Quickie:

xKatie-Bearx - It's actually not supposed to be suspicious. It's just my inability to end the chapter. I promise.
bonboni - Well, think what you may. I am not revealing anything!! Hehe.
SassyLostie - folds arms You're usually the first to review and suddenly you're now the last. Tsk tsk. What ever will I do with you? Well...since I seem to have kidney mussed you up already...I'll be nice and forget it ever happened. In response to your "Which is what??"- ness, read what I told Katie.

I miss being able to update this every few days. It seemed like more people reviewed back then. NOT that I am complaining! I'll take what I can get. Hehe. Since a few of you seemed worried with the end of that chapter, I'll emphasize once more that it isn't anything to worry about. It's just me lacking the skills to end the chapter. Hahaha.

So enjoy it! While it lasts...dun dun DUN!!!
Teehee!

Chapter 49

The last two weeks of Clementine's stay flew by in the blink of an eye. She had grown increasingly fond of Kate and Sawyer, and almost never let Mackenzie leave her side. It was the last day of her stay, and Cassidy was bound to show up soon. They were sitting in the living room, preparing to have a tea party – Kate had been invited this time.

"Before we can have the party, we gotta look pretty," Clementine told them.

"I don't do 'pretty'," Sawyer told her.

"Can I do your hair?" she asked him, with a wide smile. "Pretty please!?"

"Why don't you do Kate's hair?" he suggested.

"Your hair's prettier," she said. "Please daddy?"

He looked to Kate for help, but all she did was raise her eyebrows and grin.

"You ain't gonna put bows in it, are you?"

"No bows."

He sighed. "Fine."

"Yay!" she jumped up from her seat. "I'm gonna go get my stuff."

Sawyer sat back in the couch, groaning.

"Thanks for backin' me up, Freckles."

She smiled. "Why should I back you up? You've got prettier hair than me."

"She's a kid."

Kate laughed. "I know." After a pause, she said, "Do you think you'll miss her?"

"Clementine?" He saw her nod. "You kidding? I can't wait until she leaves."

"Yeah, right," she grinned.

He half-smiled. "It'll be a hell of a lot quieter."

"You're not going to miss all the tea parties, and Baby Emily?"

"Oh yeah. I'm gonna miss wearin' pink hats, and gettin' my hair done."

"And playing in the park and taking her to the zoo?"

He quieted for a moment. "Sounds like you're gonna miss her more than I am."

"So you admit you'll miss her then?"

He opened his mouth to speak, and realized he was caught. Kate grinned satisfactorily. Before he could try and save himself, Clementine reappeared.

"Okay. All ready."

"Hey Clem, don't you want some lunch before your tea party?" Kate asked her.

"Peanut butter and jelly, please," she smiled.

"Okay."

She left the room to let Sawyer be "pampered" by his daughter. They were quiet at first, as usual. But as expected, they started to yell at each other. Like father, like daughter, Kate thought to herself.

"I thought you said no bows?!" he shouted.

"It's not a bow!" Clementine shouted back. "This is a barrette!"

"Well whatever it is, you ain't puttin' that in my hair!"

"You promised!"

"So did you!"

"Don't be such a baby."

"Oh you're cruisin'."

"I'll tell mommy on you."

"I'll tell mommy on you!"

"What's going on?" Kate reentered with two sandwiches.

"She's tryin' to put some frilly little bow in my hair when I already said no!"

"It's not a bow!" Clementine argued again. "See?"

Kate smiled slightly, putting one of the sandwiches on the table next to Clementine.

"She's right, you know," she said, sitting on the arm chair with her sandwich.

"It's a barrette. And even Kate said so. So now you have to let me put it in."

"Since when is Kate the boss?" he grumbled.

"Since girls are better than boys are," Clementine answered.

"Who in the hell told you that?"

"Don't say that!" Clementine and Kate both said simultaneously.

"Whose kid are you, sunshine?"

"If you don't let me put the barrette in, I'll tell Kate about you know what."

Sawyer's face immediately changed, and he snuck a nervous glance at a curious looking Kate.

"What'd I tell you about talkin' about that?"

"Will you let me put the barrette in?"

He scoffed. "You little con."

"Can't imagine where she gets it from," Kate said, proceeding to take a bite of her sandwich.

He glared at her. "I'll deal with you later."

"Mm-hmm…"

"Well?" Clementine asked, exasperated.

He sighed. "Fine."

"Good. Now don't move your head."

While Clementine got to work on Sawyer's hair, he and Kate were having a silent conversation between eyes. She stared at him, curiously, and he knew she was wondering what Clementine was talking about when she had mentioned the "you-know-what". He narrowed his eyes, unwilling to give her even a hint. She continued to gaze at him though, challengingly. He raised his eyebrows in amusement. She raised hers too, warningly, rather than amusedly. He cocked his head to the side, repressing a smirk, and Clementine sighed.

