Weirdest Wedding You Ever Saw
Buffy stabbed the vampire in front of her only for one she hadn't seen tackle her from behind. She landed on the ground with an "Oof!", her breath knocked out of her and currently pinned under the vampire's weight. The Slayer was struggling to get leverage when the vampire suddenly turned to taste.
"Pah!" Buffy spat vampire dust out of her mouth. "That never tastes any better." She looked up as a hand reached down.
"Who are..." Buffy started as she pulled herself up. "... Riley?"
It had been a few years since Buffy had last seen her ex, and some of those years were clearly marked on his face, yet he appeared unbowed, albeit more scarred.
"I was hunting the same vamps you were," Riley said.
"Sam?" Buffy asked. She could see Riley still had his wedding ring.
"She's at home looking after our daughter," Riley told her.
"And you left her there?"
"It was her turn."
"Turn?"
"We take it in turns," Riley explained. "When our daughter, Abigail, was born, we tried to leave this life behind, but couldn't as long as there were people to help. But we didn't want to deprive Abigail of both parents if something happened when we here hunting monsters together. So, one of us always stays behind with Abigail. If I was just leaving Sam home all the time as a stay-at-home mom she would get Upset."
Riley paused. "But..." he started. "I couldn't help but notice." He indicated the wedding ring on the hand Buffy had pulled herself up with. "Angel? Or Spike?" asking the latter with a surprising amount of calm."
"Neither," Buffy started. "It's a long story... duck!"
Riley dropped to the ground without hesitation as Buffy threw a stake, impaling the vampire coming up on Riley from behind, dusting it.
"Last one," Buffy said, holding out her hand to Riley in return. He took it and she easily pulled him to his feet again. "So... where were we?"
"You were about to explain your wedding ring."
"Okay. Right." Buffy composed herself again. "So, Angel and Spike. Angel, well, we loved each other, there was no question about it, but Angelus and the whole universe seemed to be conspiring against us. Eventually, we realised we could never make it work and both moved on."
"And Spike?"
"Spike... well, I never loved him and he loved me. Funnily enough, it was Spike who made me realise that, by straight out telling me as he went up in flames. He got better by the way. I don't think we even liked each other, when we were together. Spike, after seeing Hell with a soul and finally starting to realise what he'd done with his life, and done to others, felt regrets. He apologised to me for taking advantage of me when I was vulnerable and we are much better now. He'd probably apologise to you too. Spike is not the same person he was."
"Spike is different now," Riley said, dubiously, "but how does this explain your wedding ring?"
"I told you it was a long story!" She continued. "So, it was a couple of years after Spike had come back from the, well, I guess he was already dead. Anyway, I was around him and Angel and I noticed how they were acting with each other. They argued so much they could have been married. So... I had an idea. It took a bit of time, but I eventually got them to see what I, and everyone else, was seeing. They were meant for each other." Buffy paused. " I was their combination best man/maid of honour at their wedding. Xander and Anya and Willow and Tara officiated. Weirdest wedding you ever saw. They're now mostly running Angel Investigations together and providing back-office support for the Slayers. And they are still arguing like an old married couple."
"And you?" Riley asked again, indicating her finger.
"Long story, remember?" Buffy smiled. "So, there I was at the wedding, and I looked at Angel and Spike getting married and I realised something. Neither was the man - or vampire - for me. And no man really was. They were on the right track. It took some therapy for both of us, but I finally knew what I wanted. Introducing -" Buffy pointed at herself "Mrs Buffy Anne Lehane-Summers."
"You married
Faith?"
"Yup. Or Mrs Faith Summers-Lehane as it is now."
"So, women now then?"
"Oh, Faith and I still like and enjoy men, but we
love each other."
"Like and enj..." Riley's brain caught up with his mouth and told it to stop talking as he worked that out.
"Yeah, we have a great relationship now." Buffy paused again. "Anyway, it was great catching up with you Riley. We shouldn't leave it so long next time. Here," Buffy gave him a card with her name and a phone number on it. Give me a call. You and Sam can come over and the four of us can do things together. Later!" Buffy said as she walked away as Riley tried to work out if Buffy had meant what he thought she meant by that. And imagined telling Sam that.