CHAPTER 22 - PROMISES AND SECRETS
Clearing his throat, Spike asked, "So, did you bring that extra blood?"
"Yeah, it's in the kitchen," Clem said, "I'll get it."
"No, that's alright, I'll get it," Spike said, standing up.
After the door closed to the kitchen, Clem turned to Buffy.
"I like your necklace, Buffy," Clem said.
She smiled, looking down at the lovebird necklace, "Thanks, Spike bought it for me, at The Rittenhouse last night. He's just full of surprises," she said shaking her head.
Clem nodded.
"Spike's good people. Well, a good vampire, in any case."
"I know," she answered him, "took me a while to figure it out, but I think I have."
"I'm happy for you. For both of you. I've been rooting for you guys to get together finally!"
"Thanks, Clem," Buffy said.
"You know, if...if anything happens to me, you'll, would you...?" Buffy started
"What Buffy? Would I what?" Clem asked.
"Look after him, make sure he doesn't, I don't know...do anything rash, anything crazy. I would want him to move on..."
"Oh Buffy! Don't talk like that! Everything's going to be all okey-dokey! You'll see," Clem said cheerfully.
"I hope so," Buffy said, "still, if and I'm just saying if...if anything happens, I want you to tell him that I told you, to tell him that I love him, that I always will, but that I don't want him to hurt himself, to live in pain. Tell him that I want him to..."
She stopped. She couldn't use the words, 'move on,' she'd used those very words last year and he had been so bitter. Of course, last year had been another story.
"I want you to tell him that he will love again, that I know he's loved me better than anyone ever has, but that he has too much love inside him to not love someone, a lucky someone, again. Please? Promise me that you will!" she said, gripping his hands.
"Of course I will Buffy," Clem said, squeezing her hands back. He sniffled.
"Sorry, didn't mean to make you sad, Clem," she said, giving him a hug.
"Buffy?"
"What?"
"I don't think anything bad will happen, but this stuff...I think maybe you should tell
Spike this yourself," Clem said.
"I...I probably will, but I just want you to reinforce it, if..."
"Of course I will Buffy," he said, hugging her again.
Spike walked back into the living room, carrying a few pouches of blood, "What's this then?" he said in mock indignation, "I leave for a couple of minutes and come back to find my girl and my best friend hugging!"
"Don't worry, Spike, just girl-talk," Clem said, trying to be cheerful.
"And what do you have to say for yourself?" Spike asked Buffy.
"Oh, Spike! I meant to tell you: Clem and I are in love, we're going to get married! You're invited! Hope you have a nice tuxedo!" Buffy said, teasing Spike.
"I knew it!" Spike said, stalking toward her.
She giggled as he leaped on her, pinning her against the couch and kissed her on the mouth.
Clem rolled his eyes and giggled.
"Guess this means the wedding's off, Buffy," Clem said, playing along.
"Umhmmmm," Buffy said, trying to get out of Spike's grasp, but not too hard.
Spike stopped, "And let that be a lesson to you!"
"Okay, Headmaster Spike!" Buffy said, then realizing how that sounded, she broke up in hysterics.
Spike just smirked.
A couple of minutes later, clearing his throat, Spike asked Clem, "How's that thing I asked you to check up on?"
Clem looked blank, then smiling broadly said, "Oh, that thing! It's fine, just fine."
Buffy looked at both of them, "Okay, what thing are you two talking riddles about?"
"Never you mind!" Spike said, grinning, "it's a secret; you'll find out soon enough!"
"Clem!" Buffy implored.
"Sorry, Buff, I've been sworn to silence," Clem said, laughing.
"Well, guess we should be going then," Spike said, getting up, after putting the phone and laptop back into his backpack.
Buffy got up, too.
"Clem, it's been a delightful afternoon; brunch was great and so was the company," Buffy said.
"Anytime, girl, anytime," Clem said.
"Bye mate, thanks for everything. As always, you come through," Spike said.
"Just doing my job; looking after you. And Buffy, of course," Clem said.
Buffy looked back and nodded almost imperceptibly toward Clem. He nodded back. Then Spike did the same thing. They were so much alike, Clem thought.
He watched them walk over to the trail behind his cabin and disappear into the woods.
He sighed.
He hoped that everything would turn out okay for them. They deserved it.
He turned to go back into the cabin, "Now, let's have some of those barbecue chicken wings!"
