CHAPTER 21 - CLEM
They came down from the ridge and spotted the small cabin in the distance. It looked a lot like Spike's house, only smaller in size and with a much smaller front porch.
Walking up to it, Buffy could already smell brunch being prepared. Spike knocked on the door.
"Buffy! Spike! Come in!" said an apron wearing, smiling Clem.
"Clem," Buffy said smiling, as she gave him a hug, "whatever you're cooking, it smells just delicious!"
"Oh, just some bear, in a urine-yak sauce," he said.
"Oh," Buffy said, smile frozen.
"JUST KIDDING!" Clem said, laughing.
"Oh, thank God!" Buffy said, laughing, too.
"You know, I may be a demon, but I have the heart of an epicure!"
"Yeah, barbecue chicken wings," Spike added, scoffing.
"Not only that Boss, not only that. That's just fun food, I happen to have very refined tastes in real food, too." Clem said.
"Is that right?" said Spike, still laughing.
"That's right! Before you knew me, I had gone to a very famous cooking school in France," Clem said, looking hurt.
"You did?" Buffy asked, after giving Spike a sidelong glare that told him to be quiet.
"I did!"
"When?"
"When I was still human, before I was turned," Clem said.
"Human? You were human Clem? You weren't always a demon?" Buffy asked, amazed. She'd never thought of him as anything but a demon, albeit, a very endearing, sort of gay one.
"Look, why don't you kids come in, have some brunch, then I'll tell you all about it Buffy," he said, taking their coats from them and hanging them on a hook near the front door.
"Great," said Buffy.
"I'll be right back with the food, you guys make yourself at home," Clem said, walking off into the kitchen.
"Need some help in the kitchen, Clem?" Buffy asked.
"No, I got it taken care of, you kids just relax," Clem said as he walked through the swinging door leading into the kitchen.
Clem smiled as he walked into the kitchen. He could smell them on each other as they walked into the cabin. Ah, love! It made him happy to see Spike and Buffy together, finally.
Buffy turned to Spike and smiled at him, "Clem was human?"
Spike nodded, "Yeah," he answered, "just like I was, just like you are," he said, grabbing her for a hug.
She put her face up to his for a kiss, "Ummm," she said, hugging him back, tightly.
Clearing his throat, Clem opened the door to the kitchen, "Brunch is served, come on in," he said.
Buffy and Spike broke away, and came into the kitchen.
Clem's kitchen was furnished more like what she'd imagined Spike's should have looked like, all Victorian. Small, dark, mahogany table, and matching chairs, with velvet padded seats.
Clem saw her taking it all in, "Do you like it?" he asked.
"Very nice," she answered, "Edna?"
"How'd you guess?" he asked, laughing.
"Well, come on, sit down. Let's eat."
Clem proceeded to ladle out a thick bouillabaisse, served along with thick slices of bread. Buffy and Clem's were white, Spike's was decidedly red in color.
"Added some blood to yours, Spike," Clem said.
"Appreciate that, mate," Spike said, picking up his spoon.
"I couldn't decide on whether this would go with white or red, so I settled," Clem said, as he poured them a glass of Merlot.
"Clem! This is delicious!" Buffy exclaimed, after taking a spoonful of the soup.
"Well, thank you, Buffy," Clem said, smiling proudly. "The bouillabaisse, I made on my own, the bread is from Dudley's Bakery in Santa Ysabel; they have the most mouth watering bread in the world!" he said, dreamily.
"Ummm! Have to agree with you, there," Buffy said, biting into a piece.
"How did you, er, go into the bakery? I mean, demon looking," she said, then seeing his face, added, "though, a very cute demon."
"Cute? Thanks Buffy," Clem said, "I can actually revert back to my human face, only it's not so easy. Can't wear it most of the time like Spike can here," he said looking across the table at Spike.
"Really? I had no idea," Buffy said.
"It's...well, it's sort of painful to do it. Watch," Clem said, and with much effort, he turned from his usual, wrinkly self, to an attractive, young, brown haired man, probably in his mid-twenties.
"Clem!" Buffy exclaimed, looking at his human face for the first time, "my gosh, you're even cute as a human!"
"Thanks," he said, groaning as he turned back, breathing hard, "like I said, a rather painful thing for me to do. But very worth it for Dudley's bread," he said, taking a bite.
