Chapter 18 – Bikini’s, Beavers, and Burgers!!
Saturday Morning – Buffy’s house, 8.30am
“Right, I think that’s everything” Buffy was standing in the kitchen, with her Cool-box on the kitchen counter and she read off the check-list………
“Hamburgers…sausages, rolls, relish, knives and napkins, 7Up and Club Orange – right that can go into the car” She put the lid on and fastened the ice packs in underneath to keep things fresh and cool.
Already on the floor was a beach bag with two towels, sun cream, a Frisbee and a couple of books.
“What time will Willow be here?” Spike asked taking the box off the counter, and picking the other up off the floor.
“Anytime now – you don’t mind her being with us in the car do you?”
“Course not!”
“I’m sure she’ll pair off with Ford, I’m beginning to think that those two have a thing for each other!”
Spike grinned as he carried the box and bag out to the car.
He’s just got back inside the house when they heard a horn beep them from outside. Spike looked out and could see Willow AND Ford in his van.
They came in grinning.
“I got Ford to pick me up – I bought blankets to sit on, and a big umbrella for shade, a ball – some of my mom’s potato salad and the tools for the BBQ!” Willow said.
“I’ve got charcoal, hickory and applewood chips, matches, plastic cups and some rather nice steaks, and most important – the sound machine!!!”
Buffy told them what she’d packed.
“Well seems like we’re all set, we’re going to meet Riley and Faith at the interstate turn off, he’s not sure of the way” Ford said.
They all left the house and Buffy locked up.
ooOOoo
They met Riley and drove to Shell Island. Soon the blankets were down on the sand, the big umbrella set at a just right angle and the ‘Sound Machine’ as Ford called was set to play some good music.
There were lots of activities for them to do there, surfing, windsurfing, water-skiing, and Ford and Willow, and Riley and Faith tried most of them. Spike tried to cajole Buffy into joining them, but she said she’d rather sit with him. They’d thought it wise for him not to do anything too energetic; the last thing Spike needed was to hurt his head again just yet!
“Really, I’d much rather just lie here and read, and be with you” She said softly. Spike leaned down and kissed her.
“Put her down!” They both looked up and saw Willow dripping wet grinning at them, they grinned back, and then Willow said,
“Did you see me - I landed in the sea!” She’d been parascending. Grabbing a towel she ran to the stand pipe tap and rinsed her hair of the salt water.
Willow flopped on the blanket next to Buffy and said,
“Have you seen Faith – she’s driving all the guys googly-eyed with her wet-tee shirt!”
“But she’s got a bikini top on, surely!” Buffy said smiling,
“Oh if you mean those two two-inch triangles covering her nips, then yeah!” Everybody collapsed into giggles.
“What time are we leaving here?” Willow asked.
“Well, Ford said to get to Crestwood Park, it’ll take about half an hour” Buffy said.
“What’s there then?” Spike asked.
“Well, besides a terrific view, there are brick built BBQ’s for us to use – you have to go into the camp shop and hire a grill-tray, but you get your money back when you take it back” Buffy explained
“Sounds like a good idea – I’m getting hungry!”
“I’m starving – soon as Faith’s fed up of posing I think we’ll make a move –golly, we’ve been here five hours!” Willow said glancing at her watch.
ooOOoo
“Okay folks…burgers and sausages are ready – steaks and chicken drumsticks will be a bit longer” Ford said, and suddenly everybody crowded around – they were starving!
Buffy began putting the food into bread rolls and everybody helped themselves to them, and the other stuff that was bought.
Riley and Faith had bought washed salads, some chicken drumsticks and some burgers, as well as a cheesecake.
They all sat around chatting and Spike kept looking off and then he pointed out to Buffy how he’d been watching this beaver all afternoon fixing this branch across the stream, making a waterfall.
“Got to admire the little fella, he didn’t let up once, not even when the log kept floating away!”
Riley got a glint in his eye and said,
“Hey Spike, Dear Diary, spent the afternoon watching beaver!” Everybody roared with laughter, including Spike!
“Wonder what Harm’s doing now?” Willow said.
“Probably the Best man!” Riley quipped.
“Or even the groom – I wouldn’t put it past her!” Faith said.
“What’s that burning?”
“Argh - the steak!” Ford jumped up, but the steaks and the drumsticks were perfect.
An hour later, after pouring the container of water over the ashes to make sure they were out they dropped the grill-pan back at the shop and Riley said,
“I noticed on the way here that there’s a fun-fair at Rocky Bay – anyone fancy it? – It’s only ten minutes from here”
Everybody did fancy it, and they went. Spike wouldn’t go on any rides but he watched and looked after sunglasses, phones etc while the others did. This he didn’t mind at all – during the day he’d had one or two ‘flashbacks’ and was quite happy to wait to tell Buffy when they got home.
ooOOoo
When they got home, Mrs Kaplinski from next door was waiting for them.
“I took this in for you dear, it’s quite heavy, it’s from England!” She said.
Buffy frowned and Spike picked up the heavy box, it had a FedEx sticker on it.
“Well thank you Mrs Kaplinski!” Buffy said
They got it into the dining room and Spike sat on one of the chairs, and leaving the box on the floor, he opened it.
“What is it?”
“Looks like photo albums…hold on, there’s a letter addressed to William…Spike opened it and read out loud
“Dear William, Your father tells me you won’t be coming home now as there is somebody there to look after you, but I thought these might help to jog your memory. Take care of yourself and pick up the phone or drop me a line sometime, I’d love to hear from you, fondest love, Mrs Calendar”
Setting the letter on the table, Spike hauled out three of the large photo albums, and put them on the table, there were at least another three in the box still.