END OF CHAPTER 22
Clearing his throat, Spike asked, "So, did you bring that extra blood?"
"Yeah, it's in the kitchen," Clem said, "I'll get it."
"No, that's alright, I'll get it," Spike said, standing up.
After the door closed to the kitchen, Clem turned to Buffy.
"I like your necklace, Buffy," Clem said.
She smiled, looking down at the lovebird necklace, "Thanks, Spike bought it for me, at The Rittenhouse last night. He's just full of surprises," she said shaking her head.
Clem nodded.
"Spike's good people. Well, a good vampire, in any case."
"I know," she answered him, "took me a while to figure it out, but I think I have."
"I'm happy for you. For both of you. I've been rooting for you guys to get together finally!"
"Thanks, Clem," Buffy said.
"You know, if...if anything happens to me, you'll, would you...?" Buffy started
"What Buffy? Would I what?" Clem asked.
"Look after him, make sure he doesn't, I don't know...do anything rash, anything crazy. I would want him to move on..."
"Oh Buffy! Don't talk like that! Everything's going to be all okey-dokey! You'll see," Clem said cheerfully.
"I hope so," Buffy said, "still, if and I'm just saying if...if anything happens, I want you to tell him that I told you, to tell him that I love him, that I always will, but that I don't want him to hurt himself, to live in pain. Tell him that I want him to..."
She stopped. She couldn't use the words, 'move on,' she'd used those very words last year and he had been so bitter. Of course, last year had been another story.
"I want you to tell him that he will love again, that I know he's loved me better than anyone ever has, but that he has too much love inside him to not love someone, a lucky someone, again. Please? Promise me that you will!" she said, gripping his hands.
"Of course I will Buffy," Clem said, squeezing her hands back. He sniffled.
"Sorry, didn't mean to make you sad, Clem," she said, giving him a hug.
"Buffy?"
"What?"
"I don't think anything bad will happen, but this stuff...I think maybe you should tell
Spike this yourself," Clem said.
"I...I probably will, but I just want you to reinforce it, if..."
"Of course I will Buffy," he said, hugging her again.
Spike walked back into the living room, carrying a few pouches of blood, "What's this then?" he said in mock indignation, "I leave for a couple of minutes and come back to find my girl and my best friend hugging!"
"Don't worry, Spike, just girl-talk," Clem said, trying to be cheerful.
"And what do you have to say for yourself?" Spike asked Buffy.
"Oh, Spike! I meant to tell you: Clem and I are in love, we're going to get married! You're invited! Hope you have a nice tuxedo!" Buffy said, teasing Spike.
"I knew it!" Spike said, stalking toward her.
She giggled as he leaped on her, pinning her against the couch and kissed her on the mouth.
Clem rolled his eyes and giggled.
"Guess this means the wedding's off, Buffy," Clem said, playing along.
"Umhmmmm," Buffy said, trying to get out of Spike's grasp, but not too hard.
Spike stopped, "And let that be a lesson to you!"
"Okay, Headmaster Spike!" Buffy said, then realizing how that sounded, she broke up in hysterics.
Spike just smirked.
A couple of minutes later, clearing his throat, Spike asked Clem, "How's that thing I asked you to check up on?"
Clem looked blank, then smiling broadly said, "Oh, that thing! It's fine, just fine."
Buffy looked at both of them, "Okay, what thing are you two talking riddles about?"
"Never you mind!" Spike said, grinning, "it's a secret; you'll find out soon enough!"
"Clem!" Buffy implored.
"Sorry, Buff, I've been sworn to silence," Clem said, laughing.
"Well, guess we should be going then," Spike said, getting up, after putting the phone and laptop back into his backpack.
Buffy got up, too.
"Clem, it's been a delightful afternoon; brunch was great and so was the company," Buffy said.
"Anytime, girl, anytime," Clem said.
"Bye mate, thanks for everything. As always, you come through," Spike said.
"Just doing my job; looking after you. And Buffy, of course," Clem said.
Buffy looked back and nodded almost imperceptibly toward Clem. He nodded back. Then Spike did the same thing. They were so much alike, Clem thought.
He watched them walk over to the trail behind his cabin and disappear into the woods.
He sighed.
He hoped that everything would turn out okay for them. They deserved it.
He turned to go back into the cabin, "Now, let's have some of those barbecue chicken wings!"
END OF CHAPTER 22