A Promise to A Lady

Blocker

A Promise to A Lady



characters: Spike and Joyce
time frame: s5 BtVS, during "The Body"
for the prompt: Spike kissed Joyce.
word count: 300

Spike quietly closes the door behind him and looks around. There is no squeak to the hinges, no sound at all in this part of the hospital, except for the soft footfall of his boots on the linoleum. It's hard to tell which one is which, so he checks the toe tags until he finds her, and goes to the other end to pull down the stark, white sheet to see her face. Swallowing a lump in his throat, he lays a small bouquet of now-limp flowers on top of her chest.

"'M sorry for comin' here, Luv, but they wouldn't let me into the house to pay m' respects.

"Wanted - needed, really - t' say goodbye in some small way. Will miss ya. Miss our talks and the hot cocoa you'd make for me. Miss your smile, miss your laugh, your stories. Girls will too, I know, 'specially the Niblet. But they'll get on, I promise ya that. Will look after 'em m'self if I have to. But Buffy'll do right by 'er, she's becoming quite a woman, yer eldest. Growin' stronger - in all the ways that count.

"I wish… I wish I'd known, wish I'd done more, wish I'd given more time to the one Summers woman who understood me and liked me for who I am. Always did get on well, didn't we? Except for that axe thing, but that's been forgiven now, hasn't it?

"I'd best be gettin' on, Luv. Wouldn't do to be caught trespassin'. Haven't got an ID on me."

He looks around and before someone catches him or he loses his nerve, he takes her hand from under the sheet and places a soft kiss in the palm. Closing her fingers around it, he lays it back to rest under the sheet.

"G'bye, Joyce."



The End