Date Night (16 page)

Buffy stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror and grimaced. The blonde had told the make-up artist she hated when brides didn't look like themselves on their wedding day, so she had pressed the woman to not make her look like a Drag Queen. Unfortunately, the stylist hadn't heeded her commands, and now the girl staring back at her looked like the second-coming of Rupaul.

The Chosen One turned away from the stranger in the mirror and looked wistfully at the white dress hanging at the back of the changing room. The garment almost seemed to taunt her from its wooden hanger. The flower arrangements were in place around the modest-sized church, the organist was warming up, and the guests were no doubt filing and assembling in the chapel, just beyond Buffy's changing room. Her own make-up was complete and the hairdresser had just finished her hair.

The only thing left for her to do was put on the gown. And walk down the aisle...

All of the final preparations for the day's Big Event had gone without a hitch. Finding the perfect wedding dress had been nearly effortless; when she'd gone dress shopping with Dawn in Columbus, it took only three or four dresses before she was able to make her final decision. And with Preston so eager to help out with the other arrangements, hiring photographers and caterers and deciding on flower arrangements hadn't taken much exertion either.

Even amassing the Guest List hadn't been hard as Buffy had thought; Preston came from a small, extended family and Buffy had really only wanted a few of her closest friends to be invited as well. And as she was still keeping Slaying a secret from her Husband-to-Be, she certainly wouldn't have been able to explain away a Guest List full of Demons, after all.

Wasn't this how relationships were supposed to go? Wasn't love supposed to be this easy? Moreover, it was probably the one time in all her life Buffy could recall organizing a party where an apocalypse hadn't popped up. Although her make-up was another issue altogether.

A knock at the door of the church room interrupted the blonde's thoughts. "Buffy?" came the slightly muffled voice. "How's it going in there?"

Recognizing the voice, the slayer sat down again in the uncomfortable wooden chair where she'd been seated for the past hour while the stylist had fussed over her hair extensions and make-up. "Come on in, Will," the girl sighed.

The heavy wooden door opened a crack and her best friend's head popped in. Willow flashed the Chosen One a brief, but encouraging smile. "Just checkin' up on ya," she explained. Her eyes bulged slightly when she took in the sight of the blonde slayer in the mirror's reflection. "Uh, Buff..." she started.

"It's horrible, isn't it?" the Californian moaned, her head dropping into her hands. "I told her not to! She wouldn't listen!"

Willow hastily entered the chamber adjacent to the church and closed the door behind her. "It's...fixable," she breathed, quickly crossing the room to aid her distressed friend. The powerful Wicca waved her hand in front of her, and the air in the room shifted.

"There," the redhead soothed. "All better."

Buffy stood and looked into the mirror again. Gone was the undertaker-heavy make-up. Gone were the lengthy blonde hair extensions that had been piled so high on top of her head, she had better resembled the Bride of Frankenstein. Now, a more tastefully coifed and subtly painted slayer stared back at her.

The California slayer released a shaky breath. "Thanks, Will." She looked away from the mirror and beamed at her friend. "I should have just asked you to be my stylist in the first place," she lightly laughed. "It would have saved me a bunch of money and grey hair."

"Do you need anything else?" Willow looked at the wall clock in the changing room. "It's almost show time."

"I've just got to squeeze into the dress and I'll be ready," Buffy assured her.

The redhead nodded. "Okay. All the girls and Giles are at the back of the church, just waiting for your grand entrance," she informed the soon-to-be-Bride. "And I've checked to make sure Preston and his groomsmen are ready at the front of the chapel, too."

Even though Dawn was technically her Maid-of-Honor, Buffy's best friend had stepped up to make sure everything on the day of the wedding was running smoothly.

"Thanks for all the help, Will," Buffy smiled gratefully. "You're the best."

The former computer nerd laughed and shrugged. "I don't know how you're so calm about all of this," she admitted. "If I ever get married, I'm sure I'll be a wreck."

Buffy took her friend's hand in her own and gave the witch a warm smile. "Well, if you ever do decide to have a ceremony, you'll have me there making sure everything happens without a hitch." She grinned widely. "If anyone steps out of line, they'll have a Slayer to deal with."