"Dudley's Bakery, have to remember that," then she turned to Spike, "think we can stop there and get some bread tomorrow, on the way back?"
"Sure," Spike said, not looking at her.
Damn! She'd said the word; back. Back to Sunnydale, back to reality. She didn't want to think of it at all, not today! Instead, she'd gone and blurted the word out.
She reached under the table and rested her hand on his knee, giving it a squeeze, letting him know that for now, she was with him 100%. In the now.
And the now was wonderful.
He took his right hand off of his lap and put it over hers. He kept his eyes down, not wanting to reveal his emotional reaction to the word, back.
Bugger it! He didn't want to be such a wanker. Not like he didn't know that the real world was only a day away, just didn't want to think of it right now. Just for one day, let it be away, over there, not here, not today.
Buffy cleared her throat, "It's all wonderful, Clem," she said.
"Well, thank you, Buffy," he answered. He'd felt some moment of sadness pass between them, at the mention of going home. Poor kids, never had the chance to be anywhere besides Sunnydale; not the best place to have a relationship.
"So, you were human? Tell me," Buffy said.
"Okay," Clem said, wiping the folds of his face off, with his napkin.
"Around the early 40's or so, I had returned from France and had my first job as a cook for the King George Hotel in San Francisco. One night on my way home, I was attacked by demons. I was never so scared. At first I just thought it was some gay boys dressed up in a really strange form of drag. Even back then the gay boys...oh never mind. Anyway, they pulled me into an alley and just about killed me, when Spike, here, saved me."
"You saved Clem?"
Before he could answer, Clem continued, "he sure did, he pulled the demons off of me and killed them right then and there on the spot!"
"Was gonnna kill you, too, if you remember," Spike said.
"Yeah, but you didn't. You let me go," Clem said.
"Why'd you let him go, Spike?" Buffy asked.
"I don't know, just heard this fight, was in a pissed off mood; probably mad at Dru...Anyway, killed the demons and was going to take a chunk out of Clem here, but he was such a young git, just changed my mind," Spike said shrugging.
"Yep, told me to, 'Get the hell out of here,' " Clem said, smiling fondly at the memory.
"What happened then? How did you two become friends?" Buffy asked.
"Well, the demons that had attacked me, had already bitten into me, and had infected me; most demons can't turn someone into what they are, but lucky me," he said, with ever so slightly a bit of irony, "these ones could. Anyway, within a couple of days, I was growing into a totally different type of person; being, as you can see," he said laughing.
"So, by the time Monday comes around, I have to call the hotel up and quit my position. I'd already grown about fifty pounds of extra skin, things are beginning to stick out of my face, whenever I couldn't control my emotions; like what you saw, when I showed the girls at the bar that night."
Buffy nodded.
"Anyway, I'm totally confused, lost, scared, I didn't know what to do. I start wandering around the wharf, looking for someone, anyone, any thing; that could give me any sort of answers about what was happening to me. Finally, I run into Spike one night. He's about to kill me, like he did those other demons who had attacked me, when I tell him who I am," Clem said.
"Yeah, I remember. You were a mess, mate," Spike said, taking a drink of his Merlot.
"Well, Spike here gives me some advice on living as a demon, then tells me he's heading off to Julian. Well, I don't have any friends at all anymore. I was alone in the city to begin with; my family from back east was dead; not that they'd been the understanding types. Gay, demon son, not exactly..." he just shook his head.
"So you went with Spike to Julian?" Buffy asked, looking at Spike.
"Not exactly 'went with,' more like, sort of followed him. Watched him rage when he saw that his house hadn't been finished. Watched him confront, then comfort Edna," Clem said, smiling sadly at the memory.
"So how did you find out about him following you?" Buffy asked, looking at Spike.
"I didn't really, not until I came back a year later and had found that some of the house had been further finished. I didn't know what to make of that. Remember; I hadn't started to finish it as of yet, and I knew Edna wouldn't have hired anyone. Only thing I could figure was that some of the original work hadn't been finished yet, and the men had come back. Either that or someone else had designs on taking over the house altogether," Spike said.
He continued, "So, I go to my favorite cave, where I use to stay, and who do you think is holed up there?" he looked toward Clem.
