Chapter 33
Stepping over a huge pile of mail Buffy sagged and put down her suitcase in the hallway and yawned. William followed her in carrying the two big heavy cases and put them down.
“I’m not sorry we’re home!”
“I am!”
“Yes, no, well, you KNOW what I mean!” William said bending to scoop up as much of the mail as he could.
“Want a drink?”
“Coffee would be great, yeah”
Buffy went into the kitchen and let the tap run for along time before filling the tea kettle.
“Anything interesting in the mail?”
“Hmm? – Oh, not really…junk mail, circulars…something here about a winter dance at the uni…telephone bill…there’s a note here from Benny, he wants me to ring him ASAP, I’ll do it now”
“Okay”
Buffy bought in two mugs of black coffee while William was on the phone
“Benny, it’s me…………oh absolutely fantastic thanks………yeah, just this minute came through the door…………… oh yes………really – wow that’s brilliant…………uh huh………uh huh……sure we can, but we’ll need a sleep first………yeah okay then………yeah thanks, it is nice to be home in one way! Okay then my friend, later”
William put the phone down and said to Buffy,
“You know this project Benny and I are doing about a computer programme to help the severely disabled, (Buffy nodded as she sipped her scalding hot coffee) well, it’s been picked out again for special funding, AND get this, they want to do a TV programme about us!”
“Wow, you’ll be famous!”
“And, that’s not all, you know that mini project I was doing on my own”
“No, what’s that then?”
“The one to render cell-phones useless if they are stolen, well one of the big companies are interested in it!”
“You didn’t tell me about that!” Buffy said, putting her coffee down.
“Didn’t I? It’s really simple, when you buy a new mobile cell phone, in the box with it will come two codes. You must enter the locking code into the phone before you use it, and then keep it safe. If your phone gets lost or stolen, you simply either go to the nearest land-line phone or computer, log your phone as missing and enter the locking code – the code then activates a micro-chip that shuts down the phone completely, you can switch it on and off, but that’s it, it won’t allow calls to be made, menu to be accessed so nobody can see your list of phone numbers or anything – the only thing you can do on it, is dial 911 if need be. If you find it, you simply enter the ‘unlocking code’ and there you go, one fully functioning phone again”
“That’s brilliant – so simple yet…you are SO clever!” Buffy grinned
“Well it means if some poor devil is robbed, it’s pointless taking his phone as it’ll be useless. Those who don’t get their phones back are simply sent a new phone by the company, with however much credit or time and texts they had on their old one”
“Sheer genius, I don’t know how you think of it!”
“Actually, it was one day at lunch, I overheard a conversation. One of the girls was telling her friends how her sister was mugged in Queens, and had her cell-phone taken, she was only three days into her new monthly allowance of 200 hours of calls and 400 texts for her $40, and how she couldn’t afford to buy a new phone”
“Oh dear, poor girl
“Anyway, Benny said he suspects we haven’t been food shopping so he said to go to the restaurant tonight, is that okay with you?”
Buffy smacked her lips together and said,
“Hmm, yes, I DO fancy a Chinese, some of those pork, ginger and spring onion dumplings and crispy lemon chicken with egg fried rice!”
“You’re a dumpling! Come on, let’s go lie down shall we, I’m knackered!”
***************************
“Benny my friend, how are you!” William greeted his friend warmly
“It’s great to se you, you look very well Buffy!”
“I’m great thanks! Had such a fantastic time, here these are for you!” She handed him a small carrier bag with the union flag and ‘I ♡ London’ on it.
“Oh, thank you! That’s really kind of you!”
They sat at the little corner table and Benny asked them what they wanted.
They sat and chatted about London, But William didn’t say anything about having found out his other was famous or the house in Holland Park.
“Have you seen Franz?”
Buffy looked up, chewed, swallowed and said,
“No, it was odd, I popped round earlier on just before we came here, but the windows of the café and shop have paper over them so you can’t see in, and there’s a notice on the door saying ‘closed until further notice’ – I got no answer at the door, do you know what’s going on?”
“Apparently his mother was given the wrong drugs in hospital, and that’s what killed her”
Buffy and William looked wide-eyed and shocked, William said,
“Just before we went to London, he phoned us in the middle of the night to tell us his mother had died, the hospital had called him back and told him she’d had a bad reaction to some drugs they’d given her and didn’t expect her to last the night” William explained
“He was telling my uncle that instead of antibiotics, they’d given her beta-blockers and they’d caused a heart attack, she was too ill and weak to survive” Benny told them
“Oh god what a shame, poor Franz!”
“He’s gone away for a few days, he should be back by Saturday”
“I wonder if he’s going to sue the hospital – I know I would!” Buffy said
***************************
Following Morning
“Who was that on the phone?” Buffy asked as she perched on the bed in her towelling robe, rubbing her hair vigorously with a towel.
“Mom, she told me that they’re coming to see us before I go back to uni”
“Did she say why?”