Another knock, this time more tentative, interrupted the two women's conversation.

"Are you expecting someone?" the redheaded Wicca asked, looking at the closed changing room door.

Buffy's chest momentarily tightened.
It couldn't be...she wouldn't just show up like this, would she?

Unable to form words, Buffy simply shook her head.

Willow made her way toward the closed door and opened it a crack - if it was Preston on the other side, she didn't want him to ruin everything by seeing the Bride before the wedding. A small gasp escaped her lips when her eyes focused on the figure standing in the church hallway.

"Xander!" Willow fully opened the wooden door and threw herself at the tall man on the other side of the threshold.

With the fall of Sunnydale, Xander had chosen to abandon demon hunting rather than help reform the Council and train the new generation of Slayers. He had told the group he needed some time and space from the Supernatural World. With the death of Anya, the one-eyed man had suffered too much. He normally emailed Willow a few times a month, but beyond that he'd had little communication with the former Scoobies. Now, unexpectedly, he stood outside of Buffy's changing room.

Buffy squealed loudly and ran toward her old friend as well. She threw her arms around Xander, joining Willow in a group hug.

"Hey guys." Xander coughed, clearing his throat. "Uh, Buff...you're kinda in the buff."

Buffy stopped hugging the man long enough to look down at her own form. With her wedding gown still on its hanger, she currently wore only her bridal lingerie.

"Oh hell," she muttered playfully, "who cares."

"Certainly not me!" Xander chuckled good-naturedly and squeezed the small slayer harder.

"I can't believe you're here!" Buffy breathed when she finally pulled herself away from the dark-haired man.

The Chosen One took a moment to really take in the sight of her estranged friend. He was barely recognizable. He'd lost at least thirty pounds since the last time she'd seen him, looking more like his high school build. His dark hair, normally closely cropped, was shaggy and covered his ears.

Xander gave his two best friends a lopsided grin and shrugged good-naturedly. "Well, I figured it was about time I came back."

"You're coming back?" Willow exclaimed. "You mean like for good?"

The former carpenter nodded. "When I first left," he started, "I was just worn out. Too much death. Too much pain. But I've missed fighting the good fight," Xander admitted. "I've missed you guys," he added.

"We missed you, too, Xand," the redhead cheered. "C'mon," she urged, grabbing onto her long-time friend's hand. "Let's go find the others and let Buffy finish getting ready. Dawnie's gonna lose her mind when she sees you."

Willow turned back and squeezed Buffy's hand before leaving. "We'll see you out there soon?"

Buffy gave her two best friends a brave smile and nodded once. "I'll be out there in a few minutes," she told them.

The Chosen One watched Xander and Willow chirping happily as they walked away together. When they turned around a corner and out of sight, she closed the door to her changing room and once again headed back to where her wedding dress hung.

Buffy sighed deeply, her shoulders heaving once. "Well, here we go," she mumbled to herself as she reached for the white dress.

The California slayer eased herself into the formal gown, careful not to get make-up on the white dress or mess up her hair. She re-arranged the strapless bodice so it fell at an appropriately level on her modest chest. Her bronzed skin contrasted appealing against the white sheen of the dress's material. Buffy smiled at her reflection and smoothed the gown at her slightly flaring hips. She looked good.

A few minutes after Willow and Xander's exit, a third knock on the changing room door alerted the blonde. Buffy looked up at a wall clock and grimaced. It wasn't time yet. Why was everyone so eager for her to walk down the aisle today?

Expecting her best friend to reappear and hustle her further along, she announced, "It's open," and didn't turn away from the full-length mirror.

The door opened, creaking quietly on its metal hinges, and soft gasp filled Buffy's ears. The Chosen One turned away from her reflection, her full skirt rustling with the movement.

"Faith."

The Boston girl stood in the threshold of the small room, one hand on the door handle, another hand positioned near her mouth. Faith wasn't exactly dressed for a wedding - leather pants and a t-shirt - although if Buffy thought about it, the only time she'd ever seen Faith dressed appropriately for anything had been at Homecoming. Even then, however, her dress had left little to the imagination. And Buffy had imagined all sorts of things that night about her sister-Slayer.

