Or Forever Hold Your Peace

by JodithGrace

 

Genre: Drama

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of these characters except the ones I made up myself, and they pretty much have minds of their own anyway. The rest are owned by Joss Whedon and the WB and UPN. I merely toy with them for my own amusement.

Summary: Riley comes back just as William and Buffy are about to tie the knot.

 

Chapter 10

 

"Pleased to see you again too, mate. So, how’s the Unlife of Riley?" At the blank looks, he continued, "C’mon, folks…TV series from the fifties? With William Bendix? Gah…you are all so bloody young!"

"How did you get in here?" Riley demanded.

"Oh…that guard of yours outside? Very impressive. But I’m afraid he won’t pass his next inspection. He’s all dusty."

"You killed one of my men," Riley said, eyes blazing, "Buffy, this breaks the rules. Finch, bring me the kid."

Finch looked unhappy, but drew his gun and pointing it at Dawn, took Emily by the hand.

William interrupted, "Wait a minute here, mate. I know we’ve got off on the wrong foot here, but I’ve brought you a gift…to more than make up for that guard there."

He signaled and Xander came in pushing Drusilla in front of him. "Heard you were looking for this." he said.

Drusilla took one look at Riley and started to laugh. "Oh, Spike," she said, ‘this game gets better all the time. So many players. Will there be a prizes?"

"Drusilla." Said Riley. "Baby. What have they done to you? Let her go, Spike!"

"Sure," said William, "In exchange for Buffy and the girls. Simple."

Riley shook his head sadly, "Spike. I can’t believe that you are still chasing after the Slayer. That is so pathetic."

"Whereas, that slobbering that you’re doing over Drusilla is the height of macho. Buffy, love, haven’t you told him?"

"Sorry, honey. The topic just never came up. As a matter of fact, William and I are getting married in about an hour, so could we hurry up this exchange?"

"What? Have you lost your friggin mind? You turned me down and married an old man, and now Him?"

"Uh…Riley. I didn’t turn you down. You left. Did you really think I was going to sit around waiting for my, what did you call him William? Captain Cardboard to return? And that old man, as you call him, was twice the man you were, and so is William."

"Captain Cardboard!" giggled Drusilla. "Oh so clever, my Spike. But so very sad…you and the slayer. You will never survive her, my Spike; the fireflies have told me so."

"You can’t have the Slayer." Riley said, "she’s my gift for Drusilla. All for you, baby." He put his hand on Buffy’s shoulder.

William whipped out a stake and had it at Drusilla’s heart. "She won’t appreciate it much, as a pile of dust, mate. If you want her in one piece, best let my girls go."

Angrily, Riley pushed Buffy towards William, who in turn led Drusilla over to him. Xander chose that moment to back out slowly, until he was out the door. He had memorized the layout of the basement, and had another job to do.

"Spike," she cried out plaintively, "Do I have to go with him? He’s no fun at all. Miss Edith doesn’t care for him one bit."

"Dru, you’ll feel differently once we get you all untied and back home, honey." He started undoing Drusilla’s restraints. Buffy took advantage of his inattention to signal to Dawn and Emily to try and get out.

They looked at Finch, who nodded. Dawn grabbed Emily and started backing towards the exit.

Riley looked up to see two of his hostages heading for the door. "Finch!" He roared, "Go after them!"

"Don’t think so boss. I don’t hurt kids. Told you that!"

"Finch. You’ve been a DC cop for what, 22 years? Only a few more years before that pension kicks in. Tell me, how would your job feel about what you do with vampires in your spare time? The whole gay thing might not be a problem…I mean we’ve all learned to live with that, especially Burke, here. But the vampire addiction? I just don’t know."

Finch stared at Riley, and then went and got the girls and brought them back. "Sorry," He said to them sadly.

"Nobody leaves until I say so." Riley announced.

"Is that so? " said William, " I guess you’ll just have to stop us then." He and Buffy headed towards the girls.

"Burke! Finch! Stop them!"

Buffy snapped her handcuffs easily and went after Finch, while William attacked Burke. Dawn grabbed Emily and ran for the door. Riley left Drusilla and started after them.

At that moment there was a bright flash of light behind Riley. He turned around and there, crouching on the washer was a young girl, brandishing a stake. She stood up and her head bumped the ceiling, "Ow!" she said.

"Wha…"

"Two slayers, no waiting!" Tina sang out as she leapt off the washer at Riley. He vamped out and they began to fight. Dru threw off the rest of her restraints and joined in.

In spite of his training, Burke was no match for William and his stake. He exploded into dust. Buffy had a more difficult time with Finch. It would have been easy to kill him, but she didn’t want to do that. He wasn’t so much evil as weak. And he was human. So she twisted his arm behind him, breaking it, and shoved him, a pitiful crying wreck, into the corner. William tossed Buffy a stake, which she caught deftly, and they went to help Tina who was holding her own against Dru and Riley.