“Does she have to have a reason, she misses us!” William said with a smile
“When are they coming?”
“They’ll be here on Thursday”
“So that’s two days for us to think of a way to tell them OUR news too then!” William nodded
“What are you going to do today?” Buffy tried pulling a comb through her hair and was gritting her teeth.
“Laundry, shopping, and I really must catch up on some revising, I’ve got exams in less than four weeks”
“You’ll be alright, you always are – OW! – This new cream rinse I’ve got is neither creamy nor rinsey!” Buffy looked at all the hair she’d pulled out with the comb.
She lay back on the bed, lifted a leg in the air and said,
“Guess what I want to do?”
“Give in” William said, still half asleep.
“Well, I could just go a cooked breakfast now…bacon, sausages, scrambley eggs and toast, tall orange and grapefruit juice and coffee, then shopping in Oxford Street, and then…a trip on top of a Red London Tour bus, tea at the Ritz followed by the theatre – no, not the theatre, dancing and cocktails at Aqua! - Oh and then fish and chips at that cabbies place by Vauxhall bridge to round off the day!”
William smiled and felt for her hand.
“We DID have a great time, didn’t we!”
“Oh THE bestest!”
“Got through a bit of cash though!”
Buffy sat up
“How much?”
“Don’t you worry, I can more than afford it!”
“I know…but how much? Buffy asked ready to wince
“Well, flights, hotels, food, entertainment, tips, cabs and shopping, everything, roughly $6,500 – but that includes the flight tickets I bought for George and Margaret too, plus all the designer shopping!”
“Good grief!”
“Hey, I don’t mind, we had us a brilliant time, it was worth every penny!”
“Sure was…oh well, it’s no use lying here dreaming………gotta go food hopping! Come on, I’ll treat you to breakfast at the waffle shack”
“Okay Muppet, you’re on!” William threw back the bedclothes and went to the bathroom.
*******************************************
“Do they want us to meet them from the airport?” Buffy asked as William put the phone down.
“No, dad said it would be easier for them to just get a taxi, save time looking for each other and that, here’s just a delay getting the luggage through or something” Buffy nodded and re-straightened the cushions on the sofa.
“I feel nervous!” Buffy said, getting frustrated as one of the cushions kept on sagging
“YOU do, how do you think I feel…what if dad wants to kill me?”
Swapping the cushions over and putting the saggy one on the end, Buffy dived for the phone as it rang.
“This’ll be Franz…Hello – Franz, how are you?..........................Uh huh, no honestly it’s fine, Benny told us what happened………when?............Next week – oh yes………uh huh, do they know what they’ve got to do?............Sure, course I don’t mind………okay then, see you then, bye”
Buffy put the phone down and looked at an expectant William
“Franz said would I let the builders into the café next week on Monday and Tuesday, they know what alterations are to be done, he’ll be back on Wednesday, he said he’ll pay me as normal. Once all the alterations are done, we’ll be open for business as usual”
“That’s good of him!”
“Yeah………so I wonder what time will they get here?”
“Within the next hour I suppose…come here Muppet, stop looking so worried!”
Buffy immediately went to Will, who cuddled her up, kissing the top of her head.
“Hold my hand when I tell them, hmm?” Will said quietly, his lips close to her forehead. Buffy looked up and smiled and then kissed him
“Of course”
***************************************
“Can you see me, I’m by the garage at the top, if you look passed the fallen tree you can see me and my hair’s sticking up!” Joyce angled one of the photographs that William had been given by the Samuels’ and she grinned
“Oh! You look SO cute! How old were you there?”
“About three I think………and this one was of my mom and dad before I was born, taken at the Queen’s jubilee street party. Dad had just started playing for Fulham” Joyce passed the photos over to Hank, who put his coffee down and took them.
“And the Samuels just gave you these photos did they?”
“Yeah…they used to baby sit me when I was a baby, then their daughter Christine did it when I got a bit older, she lives in New Zealand now, on a sheep station. They were so nice to me, gave me so many memories back. They told us they were going to see Christine this year…so anyway, as a present, I bought them the tickets to go” William said
Joyce looked up at him and smiled
“That was very kind of you”
“They were so nice, weren’t they Buffy?”
“Kindness itself – they said they’d always wondered what had happened to him, as the social welfare or whoever over there wouldn’t tell them anything when the accident happened”
“And I expect you want to see a photo of the house now?” William drew out a brown envelope from the file his mother had sent him originally.
“Don’t expect it to look like a palace, apparently, it’s the location, Holland Park” William gave Joyce the picture
Joyce was still impressed
“How many bedrooms did you say son?” Hank asked staring in wonder at the picture
“Six, and six bathrooms too – plenty of room for you to come and stay when we’re living there” William said trying to stop his voice shaking.