"Y-you look amazing, Buffy," the brunette slayer slightly stuttered.

"This old thing?" the blonde retorted calmly, despite being visibly shaken by the Boston slayer's unannounced arrival.

Rather than continue to stare at the brunette woman, she looked down at the wedding gown she had painstakingly purchased. The price tag had been a little out of her range, but she figured you only get married once...or twice...so why not go all out?

"I'm serious, B," Faith declared, shaking her head. She took a tentative step toward the Bride-to-be and closed the door behind her. "It's...it's breathtaking. You're breathtaking. Too bad you're wasting it on that dude."

Buffy frowned deeply and put her hands on her hips. "Did you show up just to give me a hard time?" she snapped.

"No," the dark-haired woman countered in a calm voice. "I came here to stop you."

The golden-haired slayer's breath caught in her throat. She had thought something like this might happen - Faith showing up at the last minute to stop her - but now that she was faced with the situation, she didn't know what to do. Indecision plagued her thoughts.

Faith took a deep breath. Her features looked pained and troubled. "Buffy," she started in an exasperated voice, "why are you going through with this? Why are you going to marry him?" she implored. "You know I love you."

Buffy's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "Do I?" she stubbornly challenged. "You've never said the words before."

Faith's mouth hardened in a straight line. "I told you at your engagement party."

The blonde's mouth twitched. "Oh...right. Well," she hesitated before countering, "I certainly wasn't feeling very loved when you left me at the hotel the other morning."

Now it was Faith's turn to frown. "Listen," the brunette stated crisply, "I only did that because I thought it was the right thing to do. I thought I was being the bigger person by letting you go and not making your life any more complicated than it already is."

"Then what changed your mind? Why are you here now, moments before I'm about to get married?" the Chosen One demanded.

"Because I can't stand the thought of not being with you, B," the younger slayer admitted, her hands at her sides.

Buffy turned away from the other girl. "Will you help me finish putting on my dress?" she asked, uncomfortable with the trajectory of their current conversation. She wasn't prepared. She needed more time. "I-I can't get the stays tight enough on my own."

The Boston girl's head dropped slightly, feeling rejected. Obediently however, Faith stepped behind the blonde slayer and began pulling at the white ribbon strands that laced up Buffy's lower back.

After a tense, quiet moment, Buffy finally spoke. "Is it enough?" the blonde asked their dual reflection. The question felt heavy on her tongue.

Faith made a grunting noise, her concentration focused on her hands and Buffy's waist. "Any tighter and you're not gonna be able to breathe," the Boston girl quipped.

"That's not what I mean," Buffy sighed. She pulled away from the brunette slightly. Her body felt physically burdened as if heavy weights held her down. "Is love enough for us to work?"

"According to the Beatles, it is," Faith joked with an easy smile.

"I'm serious, Faith," the smaller slayer chastised. "Is it going to be enough in the end?"

Faith stared at Buffy's face in the mirror. The Californian's beautiful features were twisted and confused.

"What more do you want from me, B?" the brunette girl demanded. "Just tell me what you want. I'll give you anything you want," she insisted, putting her hands on the smaller slayer's hips. "I'll do anything you want. I just want you."

Despite the taller woman's impressive speech, the blonde slayer looked unimpressed...as if she hadn't heard Faith's words...as if her mind was preoccupied with another matter.

"What if I told you I was pregnant?" Buffy offered quietly. She chewed on her lower lip. "What if I told you I'm going to have Preston's baby?" she revealed. "Would you still want me then?"

At the words, the Boston slayer's hands fell away from Buffy's waist. Her mouth fell open, but no reply followed.

Buffy placed her hands on her lower abdomen, and looked at her own reflection in the full-length mirror. The full skirt of her wedding dress effectively concealed if there was indeed a baby-bump beneath her gown.

"I found out when I was in Scotland over New Years," the blonde woman explained in a low voice. "I told Preston, and he immediately proposed."