• Title: I Do, Chapter 3 "The Ceremony And The Reception"
• Author name: Pavlov'sBell, a.k.a. Colton
• Rating- PG-13 for now. It will be NC-17 later.
• Feedback- PRETTY PLEASE!
• Email:
colton625@live.com• Summary- Willow and Tara finally arrive at their wedding day. Short little novella.
• Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy or any of other Buffyverse characters. Any mis-spellings or mistakes are my own fault.
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Chapter 3
As she caught sight of Willow waiting for her at the altar, Tara could feel her heart's rhythm skip a beat or two inside her chest. The night before had felt completely foreign without having Willow beside her, and now that the two of them were in each others presence once more, she felt complete. Her eyes taking in every detail of her girl, she thought for sure that she was staring at a Goddess. Willow had curled her bright and long red-hair, and it flowed seemingly flawlessly over her shoulders, and no doubt down her back as well. The blue dress that adorned her body was endless in its depth, the color stretching on in a multitude of directions. And then, as her gaze moved up, she and Willow locked eyes, and Tara felt the largest smile of her life come to her lips.
Realizing that Giles had stopped walking, Tara unhooked her arm and took the last few steps up onto the altar with her girl. Coming to stand in front of her fiancee, she smiled happily.
"Everybody ready?" Waiting until everyone had sat down, Clem looked down at the written lines he held in his hands. He had been an unlikely candidate to be the one to officially marry Willow and Tara, but considering that there had been no-one else qualified to do so that hadn't already had an assigned duty, the two women had been more than happy to ask the job of him.
"We are gathered here today, to join in marriage, Willow Danielle Rosenberg, and Tara Ann Maclay. Before we continue, I assume there's no-one here who doesn't want these two to be wed? If not, speak now, or, you know, hold your peace." Glancing over the small gathering within the room, Clem waited a few seconds for anyone to start speaking. When no-one did, he looked back down at the paper in his hand. "Before we continue, the two brides have prepared their own vows."
Nodding slightly as she took Willow's hands into her own, Tara bowed her head, her eyes closed. After taking a deep breath, she looked up at her girl, her blue eyes revealing themselves to her.
"Willow, I don't think I could ever describe what you mean to me. My entire life, I've looked for someone to keep my love. When my mother died, it was the loneliest moment of my life. I had no-one to hold me, to make me feel safe, or to let me know that things would get better. When I found you, that all changed. When I'm with you, I feel safe, because I know no-one will ever hurt me again. There have been bad times, and we can't ever let each other forget that. But with the bad times, there have been good times. Laying with you and feeling your heart beat is the only place that I want to be. I promise that I will keep your heart safe, and I know that you will do the same for me."
Sucking in another deep breath as she continued to focus on Willow's eyes, Tara could feel her breath almost hike inside her chest before she managed to say the final sentences of her vows.
"I, Tara Ann Maclay, will protect you, love you, hold and cherish you for as long as I live. Because you're my everything, and my journey has led me to you."
Her mind completely engulfed by the vows that Tara had just finished pledging her, Willow dared not look away from her girl's eyes, afraid to see them lose any shred of their intensity. Not noticing the silence that had taken hold of the room, she only moved when a subdued cough echoed to her ears. Watching the scene from his place beside her, Xander could see from Willow's reaction that she realized that she had been silent. Taking a deep breath of her own, she looked at Tara and began to speak.
"Tara, when I first met you, I was beyond broken. I had trusted someone with all my heart, and it had been broken. I felt like a stranger inside my own skin. That all changed when I met you. In you, I found someone I could trust again. You helped me put myself back together. The first time we kissed was the most amazing moment of my life. You've always been with me, even when I've been at my worst. You make me complete, more than anything else in my life. Wherever there's a Tara, there's a Willow. All you've ever done is help me, and be there for me. I've trusted you with my heart, and you've given me yours. The only thing I want is to be with you. I will always love you, and if you get lost, I will find you, wherever you go. I, Willow Danielle Rosenberg, promise to love you, comfort you, protect you, and stay with you, forever."
A small moment or so of silence passed through the room before Clem realized that he was supposed to speak once more. Hurriedly looking down at his notes, the Loose-Skinned Demon quickly found his place, and resumed his happy posture.
"May I have the rings from the two brides?" He asked. Smiling at Xander as he stepped forward with her ring, Willow watched as her friend handed it to the Demon. Waiting a beat before she stepped forward with the ring Tara had picked out for her bride, Dawn carefully presented it to Clem. Casting his red eyes over the two rings, Clem cleared his throat for a brief moment.
"These two rings symbolize their love, and their commitment to one another." He said, handing one of the rings to Tara as he continued to speak. "And now, we will let them commit themselves fully to each other."