“When you live there?” Joyce asked looking up
“Yes…I kinda thought, well WE thought… (William licked his lips and reached for Buffy’s hand – here goes, it’s now or never) when I finish my degree, well see, when I’ve done with my exams…Buffy and I will get married, and move to London”
Silence
“Buffy and-“
“Well I think that’s a WONDERFUL idea, don’t you honey?” Hank said grinning
Joyce smiled too
“Oh goodness, come here! We wondered if you’d - well you always said you’d get married, and we wondered if it would be legal, didn’t we Hank”
“I looked into it, well had a friend discreetly look into it, and he said as there was no blood ties at all, and it was us that adopted you, not Buffy – he couldn’t see any problems. Adopting you really means being your legal guardian”
“Yes, that’s what I read when I looked it up on the Internet………you might as well know mom, dad, we’re living as a couple now…I don’t want things to be uncomfortable for you”
“No…there are things a father shouldn’t know about, but we’re both very happy that she’s chosen you Will – we couldn’t ask for a better son-in-law” Both Buffy and William visibly relaxed, smiling.
“We’re both very pleased that you want to finish your degree first though, aren’t we Hank, that is very important” Joyce said, and hank nodded in agreement.
Buffy stood up and said
“Will, tell mom and dad about your solo uni project about the cell phone anti-theft code”
*********************************************
Later that night, after hank and Joyce had gone to their hotel, Buffy and William were lying in bed………
“Well…that went a lot better than I thought, they took it well, don’t you think?”
“Oh yes Mr! Getting married – you haven’t asked me yet!” Buffy said grinning, poking Will in the tummy
“Oh but you will, won’t you!”
“ I might!” Buffy said grinning
“Get married to me, move to London…all that designer shopping…theatres….dinners out, tough decision for you”
“Then again…when we go home at Christmas, I might just look up – Riley!” Buffy said folding her arms across her chest, but she was smiling.
William started to laugh
“That soldier boy – Idaho white-bread pasty-faced BOYFRIEND of Anya the evil-one?” Buffy was grinning
“Yeah…or um…Xander” She was very careful NOT to say Angel, THAT wouldn’t be funny at all.
“Xander – rrrrrrrrrright, yeah him…I always thought he was a bit…suspect”
“Suspect? What do you mean?”
“Well…the way he used to hang around the showers after football training, waiting for Larry”
“And?”
“And what, Larry was as bent as a nine dollar note”
“Larry was what?” Buffy asked frowning
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said it like that – Larry was gay”
“NO WAY!”
“He was!”
“Larry, the one who used to knock folders out of our hands and try and look up our skirts and down our tops?”
“That’s the one!”
“Well, I’m shocked………anyway, just because were getting married, doesn’t let you off the hook asking me properly!”
William reached over and began to tickle her
“I will, when the time comes!” Buffy left it at that, she knew he wouldn’t let her down. At the moment she had a more pressing matter – how to get away from his tickling fingers and to breath!
***********************************
Epilogue
In the few weeks running up to Christmas, William perfected his anti-phone theft idea from not only one that was all ready built in to a cell phone, to one that could be used in all mobiles, via a new SIM card. This was the piece of hardware that made him the most money, and by the time he’d finished his degree three years later, that idea alone had made him a multi-millionaire.
His duel project with Benny won several awards, and a special proto-type house was built with touch/voice sensor pads was built, and people with varying degrees of disability were invited to come and live in it for a week and to give their thoughts and comments on it. One award from Government for the Enterprise Award scheme helped both William and Benny to get first class degrees with honours. Benny went onto study further into Artificial Intelligence and went on to a job in Government.
There was nobody more proud of William that day when he graduated, Buffy sat with her mother and father listening to the speeches.
Having worked so hard, William thought that everybody needed a treat and he took Buffy, Joyce and Hank to London – this would be the first time they’d seen the house since it came into William’s procession three years previously.
He took them to meet the Samuels’, they saw all the sights, including tea at the Ritz!
A month later, Buffy’s birthday loomed and she was slightly surprised that William hadn’t mentioned it. On her actual birthday, she woke to find an outfit ready for her to put on, and a small suitcase packed
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see!” Was all William would tell her.
They flew to Paris, and in a beautiful restaurant by the river in the moonlight William got down on one knee and asked Buffy to marry him, holding the most beautiful heart-shaped solitaire diamond ring. She was so surprised that she was speechless for a few seconds, tears sprang to her eyes and she blurted out
“Yes – yes of course! Yes, oh YES!” Will slipped the ring on her finger to the sound of a Champagne cork popping. He kissed her tenderly and it seemed like every other patron in the restaurant cheered them!
*********
It was a sad day for Buffy when she left her job at the ‘Café on the Corner’ as it had become to be known. Franz’ business had gone from strength to strength, and he opened another café nearer the university and took on another baker to help him cope with the huge demand for his delicious bread and cakes.
It was also sad when they moved out of their little flat above the book shop, their first place as a couple, but they were moving to another country and another new start – Married life was calling them.
The End
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks to all those who stuck with this, i hope you all enjoyed it