Buffy shifted in her dress, it was long and white and looking at herself in the mirror she felt like a princess, her long blonde hair was loose with a wreath of flowers on her head. She swirled around for a moment feeling the silk against her legs. A small red haired girl with glasses came in "Buffy, you look pretty c'mon it's time for the wedding." The small girl grabbed her equally small friend's hand.
As she made to pull her out, a loud brunette pushed her way inside. "No! You can't let her go out there she needs..." Cordy looked her over and a light bulb went on in her head "something blue, something borrowed and something new. Or something like that, at least that's what mommy told me a bride has."
Willow looked her her friend "The dress is borrowed, it's yours Cordy." She offered
"An' I'm wearing new sneakers." The blushing bride lifted up the dress to show her feet.
"Nooo," Cordy wailed "you need something blue" the five-year-olds looked around the room searching for something blue.
Finally Willow found a blue pen in the corner "Cordy is we put this somewhere will it do?"
The brunette tapped her chin in mimicry of a gesture she had seen her mom do. "Yeah, just shove it in her hair of pocket."
Willow obliging pushed it into Buffy's hair "Ooww, Willow, that hurt!" the bride complained
"Sorry"
"That' all ready now I have to go talk to Anya about weddings and Willow you guys wait in here until I tell you to come out Okay?" without waiting for an answer the little fashion princess walked out.
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"Francis tell me again why I'm doing this?" A dark –haired five-year-old queried his friend.
"Because you like Buffy and she'll be mad at you if you don't." His half-demon friend answered.
Liam fiddled with the bow Cordelia had fastened around his next "Yeah, but why do I haf ta wear a suit and a bow?" he said bow with distaste.
"Because Cordelia told ya ta, now stop twisting that or ya'll break something and then she'll be mad"
Liam thought about it for a moment, on one side there was comfort and on the other was angry Buffy and Cordelia, he stopped fidgeting and sat still.
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Anya sat up the front of the living room by a big table, Xander sat next to her "I don't know why I haf ta be the marrying person." She complained "I wanna dress up in a pretty dress and be a bridesmaid, instead of wearing a black cloaky thing"
The pudgy dark haired boy looked sympathetic "You haf ta do it, Buffy's the bride and Angel's the groom so they can't do it. Francis is the bestest man, Willow is the bestest girl an' Cordy is the arranger person."
The future demon pouted "why don't you do it?"
"'Cos I haf ta show people to their seats," he puffed up self importantly
"But we only have Giles and Liam's mom,"
"Yeah well, Cordy also said I'd screw it up."
The girl looked sorry for him "Okay."
The same brunette they had being talking about a moment before breezed into the room "Hello. Anya do you remember the words?"
"Yup." Anya said "But do I haf ta say 'all I love.'? 'cos I don't love all of you."
Cordy looked uncertain "Yeaaah, I guess you haf ta it's the words."
The dark blonde groaned "okay if I haf ta."
"Good, now Xander go get the guests and Anya put on the pinafore I'll go get the boys and Buffy."
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Outside in the hall two adults waited "This really is going to be most interesting."
The dark haired female laughed "Tell me about it, you should have seen my face when Liam told me he was getting married today, how did you react?"
Her sandy blonde companion answered "I'm afraid I was rather preoccupied when Buffy told me. I said 'yes dear, just don't get anything dirty."
Very formally Xander entered in a stiff voice he said "if you would like to be seated please follow me." His back straight the boy lead the way into the living room and to two chairs set up by a long series of Persian rugs in a row that lead to where Anya was sitting.
Glancing around her Marie said in a side note to Giles "I get the feeling they put a lot of work into this."
Giles nodded in a agreement "Perhaps I should go and get the video camera."
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"C'mon guys, it's time to go" Cordelia grabbed Liam's and Francis' hands pulling them out into the hall and then into the living room. Francis barely had time to grab the ring that had being entrusted into his safekeeping before she pulled them out. Cordy rushed away again and left Liam and Francis standing up the front of the room.
The next major thing was Cordelia's loud voice saying "Xander hit it." Xander hit it and the sound of Ernie singing rubber ducky filled the room, a loud shriek came from the hall as Cordelia stormed in again "WHAT did you do?"
Xander raised his hands in a non defensive way "Nuthin'"
Grumbling Cordelia lifted the tape out and put it in the other way "Do I haf ta do everything around here?" she looked at Xander pointedly "Just press play, okay?"
Xander nodded and Cordy left the room.
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Out in the hall, Buffy and Willow waited "Willow." Buffy said
"Yup" her best friend answered
"I wish I really was getting married to Liam and one day I'm gonna."
The child genius looked worried "The future is a long way away and who says what it'll be like by the time we're all grown up. And what we'll be like."
The blonde's face was stubborn "I'm gonna marry Liam really." Willow looked at her friend struck by a feeling of rightness about this.
A grumbling Cordelia coming out and picking up a basket of flowers, interrupted the moment, handing them to Willow she instructed "Toss them around before Buffy okay?" she looked critically at the two. "Okay, when the music starts come in." She picked up a small video camera holding it gingerly, she said "just a moment okay smile," her hand wobbling slightly she focused on the two girls okay." She stepped inside and at the sound of her loud voice the wedding march began.
Willow entered first smiling shyly and tossing the flowers over the carpet that formed the aisle, she could see Francis and Liam waiting at the table by Anya and Cordelia focusing on her with the camera.
Behind her Buffy walked in her grin was massive. Liam at the front watched her as she neared him, much like Willow before him he was overcome by a sense that this was right, but he quickly shook it off to grin at his best friend
Once Buffy reached the table she took Liam's hand and grinned at him. Anya's voice filled the room " All I love, we are here to day to see Liam Angel and Buffy Summers get married....."
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"you may now kiss the bride!!!" Anya's voice rang out. Buffy her hand now neatly adorned with a plastic ring leaned forward and so did Liam, the two quickly touched lips before leaping back and furiously wiping their mouths.
Cordelia who had videoed the whole thing snapped her video camera shut and ran up to hug them. The others did as well. The parents slowly stood up, Giles spoke first "I must say that was a most lovely service Cordelia" The brunette smiled "Well done Anya and Xander, you both played your roles wonderfully. Francis and Willow you were excellent best friends." Willow blushed and looked everywhere apart from at Giles. "And Buffy and Liam I wish you all the best."
Marie spoke next "I have to agree with Giles it was a lovely wedding, and if you want to, we may just have some fizz and cake over at our house." The faces lit up and the future scooby gang left in record speed.
"Well, that was very peaceful." Giles smiled.
Marie grinned " Now we just have to hope they don't still want to get married when they're about sixteen because living next door could cause some problems."
"Oh dear."
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The end of Childhood:The wedding
