Wedding Bell Blues—Chapter 2

Buffy turned to the task of making the girls tea, and Spike slouched at the table and chatted them up. “So, Glinda, what were you up to in there? Didn’t look like training, or anything.”

“We were, uh…Anya?”

“We were doing a spell. Couldn’t you see that?”

“Yes, I saw that. A spell. With glyphs of whatever on the walls. And did you research them, see what they meant?”

“A couple mean strength. One stands for power. I don’t know about the others.”

“Yeah, that power one. Isn’t that the one on the floor? Where your circles were?”

Tara closed her eyes and dropped her face into her hands. “What have I done?”

“Think you cast a spell, Glinda. Think it was a pretty powerful big one. What was it for?”

Tara’s face flushed prettily. “Actually, it was for Anya….”

Buffy placed two cups of tea in front of them, and sat down next to Spike, but not too close. Didn’t want to give them ideas, even if Tara did already know. “And it does…what?”

“It, uh, was to make them chaste before their wedding. To make their wedding night…memorable. To keep them from having sex before the wedding.”

“Oh.” Buffy had no idea what to say to that. “Does Xander know?”

“No, and please don’t tell him. It was actually more for me than for Xander. I don’t think he needs it anyway—I’m always the one who initiates sex between us. I think he….”

“Please, no more, Anya.” Buffy put her hands in the air. “ I surrender.”

“Bloody stake me so I don’ have to listen to this.” Spike rolled his eyes. “Well, Glinda, I’m impressed. When I felt it—“

“You felt it?” Tara asked, panicking.

“Yeah, and, uh, Buffy did too. Didn’t you, Slayer?”

“Oh my Goddess.” Tara put her hand to her mouth, and stood, walking away from the table. Buffy followed her, and put her arm around Tara’s shoulders. “What is it, Tara?”

“Buffy, you and Spike shouldn’t have felt that spell. That should have been specific to Xander and Anya alone. Did you see a purple glow?” Tara whispered.

Buffy thought for a moment, and nodded. “Yeah, the whole alley was lit up with it.”

“Buffy, I think that the spell…I think that you and Spike got caught it in too. I cast it on you too. I…you crossed my mind while I was chanting, and it may have made the spell seek out the two of you. I’m so sorry.” Tears threatened to spill, and Buffy pulled her into a quick hug.

“Tara, it’s okay. You didn’t do it on purpose, it was accidental. How could you help it, I’ve been running to you with all my problems ‘cause I’m not comfortable asking Willow to do it, since she swore off magick. I know you didn’t mean to.”

“But you and Spike…?”

“Yeah, me and Spike.” Buffy sighed. “The sex is fantastic. And, I…do kind of care about him. He makes me feel safe.”

“Even knowing he can bite you?”

“Maybe especially knowing the chip doesn’t work, and he could kill me. But he doesn’t. He patrols with me, he fights demons and vampires alike, he…he takes care of me and Dawn, watches out for us. And he loves me, Tara. He loves me, and tells me he does when I let him. He tells me he’ll always be there.” She looked at the blond witch, and smiled a shaky smile at best. “And I can’t tell him. Because I’m afraid if I do, then he’ll leave me too.” Just like the others, was the unvoiced end of the sentence, and Tara knew it.

“I don’t think he would. I know he loves you, Buffy. You can see it in his aura. And you do love him—it’s in yours, too.”

Another quick hug, and they joined Spike and Anya back at the table, where they had been watching the by-play with interest. “So, what do we do now?”

“We wait for Giles to get here.”