Epilogue
One year later…
"Hey, Mom. I can't believe it took me this long to stop by. A lot has happened, but I couldn't be happier. I want you to meet someone." Buffy took Spike's hand in hers and pulled him over to the tombstone. "You kind of already met, but I wanted it to be official. This is Spike, my fiancé. He's the guy that bought all of my paintings from the gallery. I know you would have really liked him."
Spike took a deep breath. "I only met you once, but I could tell that you were a very kind person. You don't have to worry about your daughter; I plan on taking very good care of her. You have my word on that."
Buffy felt tears in her eyes as she gave his hand a squeeze. "We're getting married in a few weeks. I guess we got a bit too impatient. Dad's doing well; I know he misses you. He's really trying hard to make things right with us, and he knows how much you would have wanted that. I promise to come back and visit after the wedding. I'll have a lot to tell you then. Goodbye, Mommy. I love you," she whispered the last part, then turned to Spike. "Let's go home."
He nodded, leading her out of the cemetery and over to his car.
"God, he's already gotten so big."
Dawn smiled, her son resting in her arms. "Yeah, I can tell it will be hard to keep him in clothes."
Spike smiled as well, gazing down at his nephew. "Can I take him?"
Dawn nodded and handed Alexander over to his uncle, then went to join Buffy in the kitchen.
"Hey there, bit. It's your Uncle Spike. I'm the one that's going to spoil you rotten, but don't tell your mum. It's our little secret," he said, pressing a tender kiss to the baby's forehead.
Buffy watched him from the doorway, knowing that he would make a great father. "Spike's so good with him."
"That he is. He acts tough a lot of the time, but my brother always had a soft spot for babies."
Xander came in through the back door of the Giles house, flashing the girls a bright smile. "Where's my little man?"
Dawn only pointed to the living room, moving out of the way when Xander headed in there. "I'd like to see him try and get the baby away from Spike."
Buffy nodded in agreement.
"I can't believe you took me to the carnival again."
Spike shrugged. "It was our first date. I figured it would be all romantic like, but we could do something else."
Buffy shook her head. "No, this is really sweet. I guess you can say it's kind of where everything started."
He smiled. "And this time, I won't be a bloody pansy on the ferris wheel."
Buffy laughed. "I would have to see that to believe it."
She gasped into his mouth, his lips pulling away to trail kisses down her neck. Apparently, the top of the ferris wheel was a pretty popular spot for couples to make out. Buffy held him close to her, running her fingers down his back.
Spike felt shivers up his spine.
"You're trembling," she whispered. "I thought you weren't scared anymore."
He gazed into her eyes. "Not scared, your kisses just have the ability to make me quiver."
Buffy blushed, amazed that he could still bring her to that. "We're getting married tomorrow. Are you nervous?"
Spike didn't have to hesitate with his answer. "I'm more ecstatic than nervous. Having you become my wife will be the best thing in this world. I couldn't be happier."
"Well, I don't know about that," she said, taking his hand and placing it over her stomach.
Spike's eyes widened at what she was implying. "Buffy?"
She nodded. "I'm pregnant, I found out a month ago. I don't know why it took me so long to tell you, but I guess I was just afraid. I see you with Alexander and you're so caring with him. I know we haven't talked about having kids yet, but that did help me feel a little better about telling you."
He couldn't stop the huge smile from forming on his face. "We're having a baby?"
Buffy felt relieved by his reaction. "Yeah, it looks like."
Spike attacked her in a hug, bringing his lips to hers in a passionate kiss and wishing more than anything that they were back on the ground. He pulled away when breathing became an issue, pressing his forehead against hers. "I take it back; I don't think I could be any happier than I am right now. I love you so much."
She smiled. "I love you, too. Always and forever."
Spike felt his breath catch in his throat when Buffy walked down the aisle with her father, tears misting in his eyes at the sight of her. She was so beautiful, just the fact that she was carrying their child made her even more beautiful. They wanted to wait until after the wedding to tell the others about her being pregnant. He took her hand once she reached his side.
Buffy kissed her father's cheek and watched as he sat down next to Giles, then focused her attention back on her future husband.
They both turned to the minister. Vows were exchanged, rings were placed where they rightfully belonged, and tears were shed. Not just from the bride and groom. They shared their first kiss as husband and wife, smiling as the crowd around them applauded.
Buffy glanced around at her family and friends, in complete awe that all of this was happening to her. She had the life that she always dreamt about; never thinking it would come true. She gazed at her husband, giving his hand a squeeze. "I love you, Mr. Giles."
He brought her hand up to his lips, placing a kiss on her ring finger. "I love you, Mrs. Giles. Always and forever."
The End
Okay, who thinks this was very mushy? Yeah, I know. I just couldn't resist, it's what I do. I wasn't too sure about the ending, but this was all the muse would allow. I think it was about time this story finished, anyway. I'm not sure when my next one will be posted. I think I need a bit of a break. Thank you to everyone that read and reviewed. Your comments were much appreciated. I'm glad you guys enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it!