William grabbed Dru and pulled her off Tina. She turned to him with pleading in her eyes. Dru had mastered the art of looking helpless and pathetic when it would suit her purpose. The only problem was that William knew her act and was no longer moved by it. Pity over her helplessness had kept him tied to her for over a century, while she did as she pleased. Now he was in love with a woman who didn’t play such games. He raised his stake to plunge it into her heart. And couldn’t do it.

"Tina!" he cried. She turned to him, and he pushed Drusilla at her, "You take her."

He turned away. Dru looked sadly at Tina, who plunged the stake into her heart. Drusilla, insane scourge of Europe, California, and South America, exploded into dust.

"Druuuu!" Screamed Riley. In grief and fury he lunged at Buffy with extra strength.

"I’m sorry Riley." Buffy said, and dusted him.

She found William over by the door, staring out into space, tears in his eyes. "It’s all over, William."

"I’m sorry, Buffy. I couldn’t do it. I knew it had to be done but I just couldn’t do it."

"It’s okay, William. I understand how you felt about her. And I kinda like the fact that you couldn’t kill her. Things like this shouldn’t be easy." She put her arms around him and they stood like that for a moment.

Tina was over assisting Finch, helping him up. Buffy went over to him. "We’ll call an ambulance. Too bad you fell down that flight of stairs. Oh, and If I were you, I’d lose the NYPD uniform before they come." William, Tina and Buffy left the basement.

The cab was waiting out front. Priscilla Scott had paid him generously to remain, since there wasn’t enough room in her car for everyone. Buffy ran to her daughter and swept her into her arms, "Oh Emily, my darling. You were so brave! The bad men are all gone."

"Dawn told me not to talk so I didn’t, Mommy. Will we be late for the wedding?"

"Oh…we’d better hurry, hadn’t we?" She hugged Dawn and thanked her for her courage under fire. She gave a quick hug to Willow and Tara who had transported Tina into the basement, with help from Xander who gave them the layout, and to Winnie who used her psychic ability to tell them when the time was right. They crammed themselves into the two cars and sped off for home and hotel.

On the way, Buffy phoned Anya at the hotel and told her what happened and asked her to phone the judge and postpone the wedding for an hour. ‘We had some last minute objections," said Buffy, "but now I think all systems are go." To William she said, as they huddled in the back seat of the cab with Emily and Dawn, "You know, Riley was pretty smart, but he forgot two important things about me. One...I never play by the rules, and two…never mess with my girls!"

William added, "And never try to hold a slayer with handcuffs…unless she wants you to, of course." Buffy shushed him with a laugh and they rode back home in companionable silence.

 

Epilogue

The wedding party made for a rather large crowd in Judge Frieberg’s office. He was an old friend of Buffy’s late Father and she had looked him up when she first moved to New York. He had been delighted to be asked to perform the ceremony.

Emily had been very disappointed to see that her mother wasn’t going to be decked out like her Barbie, in a long white dress and veil, but rather a pretty ivory silk dress. She was mollified though with her own lace trimmed burgundy velvet, and a bouquet of flowers of her very own. Willow wore a green velvet dress, as Buffy’s "matron" of honor. William wore his navy Armani suit and Xander was also in a blue suit, only somehow his looked slightly slept in. Everyone else was dressed up in his or her own version of appropriate, from Winnie’s bright chartreuse whatever, to Anya’s stunning black silk suit.

William’s friend Spike from the bar did not show up, nor was his presence missed.

While they were standing around waiting for the Judge to put on his robes, Anya asked Buffy, "So, did you two write your own vows like Xander and I did?"

"Y’know, we kinda put that off until today, and…well…" She shrugged helplessly, "Besides, I don’t think I could ever have topped yours Anya, all 20 minutes of them. I was embarrassed to even try. So I guess we will just go for the basics." Anya smiled, understandingly.

The judge came in and assembled the wedding party and guests. He began, "Dear friends, we are gathered here this evening…"

When he came to the part about, "If anybody here present feels that these two people should not be joined, let him speak now or forever hold his peace" there was a slight pause. But if the ghosts of Riley and Drusilla or even Giles were present, they were silent. The judge continued.

There was only one minor interruption. When Judge Frieberg asked, "Do you William Atherton take Buffy Giles…" Xander burst out, "You have a last name!"

"Of course I have a last name, you ninny!" William replied.

"Whew…I was sure we were going to end up with Buffy the Bloody!"

Everyone laughed, until the Judge said, "Do you mind if I continue?"

Looking into each other’s eyes, William and Buffy repeated the vows. William recalled Dru’s words to him, that he would never survive Buffy. Was she being prophetic or spiteful? Either way, it was okay with William. He had survived Buffy once, and that had been hell. He wouldn’t do it again. So the words, "Till death do us part" held no fear for him.

"By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss…well, never mind," he smiled, since they had begun kissing at the word ‘wife.’

William looked into he eyes of the woman for whom he had waited nine years. He had had to reinvent himself to deserve her but it was worth it. He looked at her pretty face, still young and unlined, and suddenly had a vision of her, years hence with wrinkles and gray hair, holding Emily’s children and grandchildren. He couldn’t wait.

 

The End

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