Bells In the Sunshine

by Eledhwen

Rating: PG

Spoilers: end of AtS Season 1 and thereafter

Disclaimer: Not mine, Joss Whedon's.

Distribution: Ask and thou shalt receive, gladly.

Author's note: a fluffy fic.

"I'm so nervous," Buffy said, adjusting her veil one more time. "What if I forget the right words?"

"You'll be fine," Willow comforted her.

"My collar's itchy," complained Anya. "Why lace?"

"It's traditional," said Willow. "Don't you like tradition?"

Anya pulled at the lace and frowned.

"In general, as a concept, yes. Especially traditional ceremonies. But lace, no."

From inside the church, the organ stopped, and there was a rustle as one hundred people all stood up. Buffy smiled up at her father, who smiled back.

"Ready, sweetheart?"

"I don't think I'll ever be ready," Buffy said, but she took his arm. "Girls?"

"Bouquet and train, check!" said Willow. "Here goes the bride."

The church doors swung open and slowly Buffy walked up the aisle towards her future husband. And not so very future, either. In the front row she could see her mother, radiant under a big hat, and Xander, looking surprisingly spruce in a morning suit. Next to him, surreptitiously clutching a tissue, Giles smiled at her.

They arrived at the altar, and her father let go of her arm and retreated to stand next to her mother, the pair reunited for the wedding of their daughter. Willow and Anya had a momentary scuffle over who should hold Buffy's bouquet before standing back, still. There was silence.

"Welcome, on this glorious sunny day," the vicar said, "to the wedding of Buffy Anne Summers and Riley James Finn. We shall begin proceedings by singing hymn number 34."

Through the mesh of the veil, Buffy met Riley's adoring gaze, and returned it with a smile. They turned their attention to the hymn.

When the echoes of the music had died, the vicar looked out at the congregation.

"Before we continue with the service, I have to ask if anyone here present has any objection to the marriage." He smiled slightly, evidently not expecting an answer. He opened his mouth to speak again, when there was a noise at the back of the church, and the doors opened.

"I object!"

Everyone turned round.

"I object," the intruder repeated, more calmly.

In the front row, Giles took off his glasses. Buffy's eyes behind the veil opened wide; Riley's grew narrow.

"Angel?" whispered the bride.

He moved up the aisle, dressed simply in black. "Look at me," he said, staring at Buffy.

She looked.

"Angel," she pleaded, "this is my wedding. If ever you wanted me to be happy, let it go ahead."

"Look at the window!" he repeated. "Look at the door, look at the blue sky outside. Look at me."

He spread out his arms wide, the sunlight on his palms, and suddenly she understood.

"Oh . Angel . you're ."

"I'm alive," he said. "I'm alive, for good. There was a prophecy, and it came true. There is no curse."

"Oh dear," Willow murmured.

Next to Joyce Summers, Buffy's father looked on in puzzlement.

"Who is this man?" he said. "What's he doing here?"

Joyce looked at Giles, who shrugged.

"He's telling the truth," he said, in answer to her unspoken question. "If nothing had changed, he wouldn't be standing there any more. There'd be a little pile of dust on the floor."

Buffy was still standing immobile, staring at Angel.

"Alive?" she whispered.

Behind Angel, there was the sound of running footsteps, and two more people entered the church, one of them waving a scroll.

"It's permanent!" called the scroll-waver. "It's for real this time."

"Wesley?" said Giles.

"Cordelia?" chorused Xander and Willow.

"Hi, guys!" Cordelia called, adjusting her hat. "Did he make it in time?"

"In time for what?" muttered Anya. "Can't they just get married so we can move on to the partying? And what's she doing here anyway?"

The vicar, still holding his open service book, looked from one person to the other.

"If you have an objection you have to have a reason," he said.

Angel took the last few steps towards Buffy.

"My reason is simple," he replied, and dropped on one knee, fumbling in his pocket. "Buffy," he said, holding his palm out towards her with something on it, "when I left Sunnydale all those years ago, when I cleared out the mansion, I found this, wedged in a crack in the flagstones. I kept it. Somehow I knew that one day I would be able to give it back, and that you would wear it the right way round." He held up a small silver circle. "From the day I first saw you I loved you," he continued, his voice choked, "and I never stopped. I never will stop. For so long I have been bound, kept from you, but now I'm free. There is no danger." He paused, and met her eyes. "Buffy, if you refuse, if you go on to marry someone else, know I will always be there for you. But we have a real chance now to spend our lives together. Will you marry me?"

There was dead silence in the church, save for someone sniffing. Buffy was still as a statue, staring down at the small silver claddagh ring in Angel's hand, and next to her Riley was pale.

"I don't know what to do," Buffy said eventually, her voice small. "I used to dream of this, back when . back when we were first together. There was a time when . when I would have said yes, no matter what. But you left me, Angel, you left me for so long. I met someone else. And I love him too."

"Too?" said Riley.

"Too. I love both of you. Whoever I choose I will hurt the other."

Buffy looked towards her friends. Willow shook her head and shrugged. Giles merely placed his hand over his heart. Follow your heart. Suddenly, Joyce stood up, her mascara running black streaks down her face.

"Buffy, I should have told you this long ago. When Angel left you, I asked him to. I thought I was doing the best thing for you. It wasn't his choice."

"He nearly stayed," Willow put in, from Buffy's other side. "When he was delirious, when Faith poisoned him, he thought I was you. He said he'd stay, that he'd never leave you." She glanced at Angel. "I've never forgotten that."

"There's a picture he uses as a bookmark," added Wesley. "It falls out of every book he reads."

Buffy swallowed, her eyes wet, and turned to Riley, taking his hands in hers.

