"Christmas is All Around"
Chapter 9


Friday afternoon.

-

By now, and by no less than a miracle, Clementine and family had managed to find assorted pots and vases of every size and have every single rose within her bedroom. But she asked specifically asked that the purple rose be in a vase by itself. The scent the collected gorgeous flowers created was beyond exquisite.

"Keep this beau around, Clem. If he has enough money for these, then he's got enough to lavish certain family members as well, eh?" Rollo nudged her with his arm, winking uncontrollably.

"Who is this chap anyway? You've never mentioned having anybody lately," Nigel pointed out.

"Yes, dear, tells us who this mystery man is?" Vivi asked excitedly. Clementine just stared back at them all, silent as a church mouse– and feeling as small was one at the moment.

"I'm going down to the study, and I'd like to be alone" she said, turning and leaving the bedroom and the family behind.

She ventured down the stairs, swinging around the post to quickly make it down the right hallway to the study.


Friday evening.

-

David brought a briefcase into the sitting room, setting down on the coffee table beside the yellow-embroidered white couch. Opening up the case, he began gradually sifting through the trite Christmas cards from friends and staff. The only thing remotely different about was the cover image on the front of each card. When he reached a card with the picture of a snowman against a blue background, something else caught his eye. It was a plain white envelope with one only his name written on the front. Curiosity prevailed and he picked it up, carefully tearing open the top. Inside, it was a single sheet letter. He read is silently, still wondering as to who had sent it to him.

David,

I can't believe I'll mail this, but the things in this letter must be said. First off, I'm sorry for what I did that day. You have a souvenir to remember by. I was not myself and it was only on impulse that I did it. But that doesn't mean you didn't deserve it at the time. And secondly, whether or not we ever see each other again, I'll never be able to get you out of my mind.

With Love,

Clementine

"With love…" he was in a state of blissful disbelief. Setting the letter aside, he picked the snowman Christmas card back up and looked at it for a moment as he turned it over again and again.

"… Happy birthday, dear Clem, Happy birthday to you!" the family broke into a cheer, urging Clementine on to make her birthday wish on the cake's candles.

"Come on, luv! Blow them out," Nigel and Rollo said in unison.

"Wish fer money," Cleavon offered jokingly. "Or happiness, whichever seems better to you."

"Just make it a good one," Vivi suggested, casting a rolling of the eyes at her brother-in-law.

Clementine smiled back at them all, before looking back down at the brightly lit cake. She leaned in closer, still keeping a safe distance from the flames. A single, unnoticeable tear fell onto the white frosting.

I wish I knew how David felt about my letter, she wished in silence, blowing the candles out in one breath. At that exact moment, there came a knock at the door. "I'll get it," she offered, getting up from the table and crossing into the entry hall.

"Who is it, Princess?" Cleavon called from the dining room.

She opened the door, the sight standing there on the doorstep nearly taking her breath away.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I came to see you," David said, staring back at her with utmost sincerity in his eyes. Behind him stood a bodyguard.

"I see you have company as well," she said, a weak smile of disbelief. Behind her appeared her family, looking at David in amazement.

"Is that who I think it is?" Vivi asked, pointing a finger at him.

"I believe he is, Vi," Cleavon answered her.

"Bloody brilliant," Rollo chuckled.

"Ditto!" Nigel added.

David and Clementine looked at them, wondering how to explain this.

"Uh… Auntie, Dad, Rollo, Nigel… this is the– Prime Minister," she introduced, feeling like a prat in doing so.

"We can see that, Clem. We're not blind!" Nigel said, getting hit in the back of the head by his twin.

"I'm sorry to have disturbed you. But I wanted to contact you on some– official business, and I didn't know your phone number. So I called up Karen and she—"

"All right, David. Don't try for a speed record or anything, or you'll give yourself a heart attack," she giggled, holding up a hand to interrupt him. "Kindly get to the point, if you please. It is my birthday," she said.

"Right, well… mind if I have a word with you in the car?" he asked her. "Private business, you understand," he said to her family.

"I'll bet," Rollo snickered, getting hit back in return from Nigel.

"Sure now. That's fine," Cleavon agreed. "Ain't it, Vi?" he asked. Vivi nodded in agreement.

"And we've got to be off. Our bonnie birds are waiting," Nigel spoke up. "Best love, Clem, and happy birthday to you. We'll see you later on," he leaned forward, pecking her on the cheek– as did Rollo– before the both of them walked out and hurried down the sidewalk to their cars.

Cleavon and Vivi went inside, unable to wipe the smiles off their faces, and shut the door on the two on the stoop. Clementine looked at David as if to say 'Well? Are we going or not?', getting an answer as he led her down the steps to the waiting car. When they got in, he instructed the driver to shut the window that separated the front and back seats. The driver did as we was told, turning on the radio up front as well to ensure privacy.

"There really isn't any important business to discuss, is there David?" she said, giving him a look that told him she knew it had all been a ruse.

"Well, I wouldn't say is wasn't important. Probably not of national importance, but… certainly of personal importance– to me," he stumbled through his sentence, quite nervous. "To be honest, I'm– well, I'm―"

"You're what?" she whispered, dearly hoping he would say what she was thinking he would say. She leaned towards him, their eyes locked.

"I read your letter," he trailed off. He then put a hand up to his right eye, wincing as a finger barely touched the area just under the eye. "And I don't hold a grudge for this," he added, making her blush with embarrassment

"I really am sorry for that," she apologized.

"Don't be," he smiled. "It's turned out to be quite the treasure."

There was a brief silence.

"Why do you care about me?" she asked, faint tears beginning to well at the corners of her eyes. He reached down and placed a hand on hers, then leaned forward so they were now cheek-to-cheek. "I love you," she murmured, turning over her hand and taking hold of his gently. So very long those words had been pent up inside her, and now all she had left to do was wait to see his reaction.

His answer came, in a more than perfect way. Carefully he glided over he face until his lips graced hers in a tender kiss, sealing the long awaited answer to both their questions. He'd found the girl for him, and she now knew that he truly adored her.

"Happy birthday, Clementine," he said softly through their kiss, then consecutively tightening the gentle grip between their hands.