“Oh wow – I’ll go make us a drink – take them in the lounge, we can browse in comfort” Buffy said smiling and then she added as an afterthought,
“That’s only if you want me to look, if you want to look at them by yourself, I understand”
Spike smiled and shook his head saying,
“Don’t be silly, I want us to look at them together!”
ooOOoo
‘1980 – Hello World’ Was the caption under the first photograph of a young looking couple , mother cradling a baby and dad looking pleased with himself, a protective arm around ‘mom’s’ shoulders.
“Your mom was very beautiful” Buffy said
Spike just nodded………
oOo
“This is the last one, dated 1992-95” Buffy said sitting next to Spike. The albums had jogged his memory; he remembered they had two dogs when he was a child, called Rascal and Scamp, and a cat called Skimbleshanks, named after one from the Old Possum’s book of practical cats.
“I remembered something today too, while we were at the beach, I had a flashback playing beach cricket with dad, we used to go to Devon a lot when I was a kid” Spike said.
“That’s good!” Buffy said cupping his face.
“And also today, when one of the Vampyres songs came on that CD Ford had burned, I remembered the words and saw myself singing it onstage”
“Baby – that’s wonderful! You should have said!” Buffy leaned forward and gave him a light kiss.
Spike turned to the last page of the album, and there he was in a school photograph, trying to look like a rebel, with his top button undone and a huge knot in his tie, making the tie only about 6 inches in length, he’s got his hair gelled back and it look liked it had been bleached on top. He had a sneer on his face.
Buffy giggled, so did Spike!
“You rebel!”
“Oh HIM – Him there, him – I know his name….oh god, what is it now…Ch-Ch…Charlie – Charlie Mullins!” Spike said grinning.
Buffy smiled, she looked at the clock.
“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m whacked!”
Spike looked at the time, it was nearly midnight.
“Yup – s’been a long day again!”
ooOOoo
Buffy woke, alone again. She didn’t worry this time, she could hear him clattering around in the kitchen, PLUS something smelled very good!
After about ten minutes, she heard Spike coming up the stairs. He put his head around the door
Buffy raised her head off the pillow and said
“Morning!”
“Morning Beautiful, hungry?”
“Yup!”
“Good, now want it up here or downstairs?”
“I’ll come down, but I’m not getting dressed!”
“That’s my girl!” Spike said with a grin.
She went down after visiting the bathroom and on the counter waiting for her was bacon, eggs and a stack of blueberry pancakes.
“Hmm…where did you get the pancake mix from?”
Spike grinned and said,
“Me noggin! I remembered I love to cook…I found flour yesterday when I was nosying around for coffee and stuff, berries, milk and butter in the fridge, and syrup in the coffee cupboard…so any good?”
“Hmm- hmmmmmmmmmmmm delish! Buffy said nodding and taking another bite.
“So what did you want to do today?”
“Really want to do?” Spike asked.
Buffy nodded, helping herself to more pancakes and syrup.
“I’d really like to spend the day just you and me quietly, had a big day yesterday and I’m still a bit tired.”
“Suits me fine, I’ll stick the phone on answer-machine and we can have a lazy day…hmm...yum, yum!”
ooOOoo
Wednesday 15th Memorial Hospital, Neurological Clinic
The doctor shone his pen torch in both of Spike’s eyes, satisfied that the pupils dilated. He felt around the base of his neck and skull and asked
“Have you had any headaches at all?”
“No – ahem, No, doctor, none. The other doctor, the one on the ward said I was to come straight back if I did, or had a fit or seizure”
“That’s good. Have you had to take any sleeping tablets or painkillers?”
“No, not at all, nothing”
“Alcohol?”
“No doctor, no alcohol at the moment”
“Good – and you say you’ve been getting flash-backs?”
“Uh huh, I had some old photograph albums sent me over from England, that jogged my memory on a few things – stupid things really, like this kids name and how we used to tie up our uniform neck-ties to make the knots in them huge…and stuff about animals I had a s a kid”
“Well it’s all to the good, I’ve no doubt that you’ll make a complete recovery. Now it says here that your girlfriend is looking after you, how’s that working out?”
“Brilliantly!” Spike said with a big grin, and the doctor smiled at him too.
“Well, I’d like to see you in another six weeks time, keep doing what you’re doing, going places looking at things from the past, music, smells, places all help evoking memories! – And the same advice if you have a bad headache or a seizure, come to us immediately”
“Okay then doctor, I will”
The doctor wrote something in the folder notes and closed it.
“Oh, just one thing Mr Giles, have you remembered anything about the accident?”
“No, but then the ward doctor said I probably would never remember that”
The doctor nodded once and said,
“That’s okay then, bye Mr Giles” Spike said goodbye and left. He then went to find Buffy in the café, where she’d gone to wait for him.
“Oh, you were quick – haven’t even finished my coffee yet!” Buffy went to reach for her latte, but Spike still her hand saying,
“Don’t rush”
“So what did he say, is he pleased with you?” Buffy asked closing her book and putting it in her bag.
“Yup, he said just to keep on doing things to jog my memory, go places, smells, the albums, you know, he said he fully expects me to get my memory back” Spike said with a grin
“So, when have you got to come here again?”
“Not for six weeks, or if I have a bad headache or a fit I’ve got to-“
“Come in immediately, I know – well that’s brilliant!” Buffy said. She finished her coffee and said
“Right then, work!”
When they got to the studios, everybody was at lunch, and very pleased to hear how well Spike had done at his clinic appointment. Tara asked,
“We were wondering Spike, if you felt up to a few lines, nothing big, just say, walking into the diner and ordering a breakfast – just to keep a little continuity”
“Sure, that’ll be great!”
“I’ll get on with writing that in then” Cassie said.
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