Taking her ring, Tara smiled as she gently lifted Willow's hand, and slipped the band onto her ring finger. Her eyes locking on Willow's, Tara took a deep breath as Willow took her chosen ring and slipped it onto her finger, the band feeling slightly cool against her skin.
"Do you, Tara Maclay, take Willow Rosenberg, to be your lawfully wedded wife?" A small smile on his face as he asked the almost rhetorical question, Clem watched along with everyone else in the room as Tara gave a small nod. There wasn't a single person in the room that didn't know what Tara was going to say.
"I do." Smiling ear-to-ear as she spoke the vow, Tara could already see a small tear trickling its way down Willow's cheek.
"And do you, Willow Rosenberg, take Tara Maclay to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do, I do, I do…" Repeating the response almost endlessly, Willow's eyes were filled with nothing but pure, unrestrained happiness.
"Well." Still smiling, Clem linked his hands behind his back, his gaze still focused on the two women in front of him. "I now pronounce you woman and wife. You may both kiss the bride."
Smiling, Tara leaned in and gently pressed her lips against her newly married wife's own, both of them happy to finally be touching each other once more. Her hands resting themselves against her bride's arms, Willow met Tara's passion at every inch of their kiss. Her tongue silently petitioning Tara's for entry, she could feel a small squeeze on her arm as the other woman held onto her, showing no signs of wanting to let her go. Her lips parting in order to give Willow entry to her mouth, Tara tilted her head, virtually addicted to the taste of new wife's lips…
"Um…Wills…Tara…?" Hearing a cough and both of their names, Willow and Tara broke the kiss somewhat hesitantly, each simply wanting to kiss the other. Casting their gaze on the small gathering of friends before them, the two women smiled, both of their cheeks flushing bright red.
"Time for the reception then? I'm ready to get my dance on." Xander said, softly clapping his hands together and rubbing them. "Plus all that food…"
"Definitely." A beaming smile etched across her face, Willow gazed into her newly wed's eyes. "Definitely time."
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Lifting the cake to her newly married wife's mouth, Willow could no longer contain the smile that had spread across her lips. Barely able to stop smiling herself, Tara closed her mouth around the piece and began to chew on it. As a small amount of cheering erupted behind them, the two wives giggled, their arms automatically wrapping around each other. Leaning back enough that she could reach the cut cake on the table beside her, Tara picked a small piece up and brought it back to Willow's lips. Grinning ear-to-ear as she opened her mouth, Willow continued to smile as her wife placed the piece in her mouth, with small bits of said piece clinging to her lips. Seeing the icing that had stuck itself to her wife's lips, Tara found herself giggling.
"What's so funny?" Not realizing what was stuck to her lips, Willow looked down as Tara ran her finger along the icing. The majority of it having come off on her finger, Tara smiled and plunged the digit into her mouth, rolling her tongue over the icing until it had been completely cleaned off.
"You had icing on your lip, honey." Giggling as she spoke, she continued to smile brightly. "I got it."
"I can see that." Summoning a pout not even a moment later, Willow leaned forward and kissed her wife's lips quickly. "No fair, you didn't get any on your lips."
Managing to restrain herself, if only for the moment, she took the opportunity to take hold of Tara's hand and entwine their fingers together. Enjoying the new sensation of their wedding bands meeting one another's skin, Willow and Tara's smiles echoed each other in every way possible. For a single moment, the world around them ceased to exist, and all that remained was the two of them, standing side-by-side together. Leaning in closer, the two women closed their eyes as their lips almost touched…
"Not trying to interrupt anything, but I think there's a dance floor with your names on it." Smiling sincerely on her face, Buffy gestured towards the now empty dance floor behind her. A knowing smile etched across her face, Tara nodded and led her wife towards the floor, already knowing what song would soon drift out of the speakers. As she wrapped her arms around Willow's shoulders, she gazed into her wife's eyes as the sound of small count-in, followed by the opening chords of a guitar filled the room.
"I lived my life in shadow, never the sun on my face…" As the words wrapped around her ears, Willow's eyes widened, instantly recognizing her wife's singing. She had heard the song numerous times before, with Tara having taken it on as a lullaby to her, and she could still remember vividly the day they had walked through the park, and she had been serenaded by her wife's beautiful voice.
"Tara…" She started, unsure of what to say.
"I did." Knowing the question that her wife was about to ask, Tara rested her head on Willow's shoulder. As the two of them swayed peacefully and happily from side-to-side, the two women each had a large smile on their faces. Closing her eyes as she held Tara close, Willow gave an euphoric sigh as she began to feel Tara's heart-beat against her chest. The sere sensation of having her love so close to her made everything that had happened finally seem real. She was married to this incredible woman she was now dancing with, and the song playing over the speakers was her wife's gift to her.
