opened it. "Interrupt somethin', Pet?" He shook his eyebrows as Willow blushed.
"No, Spike. Kennedy was just helping me with my dress." She said as she stepped aside.
"What do you want, Big Bad?" Kennedy spat out as Spike walked in.
"Always the pleasant one, kid." Spike hissed back.
"I'm not a kid!" Kennedy huffed as she sat down on the couch.
Spike rolled his eyes as he turned to Willow. "A little assistance here, pet?" He said as he stepped towards the witch with his neck extended. "'elp a bloke out, luv."
"Sure, Spike." Willow said cheerfully as she aided her friend. She adeptly fixed the blond vampire's tie. "There you go." She lightly patted his shoulder as she stepped back to admire her work. "You look good." She said with a smile.
"Like what you see?" He smirked as he shook his eyebrows and then laughed as Willow blushed again. She pushed him towards the door.
"We'll see you after the ceremony, Spike." Willow replied as she shut the door.
Spike chuckled as he walked down the hallway. He had some time to kill before Buffy's wedding. He climbed the stairs of the Academy and found his usual spot where he could grab a smoke. He sat on the ledge and opened the window slightly. He began to relax as he took his first drag. He sat contemplating the crossroads he was at with Angel. They were getting along better now; they were forging a new friendship. But it was obvious they both wanted more. Spike's fear kept him from taking that next step with his Sire. Could he risk his heart again? After smoking half a pack, Spike shook his head as he rubbed his eyes. 'I'm turnin' into a brooder.' He thought to himself.
He jumped gracefully off the ledge and descended the grand stairs. He walked towards the exit into the garden where the ceremony was to take place. He saw many guests filing in; the young Slayers stood around excitedly discussing the upcoming nuptials. He stopped briefly to talk with the Whelp who had recently arrived from Cleveland. He felt warmed as he received a huge hug from the Nibblet. He stood back and marveled at how much Dawn had grown in the last few years. Through emails and phone conversations, he was happy that they had been able to repair their fractured friendship.
Spike walked into the garden to look for a place he could sit during the ceremony. Across the lush garden, he saw Angel taking a seat near the front. Spike nearly gasped at the beauty of his Sire. He looked gorgeous in his tuxedo; the cut suited the dark vampire's newly lean body. Spike looked around again and then decided to join Angel.
"Hey." Spike said quietly and smiled slightly when Angel looked up.
"Oh, hi." Angel responded.
"This seat taken?" Spike gestured to the empty seat .
"Not at all." Angel smiled as his eyes traveled up and down Spike's body. "You look really nice." He said, almost shyly.
"The tux is so poncey...but 'm sure I look good..." Spike answered in a mocking tone .
"See? I told you that it doesn't hurt to dress up once in a while."
"That's your thing, mate. I gotta be me." He said with a smile as he held up his feet so Angel could see. Angel laughed as he saw that instead of the customary tuxedo shoes, Spike donned his usual Doc Martens.
The two settled into a comfortable silence when they realized the ceremony was about to start. The London evening was cool and the garden was softly lit. The scent of jasmine filled the air. The vampires watched as Buffy's fiance Alex and his best man took their place at the front near the minister. In the corner, a harpist began playing melodious music. Willow, dressed in a beautiful lilac satin dress, walked slowly down the aisle escorted by Xander. Shortly after the two Scoobies , Dawn followed. She smiled widely with pride. She took her place in front of Willow and winked at Alex. There was silence for a moment and suddenly the wedding march began. The guests stood and turned to face the bride. Buffy looked beautiful with her hair swept up; she wore a strapless off-white gown made of satin. She was stunning. She smiled at her future husband and they both had tears in their eyes. She was escorted by Giles who looked so proud of his Slayer. The Watcher presented Buffy to Alex and took his seat.
The ceremony was simple. There were a few readings and the couple exchanged personal vows. The two teared as they declared their love for each other in their own words.
As they promised to love each other until the end of time, Spike looked at Angel from the corner of his eye. He swallowed heavily as he gathered courage. His hand shook as he slowly reached for Angel's hand and squeezed. Angel startled for a moment as he looked down and saw that Spike was holding his hand. His undead heart jumped as they looked into each other's eyes. He saw hope, love, and a future in Spike's beautiful blue eyes. The dark vampire's eyes watered and a single tear fell. Spike reached up and gently wiped it and smiled.
The reception occurred in the great hall. The two vampires never strayed far from the other. They had not had a chance to talk about what occurred outside, but they knew they had time. For now, they celebrated with their friends and co-workers.
"I'll be back, luv." Spike said to Angel as he stood from the table.