"No moving!" she told him.

"Sorry," he said, insolently.

Sawyer glanced at Kate again, and she was biting into her sandwich with a smile, avoiding his eyes. He put on a small smirk.

"How's that sandwich, Freckles?"

She looked up at him, cautiously, but still smiling.

"Fine."

"Why do you call her 'Freckles'?" Clementine asked. "Her name's Kate."

"Yeah," Kate smiled cunningly. "My name's Kate."

"Why don't you just focus on what you're doin', sunshine?"

"I am. But you should call her Kate. Because that's her name."

"You don't have any problems with me callin' you Sunshine."

"'Cause that's a nickname."

"Well so's Freckles."

"No. Freckles is things."

"Know what, in a minute I'm not gonna play tea party with you."

"That's not fair!"

"Don't worry, Clementine. He'll play with you," Kate told her.

Sawyer turned and looked at her, bemused. She switched her gaze to him.

"If he doesn't, I'll punish him."

"Ha ha," Clementine taunted. "You hafta play or you'll get in trouble."

"How you gonna punish me then, sassafras?"

Instead of answering, she continued to eat her sandwich. They stared at each other for a long time, until a knock at the door startled them both.

"Bet that's your mom," Sawyer told Clementine, tauntingly.

"Aww."

Forgetting about his hairdo, he opened to door to let her in. She grinned.

"Havin' a tea party?" she glanced at his hair.

"Yeah, yeah. Real funny," he said, pulling the barrettes out as she walked by him.

"Mommy!" Clementine shouted.

She ran to her mother who scooped her up in a tight hug.

"Hey, Clemmy! You have a good time here?"

"Yes."

"You were a good girl, weren't you?"

She turned her head and looked at Sawyer mischievously, then turned back to her mother.

"Yes. I was very good."

Sawyer shook his head in awe. But she was his daughter…

"So you had fun, huh?"

"Uh-huh. We did lotsa things. We went to the park, and the zoo, and buyed clothes and toys."

"Wow. Sounds like a lotta fun."

"Yeah. And we even got stuff for Baby Emily for when she comes here."

"She'll be coming here again?"

"Well when I come here again, she can come again. Right?"

"You wanna come again?"

"You said in the summertimes..."

"Well as long as it's all right with your daddy."

Clementine turned and looked at Sawyer, hopefully.

"You can come see me and Kate any time you want, sunshine," he told her.

"Okay," she smiled cheerfully.

"What do you say we hit the road home, Clemmy?" Cassidy asked.

"We have to go right now?" she frowned, pulling away from her mother.

"Well we got a long way to go, you know."

"But I don't wanna go yet," she ran over towards Sawyer. "I wanna play tea party."

"We can play next time, Clem," Sawyer told her.

"No, I wanna play now!"

"Clementine, we have to go," Cassidy said. "You can have a tea party at home with your animals."

"I wanna have a tea party with daddy!" she snapped.

"Clementine Philips, don't you raise your voice at me!" Cassidy scolded.

"I want my tea party!"

"Go get in the car," Cassidy demanded. "NOW."

Lips quivering, Clementine looked down at the floor angrily and stomped outside. Kate and Sawyer stared at Cassidy in shock.

"You didn't have to go make her cry, Cassidy," Sawyer said, sighing.

"She'll be fine."

"We coulda had a quick little rendezvous and you coulda been on your way without all the trouble."

"Thank you, James, but I can deal with my own daughter."

"She's my daughter too," he argued.

"Where are her things?"

"I'll go get them," Kate said quietly, and disappeared upstairs.

"Don't try and treat me the way you treat her, Cassidy," Sawyer said. "I ain't some kid you can push around."

"I know that. And don't you accuse me of pushing my daughter around. You don't know what goes on."

"No, but I know well enough how to take care of my kid!"

"You say that now, James. But I'd like to see what you do with a kid, full on."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know what, I'm not here to argue with you, James. I'm here for my daughter, so if it's okay with you, let's just end the discussion right now."

Before he could object, Kate returned with Clementine's belongings and Cassidy went outside to be on her way. Sawyer quickly followed, and went to the backseat window of the car where Clementine sat, sulking. Upon seeing Sawyer, she pressed the button to roll it down.

"You be a good girl, all right, Sunshine?" he told her.

She nodded, sadly.

"I'll see you for Christmas and we can make a snowman or somethin'."

"Okay," she said quietly, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"C'mere," he said, leaning in closer.

She leaned out slightly and he kissed the top of her head.

"Bye daddy," she whispered.

"Bye Clemmy."