"I'm under your spell, how else could it be, anyone would notice me…?" Hearing her voice casting a blanket over the entire room, Tara kept her hands firmly locked against Willow's back. As they swayed back and forth, side-to-side, both brides remained absolutely silent, each enjoying the other's touch.
"The moon to the tide, I can feel you inside…" Blushing slightly as the recording finally arrived at the final verse, Tara couldn't help but remember what she had been feeling the first time she had sang the song. The lyrics left almost no room for misinterpretation, considering what she and Willow had done once they had arrived back at Buffy's house.
Not realizing that the song had finally come to an end after its climax of "…you make me complete…" Willow and Tara momentarily were startled by the slow, but quickly growing applause that filled the entire building. Looking towards their gathering of friends, the two brides could only stand and smile as they made their way back across the floor to the tables. Parting enough to allow both of them to their tables, the crowd was nothing but smiles and clapping. Taking their seats once more at their table, Willow and Tara shared a knowing gaze with one another as they heard Xander struggling to open the glass of champagne.
The night was beginning to come to an end, and it wouldn't be long before the two of them were finally alone. And then, they could finally celebrate their marriage in the only way that either of them could think of. Together, making love for the first time as wives.
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"Just one more, baby? Pretty please?" Pressing a pout to her lips as she looked at her wife, Willow could already see from the look of commitment on Tara's face that she wouldn't be getting anymore champagne. Having already sipped her way through two glasses, she was feeling just the slightest bit tipsy. Rolling her eyes slightly at her new bride's plea, Tara shook her head for what she counted to be the third time.
"No, baby. You're not going to get drunk at our wedding reception."
"But I won't get drunk…" Continuing to pout, Willow stared back into her bride's eyes. "Pretty please?"
"No. More. Champagne." Shaking her head, Tara leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her bride's lips. Her pout instantly dissolving, Willow found herself smiling at her wife.
"I'm gonna take Anya home now, boys and girls." As he approached his friends, an arm wrapped around a drunk Anya's waist, Xander felt glad to know that he hadn't drank as much champagne has he had intended to. Considering that Anya was in no shape to drive, even if she had been sober, it was definitely time to head home. "Somebody's had a little too much to drink tonight."
"I have not had too much!" Protesting from where she stood leaning against Xander, Anya gave a small, dismissive wave at the table, never once looking up from the ground. Smiling amusingly, Willow gave Xander a small nod.
"Ok. Drive safe." She said, getting back onto her feet and wrapping her arms around both Xander and Anya. "Thanks so much for coming."
"And miss the Willster tying the knot? Wouldn't miss it for the world." Smiling back, Xander affectionately hugged back, ignoring the fact that Anya was still too tipsy to realize she was being hugged. Taking a step back as she broke the hug, Willow's smile continued to beam brightly.
"Thanks a bunch, Xander. I'll call you when we get back, ok?"
"Sounds like a plan." Nodding, Xander offered his friend one final smile, and then turned and began to walk towards the door with Anya in tow. Watching them go, Willow turned and looked at the remainder of their friends still gathered at the table. Giles had left earlier, claiming that he had no desire to drink to excess, and Clem had been called to a kitten poker game that he claimed he couldn't miss. Only Buffy and Dawn now remained. Dawn herself had watched the rest of the Scoobies throughout most of the evening, still being underage and unable to drink. Buffy had sipped at a glass or two, although she had insisted on remaining sharp, in case any kind of threat arose on the Hellmouth.
"Guess we better be getting home too." Pushing herself away from the table, Buffy looked at her sister, and gave a small smile. "Since I'm pretty sure you have homework to be doing."
"I already finished it." Tilting her head and raising an eyebrow at the other woman, Dawn nevertheless returned to her feet. "I'm kinda tired though."
"Yeah, me too." Looking over at Willow and Tara, Buffy took a short step towards the two brides, and pulled Willow into a hug. "Congrats, Willow. Congrats Tara."
"Thanks, Buffy." Smiling as she hugged back, Willow gestured for her bride to come and join in the hug as well. Grinning as she was absorbed into the hug, Tara closed her eyes, the joy she was feeling from the embrace. A few happy minutes passed before the three women parted ways, with Buffy and Dawn heading towards the door where the Slayer's vehicle was still parked. Watching as the two women left, Willow and Tara turned to each other, and shared a small but loving and knowing smile.
"Ready to go back to the hotel?" Willow asked as she held out her hand to her newly-married wife.
"Uh-huh." Nodding, Tara took her wife's hands, and entwined their fingers. Giving Willow's hand a small squeeze as the two of them fell into step, she was nothing but smiles as she and her wife walked towards the door. It was time for them to finally spend their first night together as a married couple.
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Ah, that makes sense 
You wouldn't believe how much I stressed over getting the wording of the ceremony and vows to sound right.