"Are you alright?" The dark vampire asked with concern.
"Yeah, gonna grab me a fag outside." Angel nodded and turned back to talk to Willow.
Spike lit up as he again stepped into the cool night air. He looked up at the stars and took in a deep breath. He still marveled at the freshness of the London air as opposed to when he grew up in Victorian times. He was lost in his thoughts when he suddenly heard a woman clear her throat.
"Spike."
Spike turned to the voice. "Hello, Hallie. What brings you to this neck of the woods? Haven't made any wishes as of yet, tonight, but 'm not properly pissed yet either." He said lightly.
"Now, now, I changed you back, didn't I ?" She smiled sweetly.
"That you did, pet. That you did." Spike took a slow drag and tilted his head. "Why did you?"
"You did make the wish when you were drunk." She said as she flipped her hair. "And you looked so sad and desperate the last time I saw you. I felt bad."
"Woah...careful pet, thought vengeance demons didn't have a conscience?"
Halfrek chuckled. "A momentary lapse, I can assure you. I was only newly taken back into the fold. Temporary jitters." She paused. "Sorry it didn't work out for you."
Spike took the last puff from his cigarette and threw it to the ground. He snuffed it out with his boot as he grinned. "Don't be so sure about that, pet." He said as he saw Angel walk into the garden. The dark vampire paused at the door.
Spike leaned in and kissed the demon on the cheek. "Ta. Take care of yourself, Cecily."
"You too, William." The two smiled at each other; Halfrek threw her hands in the air and disappeared.
Spike sauntered up to Angel.
"Who was that?" The older vampire asked as he looked back at the smoke.
"Halfrek. She was the demon who turned me into a bird."
"Was she bothering you?"
"Not at all. She was just visiting." Spike placed his hand on Angel's cheek. "No worries, Peaches." The blond vampire gazed lovingly up at his Sire. "Let's get out of here."
Angel grinned. "Where do you want to go?"
"Your room. My room. I don't bloody care."
"Okay." Angel answered as the two re-entered the reception area. Spike grabbed his jacket and they said their goodbye's to everyone. They began to walk out when they saw Buffy on the dance floor with Alex. She smiled at the two, blew a kiss and winked. Angel smiled and Spike shook his head. He chuckled to himself as he mumbled about meddling Slayers. The two headed out.
As they walked back to Spike's room, the two felt nervous flutters in their stomach. Spike opened the door but had to steady his shaking hand. The blond vampire threw his jacket on the floor, as Angel carefully laid his on the back of a chair. They stood watching each other before they eventually burst out laughing.
"You'd think we were two teenagers, yeah?" Spike said as his laughter died down and he took a step closer to Angel.
"I know." Angel said as he followed suit. "No need to be nervous, right? It's not like we haven't kissed before."
"Yeah, but that was different. Wasn't it?" He was in front of Angel and he looked up. Their eyes met the other and they quickly started ravaging each other's lips. The kiss was frantic and passionate. One hundred years of sexual tension poured into the kiss. They broke apart panting.
"Will, we have an eternity..." Angel said as he stroked Spike's cheek. He slowly bent down and kissed his grandechilde's forehead. He worked his way down Spike's beautiful face and once again captured his lips. This time, he slowly licked the blond's succulent lips and slowly kissed him. Gone was the frantic nature of the previous moments. This kiss was about love.
"Ghods, Will." Angel said as his eyes watered. "I love you so much..."
"Liam...love you too..." Spike answered as he felt a tear hit his face. The two came apart and walked hand and hand to the bedroom. Angel began unbuttoning his shirt and then he slipped out of his pants and boxers. Spike followed and divested himself from his clothes as well. The two stood admiring the other's body. They were beautiful.
Angel leaned in and began kissing Spike again as they lay down on the bed. Spike pulled away for a moment. "What's wrong, Spike?"
The blond vampire shyly looked down. "Well...'m not sure what to do."
Angel smiled. "Well, I've never done this with a man either...but I've been reading..."
Spike's head snapped up and he slyly grinned. "Cheeky bastard..."
"We'll figure it out." Angel grinned back. "We may need lots of practice."
"And that's a bad thing?" Spike chuckled and leaned in to kiss his love. The two groaned with pleasure.
"I love you, Angel."
"I love you too, Spike. You're mine and I'm yours...always and forever, my Childe."
FINIS
AN: Thank you to all who have taken the time to comment. It means a lot to a fanfic writer that people can enjoy what you have written. Please take time to offer feedback to writers, it makes all the difference in the world!
MarieC (AKA MarieP, Marie72)