CHAPTER 24 - EAU DE SPUFFY
They exited the cave and Spike moved the boulder back in place and covered it up with brush.
Then taking Buffy's hand, they started back up the rise to the trail. The sun was setting over the trees to their right, but it was barely discernible in the dense woods.
Spike stopped suddenly and pulled Buffy off the trail, putting a hand over her mouth, "Shhhh!" he whispered as the sounds of crackling leaves neared them.
"Jimmy crack corn and I don't care, Jimmy crack corn and I don't care, Jimmy....OH MY GOD!" Clem yelled, putting his hand to his heart, as Spike and Buffy walked out of the brush smiling.
"Spike, Buffy, you almost gave a poor fellow a heart attack!" Clem said, breathing heavily.
"I heard your footsteps first, mate. Didn't know what you were for a moment, so we stepped off the trail," Spike said.
"We're sorry, Clem," Buffy said.
"That's okay," Clem said, still scared from the surprise encounter, "I was just on my way to the cave; figured you guys would have been back to the house a long time ago."
"Well, yeah, kinda took more time than we supposed," Spike stammered for the right words.
"I fell asleep on one of the chairs for a while. And thank you so much for setting that all up, that was so sweet of you, both of you. Loved the lemonade! It was truly one of the most memorable experiences I've had in a long time, no, make that ever!" Buffy said, taking a furtive glance sideways at Spike.
"Glad to be of help. Well, I'd better get going. Bye guys!" Clem said, but not before Buffy grabbed him, giving him a kiss on the cheek and a quick hug.
She released him and he started down the trail, humming his little song, again. He waved without looking back at them, smiling to himself; they smelled so much of each other, pretty soon they'd only have one combined smell. "Eau de Spuffy," he giggled to himself.
As they got closer to the cabin, it began to snow lightly again, "Look!" Buffy said as they came out of the woods up to the back porch.
"Looks a little worse for the wear," Spike said, "Snowman Spike seems to have lost his teeth."
Buffy bent over, picking up the burnt wood chip teeth and placed them back in his head.
Spike just looked at her questioningly.
"What?" Buffy asked, "Did you really think I wanted my Snowman Spike to be totally toothless?" she asked, smiling sweetly. "Guess I just want a little monster in my snowmen, too!"
And with that, she turned on her heel and headed up the porch steps, leaving Spike standing in the yard, mouth agape, shaking his head at the wonder of her, of it all.
They exited the cave and Spike moved the boulder back in place and covered it up with brush.
Then taking Buffy's hand, they started back up the rise to the trail. The sun was setting over the trees to their right, but it was barely discernible in the dense woods.
Spike stopped suddenly and pulled Buffy off the trail, putting a hand over her mouth, "Shhhh!" he whispered as the sounds of crackling leaves neared them.
"Jimmy crack corn and I don't care, Jimmy crack corn and I don't care, Jimmy....OH MY GOD!" Clem yelled, putting his hand to his heart, as Spike and Buffy walked out of the brush smiling.
"Spike, Buffy, you almost gave a poor fellow a heart attack!" Clem said, breathing heavily.
"I heard your footsteps first, mate. Didn't know what you were for a moment, so we stepped off the trail," Spike said.
"We're sorry, Clem," Buffy said.
"That's okay," Clem said, still scared from the surprise encounter, "I was just on my way to the cave; figured you guys would have been back to the house a long time ago."
"Well, yeah, kinda took more time than we supposed," Spike stammered for the right words.
"I fell asleep on one of the chairs for a while. And thank you so much for setting that all up, that was so sweet of you, both of you. Loved the lemonade! It was truly one of the most memorable experiences I've had in a long time, no, make that ever!" Buffy said, taking a furtive glance sideways at Spike.
"Glad to be of help. Well, I'd better get going. Bye guys!" Clem said, but not before Buffy grabbed him, giving him a kiss on the cheek and a quick hug.
She released him and he started down the trail, humming his little song, again. He waved without looking back at them, smiling to himself; they smelled so much of each other, pretty soon they'd only have one combined smell. "Eau de Spuffy," he giggled to himself.
As they got closer to the cabin, it began to snow lightly again, "Look!" Buffy said as they came out of the woods up to the back porch.
"Looks a little worse for the wear," Spike said, "Snowman Spike seems to have lost his teeth."
Buffy bent over, picking up the burnt wood chip teeth and placed them back in his head.
Spike just looked at her questioningly.
"What?" Buffy asked, "Did you really think I wanted my Snowman Spike to be totally toothless?" she asked, smiling sweetly. "Guess I just want a little monster in my snowmen, too!"
And with that, she turned on her heel and headed up the porch steps, leaving Spike standing in the yard, mouth agape, shaking his head at the wonder of her, of it all.