"Of course, at first I'm pissed off, finding him there. Ask him what the hell he thinks he's playin' at, being on my land, messing around with my house? And of course, he tells me he just wanted to help, seeing as I had nobody to do the work for me anymore," Spike said. "So, I thought why not? He was right of course, I needed someone to help me with the building, and him being human rather recently, well, he had more knowledge of that kind of thing than I did."
"And, I," Clem added, "well, I sort of looked on Spike as a sort of protector and mentor. I mean, he did save my life once, and he knew all about how to be a demon." Clem said, looking fondly at an embarrassed Spike.
"That's how you came to work for Spike." Buffy said.
"Yep, that's about it. Over the years, we've pretty much built everything around here ourselves," Clem said, nodding. "Built both houses, the road, even fencing around the inner 10 acres.
"And a fine job, if I do say so myself," Buffy said, smiling at both of them.
An hour later they were sitting in the living room, drinking Merlot and listening to Clem's latest CD, A Tribute to John Lennon, Rufus Wainwright's version of Across the Universe, wafted from the speakers.
"I like that song," Buffy said.
"Knew the Beatles," Spike said, smugly.
"You're so full of it, Spike!" Buffy said.
"Stake me if I'm lying, Slayer," he said, using the 'other' name, looking hurt.
"No shit?" she asked.
He nodded, "I'll tell you about it one day, "he said, "if you're lucky," he added, with a smirk.
He got up from the couch and returned with his backpack, "Better check up on the kiddies," he said, pulling out her phone and the laptop.
She felt guilty, she'd totally forgotten.
He dialed the connection, "Take a look," he told her, "it's fine."
She took the laptop from him and looked at the various scenes of a Saturday at the very packed Case de Summers. She nodded, handing it back to him.
Just then she heard the beep of the IM. She looked at Spike.
"Wanna take that?" he asked her.
She shrugged, "Who is it?"
"Dunno pet, says it's from a 'RWSDHS,' mean anything to you?" he asked, handing her back the laptop.
RWSDHS: Buffy, are you there? I got your IM from Giles
Buffy took about a half second to figure out who it was from - Robin Wood!
"It's Robin, the principal," she said quietly to Spike."
"Oh," he said, getting quiet.
"He said that Giles gave him my IM. Damn that Giles," she said, hoping Spike knew that she wasn't at all happy to hear from Wood.
They both knew that meant that Wood probably knew that Buffy was away. With him.
"Aren't you going to answer him?" Spike asked.
"Spike, I....I don't..."
"You sort of have to, don't you?" he asked her softly.
She could feel his emotions warring within him, as shadows crossed his face. He was willing to sacrifice for her, even if it meant giving a part of her up; share her; if they, if someone else needed her; didn't even feel the right to claim all of her attention, all of her affections for even a single day. He'd brought her here for her own sake, selflessly. And that act, the final straw-breaking-the-camel's-back-act, along with all his other ones lately, had finally, irrevocably, cinched the deal for her. The journey had been long -from her questioning if she really did love him, and even if she did, should she do anything, say anything about it, to finally giving herself permission to do what was in her own self-interest for once. Hers and his; and still, here he was, still doubting that he was even worth such a little amount of her full attention...
"No, Spike. I really don't," she said, clicking off the connection.
She looked a surprised Spike in the eyes, "I don't have to answer to anybody today but myself. MYSELF and MY conscience," she said, taking his hand, "and my conscience is clear. I don't owe anybody any explanations of my whereabouts, my decisions, or my time."
"I'm your girl," she said tightly gripping his hand, as if trying to make him understand, silently pleading for him to, "nobody else's; your girl!"
I could never be your girl
My girl.
that's my girl, put it all on me
The words she'd spoken to him last night and now again; the very implication simply stunned Spike speechless. All those times last year calling her that; almost taunting her as they'd dripped off of his tongue, like a combination of venom and honey. She'd recoiling from them; from him. And him, not even realizing the depth of what they meant to either of them.
Now they'd become her words. She'd said she wanted to be "his girl," made a choice to come up here, share his house, his bed, his love...after all this time and all the wrong choices each of them had made, especially him, and she chose him. Over the principal, nice, normal, the well dressed, smelling good, on the right side of the fight principal. She chose him. Over what was sure to be Giles' displeasure. She chose him.
Him.
His girl.
He drew himself up. Proudly, even, "My girl," he echoed back to her. "Okay Buffy," he said to her. He'd never let her down, never hurt her; fight along side her to his death, if that was what it took, "okay."