"I love you," she told him. "You're a wonderful man. You're loving and gentle and good and kind, and you don't deserve me." Slowly she held up her hand with the engagement ring on it, and slid the golden circlet off her finger. "I know this is going to cut you up inside," she said, placing the ring in his hand. "I know I shouldn't be doing this. But in my heart I've compared you to Angel ever since we met." She sank down on her knees and faced Angel. "Yes."

"Yes."

"Yes." She smiled, and slowly put her hand out and touched his chest. "I can feel your heart beating."

He looked at her, unbelievingly. "Yes?"

"No!" said Riley, breaking between them and staring wildly at Buffy. "Buffy, what are you doing?"

"Following my heart," she told him. "I'm so sorry, Riley. I should never have agreed to marry you."

Angel looked down at the ground before meeting Riley's eyes with uncharacteristic frankness.

"I've been around a long time," he said, quietly, "many years spent in the darkness. I've only ever loved one person. There were . people I thought I loved, but compared with what I feel for Buffy they were nothing. Now, today, for the first time in my existence I have a chance, a real chance, for pure, simple happiness. Do you think I wouldn't try and take it? That I would look on, look on at you in the sunlight with the woman I love? I'm linked to her whether any of us like it or not, and her happiness is my joy. If she said she wanted to marry you then I would leave, now. Once I gave my life for her. Would you do that?"

"Bravo, Angel," Giles said to himself. Cordelia clutched her bag tightly and closed her eyes.

Riley held out his hand, and Angel took it. For a moment there was understanding between the two. Then Riley abruptly let go and turned to Buffy.

"Don't forget me," he said.

"Never."

They shared a last look, before Riley moved, walking swiftly down the aisle and out of the doors.

The vicar, who had watched the proceedings with a worried frown, now looked from one to the other.

"What should I do?"

"Can you go ahead?" asked Buffy.

"I suppose so. You'll need to get a licence afterwards, a legal wedding." He bent towards Angel. "Your name, sir?"

Angel and Buffy exchanged glances.

"Surname," she prompted.

"It's ironic, really," Angel returned. "It was Riley." He shrugged. "I suppose it can be Riley again." He turned to the vicar. "Angel Riley."

"Does anyone here present object to the union of these two persons?" the vicar asked, and this time there was silence.

"Do you, Angel, agree to take this woman as your lawfully wedded wife, to love and to serve, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do." Carefully, tenderly, Angel slid on to Buffy's hand the claddagh ring, the heart pointing towards her heart.

"Do you, Buffy, agree to take this man as your lawfully wedded husband, to love and to serve, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do."

"Then, by the laws of this land, and by the powers invested in me, I declare you man and wife." The vicar smiled at them. "You may now kiss the bride."

Angel, feeling his heart beat harder in his chest, lifted Buffy's veil and bent down to kiss her.

"For ever," he murmured in her ear, as the congregation burst into spontaneous applause. The organist struck up and followed by their friends and family, the newly wedded couple left the church.

Outside, Angel lifted his eyes to the sun.

"Look at that," he said, wonderingly. "It's so bright."

Buffy held his hand. "Your hand's so warm."

He looked at her.

"I can't believe this. None of it seems real. You know, I dreamed once we were married. It was perfect, until we stepped outside."

"What happened?"

"You . burst into flame. Not me. You. But I woke up."

"I had lots of dreams like that," she replied. "But they're over now. This isn't a dream."

They were interrupted by Willow, who came rushing up to hug her friend.

"That was . amazing!" she said. "Not what I expected."

"Nor me," answered Buffy. "You're not mad?"

Willow stood back.

"It's your life. But no, of course I'm not mad." She turned to Angel. "It's wonderful. Can I hug you too?"

Smiling broadly, he allowed the embrace.

"Buffy."

She swung around. "Mom. Dad. I'm sorry."

Joyce mopped her tears away.

"I'm the one that should be sorry." She turned to Angel. "If I hadn't asked you to go, all those years ago ."

He cut her off.

"Don't say that. Things were different then. All I can ask for is your acceptance of me as your son-in-law."

"With all my heart," Joyce said, and with a lump in her throat she kissed Angel on both cheeks.

"Angel," said Buffy, "this is my father. Dad - Angel."

"That was extremely unexpected, what happened in there," Hank Summers commented. "I hope you know what you're doing, young man."

Buffy and Joyce burst into peals of laughter.

"That's the first time anyone's called me that for a good two hundred years," said Angel.

"We'll explain later," Buffy told her father. "It's a long story."

"I think there's a lot of things you need to explain, kiddo," he said. He held out his hand to Angel. "But you picked a good-looking husband. Welcome to the family."

Angel took the offered hand and shook it firmly.

"I have a family!" he said to Buffy.

She smiled up at him. "And we'll make it bigger."

Hand in hand, the two moved to speak to their guests. Giles came up to them.

"I've had a look at that prophecy. Wesley's right, it's for good." He kissed Buffy on her cheek. "No more curse."

"No more demon," Angel said, shivering despite the warm sun. "He's gone. For good this time."

"You'd better look after her now you have her," Giles told him sternly. "Not that I expect you to protect her ."

"More the other way around!" laughed Buffy. "One thing's not going to change. I'm still the Slayer." She paused, and there was a thought-crinkle on her brow. "Do Slayers get to retire?"

"Anything can happen," said Angel.

They turned to each other, their guests mingling around, chatter in the air, and their eyes met. He put out a hand and stroked her hair.

"You're even more beautiful in the sunlight."

"And you have colour in your face," she responded.

"Perhaps it's a dream. I'll wake up back in LA to my nearly-empty fridge."

"If it's a dream, let's hold on to it," Buffy said. "We'll never wake up."

He smiled, and for the first time she saw no pain in his eyes, only happiness. She reached up to kiss him, and then with the confetti flying over them they made their way to the waiting limousine.