“They don’t believe that we want to get married.”

“Well, I suppose it was only yesterday you had me chained up in Giles bathroom.” Spike calmly soothed his fiancée’s worries.

“Yes, but don’t they know it was only to keep you safe.”

“If you keep biting that lip we won’t be able to keep walking and if we don’t keep walking we won’t be able to rescue Willow.”

“And, if we don’t rescue Willow, we can’t get back to cuddling at Giles place,” Buffy smiled at him.

They had been walking through the cemetery with Xander and Anya since they had seen the marks on the dorm room carpet. Anya had insisted that it was D’Hoffryn, so they had to find a suitable place to enable her to contact her former boss.

Spike, for his part, was finding the evening hard.

For the first time in decades a girl he loved wanted to be with him. She was walking along with him, holding hands. However, she was upset. However joyful he felt, that Buffy returned his love, he knew that while her friends were in danger, she would be worried.

So, Spike was upset too.

“Hang on, pet.” He halted in front of a couple of trees that reminded him vaguely of his garden back when he was human. Taking both her hands in his, he turned to face her

... then went down on one knee.

“I know I’ve already asked you the question once, but I want to do it again. That way there will be no doubt at all that we mean it when we actually tie the knot.” Spike paused, to make sure that Anya, and more especially Xander were listening. “Buffy Summers, will you marry me?”

“The answer’s yes. It was yes earlier, and it will be yes every time you ask me.”

Spike started to reply to the radiant girl when he was knocked over by her leaping into his arms. All he could think was that he was glad he didn’t have to breathe; otherwise he would never have coped with her enthusiastic kisses, while feeling so unbelievably happy.

“Buffy, you have to stop that!” Xander tried to order the girl to come to her senses. “You can’t want to marry Spike. It’s insane.”

As he said the words, the happy couple were completely ignoring him, but a group of people taking a short-cut back to the dorms heard him.

“Buffy?”

“Must be Buffy Summers.”

“Yes, that’s her. Look, over there, with that gorgeous guy.”

“Getting married? Cool, we can have a party.”

The chattering teens rushed over to the oblivious pair, dragging them apart, and to their feet, before they started hugging and cheering. Clearly the party was going to be fun. Everyone was going to share in their good news, which made the two of them totally delighted.

At long last people were happy for them. All it had needed was for the proposal to be heard by more than the one person. Now everyone could join in to celebrate the happiness of the future Mr. & Mrs. The Bloody.