END CHAPTER 21
They came down from the ridge and spotted the small cabin in the distance. It looked a lot like Spike's house, only smaller in size and with a much smaller front porch.
Walking up to it, Buffy could already smell brunch being prepared. Spike knocked on the door.
"Buffy! Spike! Come in!" said an apron wearing, smiling Clem.
"Clem," Buffy said smiling, as she gave him a hug, "whatever you're cooking, it smells just delicious!"
"Oh, just some bear, in a urine-yak sauce," he said.
"Oh," Buffy said, smile frozen.
"JUST KIDDING!" Clem said, laughing.
"Oh, thank God!" Buffy said, laughing, too.
"You know, I may be a demon, but I have the heart of an epicure!"
"Yeah, barbecue chicken wings," Spike added, scoffing.
"Not only that Boss, not only that. That's just fun food, I happen to have very refined tastes in real food, too." Clem said.
"Is that right?" said Spike, still laughing.
"That's right! Before you knew me, I had gone to a very famous cooking school in France," Clem said, looking hurt.
"You did?" Buffy asked, after giving Spike a sidelong glare that told him to be quiet.
"I did!"
"When?"
"When I was still human, before I was turned," Clem said.
"Human? You were human Clem? You weren't always a demon?" Buffy asked, amazed. She'd never thought of him as anything but a demon, albeit, a very endearing, sort of gay one.
"Look, why don't you kids come in, have some brunch, then I'll tell you all about it Buffy," he said, taking their coats from them and hanging them on a hook near the front door.
"Great," said Buffy.
"I'll be right back with the food, you guys make yourself at home," Clem said, walking off into the kitchen.
"Need some help in the kitchen, Clem?" Buffy asked.
"No, I got it taken care of, you kids just relax," Clem said as he walked through the swinging door leading into the kitchen.
Clem smiled as he walked into the kitchen. He could smell them on each other as they walked into the cabin. Ah, love! It made him happy to see Spike and Buffy together, finally.
Buffy turned to Spike and smiled at him, "Clem was human?"
Spike nodded, "Yeah," he answered, "just like I was, just like you are," he said, grabbing her for a hug.
She put her face up to his for a kiss, "Ummm," she said, hugging him back, tightly.
Clearing his throat, Clem opened the door to the kitchen, "Brunch is served, come on in," he said.
Buffy and Spike broke away, and came into the kitchen.
Clem's kitchen was furnished more like what she'd imagined Spike's should have looked like, all Victorian. Small, dark, mahogany table, and matching chairs, with velvet padded seats.
Clem saw her taking it all in, "Do you like it?" he asked.
"Very nice," she answered, "Edna?"
"How'd you guess?" he asked, laughing.
"Well, come on, sit down. Let's eat."
Clem proceeded to ladle out a thick bouillabaisse, served along with thick slices of bread. Buffy and Clem's were white, Spike's was decidedly red in color.
"Added some blood to yours, Spike," Clem said.
"Appreciate that, mate," Spike said, picking up his spoon.
"I couldn't decide on whether this would go with white or red, so I settled," Clem said, as he poured them a glass of Merlot.
"Clem! This is delicious!" Buffy exclaimed, after taking a spoonful of the soup.
"Well, thank you, Buffy," Clem said, smiling proudly. "The bouillabaisse, I made on my own, the bread is from Dudley's Bakery in Santa Ysabel; they have the most mouth watering bread in the world!" he said, dreamily.
"Ummm! Have to agree with you, there," Buffy said, biting into a piece.
"How did you, er, go into the bakery? I mean, demon looking," she said, then seeing his face, added, "though, a very cute demon."
"Cute? Thanks Buffy," Clem said, "I can actually revert back to my human face, only it's not so easy. Can't wear it most of the time like Spike can here," he said looking across the table at Spike.
"Really? I had no idea," Buffy said.
"It's...well, it's sort of painful to do it. Watch," Clem said, and with much effort, he turned from his usual, wrinkly self, to an attractive, young, brown haired man, probably in his mid-twenties.
"Clem!" Buffy exclaimed, looking at his human face for the first time, "my gosh, you're even cute as a human!"
"Thanks," he said, groaning as he turned back, breathing hard, "like I said, a rather painful thing for me to do. But very worth it for Dudley's bread," he said, taking a bite.
"Dudley's Bakery, have to remember that," then she turned to Spike, "think we can stop there and get some bread tomorrow, on the way back?"
"Sure," Spike said, not looking at her.
Damn! She'd said the word; back. Back to Sunnydale, back to reality. She didn't want to think of it at all, not today! Instead, she'd gone and blurted the word out.
She reached under the table and rested her hand on his knee, giving it a squeeze, letting him know that for now, she was with him 100%. In the now.
And the now was wonderful.
He took his right hand off of his lap and put it over hers. He kept his eyes down, not wanting to reveal his emotional reaction to the word, back.
Bugger it! He didn't want to be such a wanker. Not like he didn't know that the real world was only a day away, just didn't want to think of it right now. Just for one day, let it be away, over there, not here, not today.
Buffy cleared her throat, "It's all wonderful, Clem," she said.
"Well, thank you, Buffy," he answered. He'd felt some moment of sadness pass between them, at the mention of going home. Poor kids, never had the chance to be anywhere besides Sunnydale; not the best place to have a relationship.
"So, you were human? Tell me," Buffy said.
"Okay," Clem said, wiping the folds of his face off, with his napkin.
"Around the early 40's or so, I had returned from France and had my first job as a cook for the King George Hotel in San Francisco. One night on my way home, I was attacked by demons. I was never so scared. At first I just thought it was some gay boys dressed up in a really strange form of drag. Even back then the gay boys...oh never mind. Anyway, they pulled me into an alley and just about killed me, when Spike, here, saved me."
"You saved Clem?"
Before he could answer, Clem continued, "he sure did, he pulled the demons off of me and killed them right then and there on the spot!"
"Was gonnna kill you, too, if you remember," Spike said.
"Yeah, but you didn't. You let me go," Clem said.
"Why'd you let him go, Spike?" Buffy asked.
"I don't know, just heard this fight, was in a pissed off mood; probably mad at Dru...Anyway, killed the demons and was going to take a chunk out of Clem here, but he was such a young git, just changed my mind," Spike said shrugging.
"Yep, told me to, 'Get the hell out of here,' " Clem said, smiling fondly at the memory.
"What happened then? How did you two become friends?" Buffy asked.
"Well, the demons that had attacked me, had already bitten into me, and had infected me; most demons can't turn someone into what they are, but lucky me," he said, with ever so slightly a bit of irony, "these ones could. Anyway, within a couple of days, I was growing into a totally different type of person; being, as you can see," he said laughing.
"So, by the time Monday comes around, I have to call the hotel up and quit my position. I'd already grown about fifty pounds of extra skin, things are beginning to stick out of my face, whenever I couldn't control my emotions; like what you saw, when I showed the girls at the bar that night."
Buffy nodded.
"Anyway, I'm totally confused, lost, scared, I didn't know what to do. I start wandering around the wharf, looking for someone, anyone, any thing; that could give me any sort of answers about what was happening to me. Finally, I run into Spike one night. He's about to kill me, like he did those other demons who had attacked me, when I tell him who I am," Clem said.
"Yeah, I remember. You were a mess, mate," Spike said, taking a drink of his Merlot.
"Well, Spike here gives me some advice on living as a demon, then tells me he's heading off to Julian. Well, I don't have any friends at all anymore. I was alone in the city to begin with; my family from back east was dead; not that they'd been the understanding types. Gay, demon son, not exactly..." he just shook his head.
"So you went with Spike to Julian?" Buffy asked, looking at Spike.
"Not exactly 'went with,' more like, sort of followed him. Watched him rage when he saw that his house hadn't been finished. Watched him confront, then comfort Edna," Clem said, smiling sadly at the memory.
"So how did you find out about him following you?" Buffy asked, looking at Spike.
"I didn't really, not until I came back a year later and had found that some of the house had been further finished. I didn't know what to make of that. Remember; I hadn't started to finish it as of yet, and I knew Edna wouldn't have hired anyone. Only thing I could figure was that some of the original work hadn't been finished yet, and the men had come back. Either that or someone else had designs on taking over the house altogether," Spike said.
He continued, "So, I go to my favorite cave, where I use to stay, and who do you think is holed up there?" he looked toward Clem.
"Of course, at first I'm pissed off, finding him there. Ask him what the hell he thinks he's playin' at, being on my land, messing around with my house? And of course, he tells me he just wanted to help, seeing as I had nobody to do the work for me anymore," Spike said. "So, I thought why not? He was right of course, I needed someone to help me with the building, and him being human rather recently, well, he had more knowledge of that kind of thing than I did."
"And, I," Clem added, "well, I sort of looked on Spike as a sort of protector and mentor. I mean, he did save my life once, and he knew all about how to be a demon." Clem said, looking fondly at an embarrassed Spike.
"That's how you came to work for Spike." Buffy said.
"Yep, that's about it. Over the years, we've pretty much built everything around here ourselves," Clem said, nodding. "Built both houses, the road, even fencing around the inner 10 acres.
"And a fine job, if I do say so myself," Buffy said, smiling at both of them.
An hour later they were sitting in the living room, drinking Merlot and listening to Clem's latest CD, A Tribute to John Lennon, Rufus Wainwright's version of Across the Universe, wafted from the speakers.
"I like that song," Buffy said.
"Knew the Beatles," Spike said, smugly.
"You're so full of it, Spike!" Buffy said.
"Stake me if I'm lying, Slayer," he said, using the 'other' name, looking hurt.
"No shit?" she asked.
He nodded, "I'll tell you about it one day, "he said, "if you're lucky," he added, with a smirk.
He got up from the couch and returned with his backpack, "Better check up on the kiddies," he said, pulling out her phone and the laptop.
She felt guilty, she'd totally forgotten.
He dialed the connection, "Take a look," he told her, "it's fine."
She took the laptop from him and looked at the various scenes of a Saturday at the very packed Case de Summers. She nodded, handing it back to him.
Just then she heard the beep of the IM. She looked at Spike.
"Wanna take that?" he asked her.
She shrugged, "Who is it?"
"Dunno pet, says it's from a 'RWSDHS,' mean anything to you?" he asked, handing her back the laptop.
RWSDHS: Buffy, are you there? I got your IM from Giles
Buffy took about a half second to figure out who it was from - Robin Wood!
"It's Robin, the principal," she said quietly to Spike."
"Oh," he said, getting quiet.
"He said that Giles gave him my IM. Damn that Giles," she said, hoping Spike knew that she wasn't at all happy to hear from Wood.
They both knew that meant that Wood probably knew that Buffy was away. With him.
"Aren't you going to answer him?" Spike asked.
"Spike, I....I don't..."
"You sort of have to, don't you?" he asked her softly.
She could feel his emotions warring within him, as shadows crossed his face. He was willing to sacrifice for her, even if it meant giving a part of her up; share her; if they, if someone else needed her; didn't even feel the right to claim all of her attention, all of her affections for even a single day. He'd brought her here for her own sake, selflessly. And that act, the final straw-breaking-the-camel's-back-act, along with all his other ones lately, had finally, irrevocably, cinched the deal for her. The journey had been long -from her questioning if she really did love him, and even if she did, should she do anything, say anything about it, to finally giving herself permission to do what was in her own self-interest for once. Hers and his; and still, here he was, still doubting that he was even worth such a little amount of her full attention...
"No, Spike. I really don't," she said, clicking off the connection.
She looked a surprised Spike in the eyes, "I don't have to answer to anybody today but myself. MYSELF and MY conscience," she said, taking his hand, "and my conscience is clear. I don't owe anybody any explanations of my whereabouts, my decisions, or my time."
"I'm your girl," she said tightly gripping his hand, as if trying to make him understand, silently pleading for him to, "nobody else's; your girl!"
I could never be your girl
My girl.
that's my girl, put it all on me
The words she'd spoken to him last night and now again; the very implication simply stunned Spike speechless. All those times last year calling her that; almost taunting her as they'd dripped off of his tongue, like a combination of venom and honey. She'd recoiling from them; from him. And him, not even realizing the depth of what they meant to either of them.
Now they'd become her words. She'd said she wanted to be "his girl," made a choice to come up here, share his house, his bed, his love...after all this time and all the wrong choices each of them had made, especially him, and she chose him. Over the principal, nice, normal, the well dressed, smelling good, on the right side of the fight principal. She chose him. Over what was sure to be Giles' displeasure. She chose him.
Him.
His girl.
He drew himself up. Proudly, even, "My girl," he echoed back to her. "Okay Buffy," he said to her. He'd never let her down, never hurt her; fight along side her to his death, if that was what it took, "okay."
END CHAPTER 21