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Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry for the delay on this chapter, RL got in the way!
Chapter 22

In the diner, Buffy, Spike, Susie, Red, Mayor Henry, Isaac the delivery driver and an off-duty Officer Jones . Xandy was to stroll in last…………

“………………And ACTION!” Warren said snapping the clapperboard shut


“So, what do you think Isaac?” Buffy asked

“Miss Buffy, I think that’s the bestest tastin’ there catfish I ever did taste, hmmmmm!” Buffy grinned

“How about you Mayor Henry – what do you think?”

“Well I totally agree with Isaac here – that’s the darn’est tootin’ catfish I ever ate!”

Willow came over with two plates with some BBQ ribs on…

“Sorry I’m late!” Officer Jones came in, but he was in regular clothes, off duty.

“Never you mind, sit yourself down and try this…” Willow said, putting a catfish fillet in a spicy sauce in front of him

“Now Isaac, which ribs do you like best, we have Cajun style, Bourbon sauced or Spike’s special sauce?

“Hmm…I can’t make up my mind; they’re all so damned good!” Isaac was licking his fingers.

“Got to go with that Miss Buffy…can’t put a pin between them!” Mayor Henry concurred with Isaac.

Buffy beamed and said –

“Good, we’ll offer all three then!” From across the counter Susie’s southern drawl could be heard saying

“Oh my Lore, I’ve just died and gone to heaven, hug your neck! – Buffy, you just gotta come and taste this pie Spike has made – it’s heaven on a plate!”

The pie had a regular pastry base, then a layer of toasted coconut, covered in a thick layer of soft caramel, then thickly sliced bananas and whipped cream, more toasted coconut on the top………

Everybody had a forkful and had a look of sheer bliss on their faces as they tasted it………

“And what do you call this divine pie Spike?” Willow asked, digging in again for another forkful.

Spike smiled and shrugged,

“Just coconut banoffee pie – I make it without the coconut too…then it’s just banoffee pie of course…”

“We sure could save some money if we made these desserts and sauces ourselves…Spike, how’d you like to work here permanently? Even if it was just to make the pies and sauces?” Buffy said

“Yes, go on Spike” Red encouraged

“I’ll throw you in jail if you say no!” Officer Jones said grinning, and everybody laughed.

“Well put it like that, of course I’ll stay!” Everybody cheered and Buffy looked up to see Xandy walk in, he smiled but she knew something was wrong, it wasn’t a ‘full, real smile’ he looked worried and tired. It wasn’t in the script but she went over to him and put her arm around his shoulders and drew him to the table.

“Try some of Spike’s pie………(she gave him a forkful) and she asked

“Isn’t that good?”

“Oh yes, it’s mighty good!” Xandy said nodding

“And cut!” Thanks folks…next scene we need Red, Charity and Handy Andy putting up the new menu in five minutes folks” Warren said

Buffy took Xandy by the hand and led him to the rehearsal room. Spike saw this and held back a little…

“Okay Xandy, what’s the matter – you’re not your happy self- can I help?” Buffy asked trying to look in Xandy’s face.

Xandy looked down and didn’t say anything.

“Come on love, you can tell me, I don’t like to see you all worried; where’s my happy Xandy, hmm?” She cupped his cheek.

She sat on one of the tables and patted the space beside her and Xandy sat down next to her.

“Is it Angel – has he done anything or said anything to you?”

“He phoned me last night and asked if I’d put the rose in your car” Xandy said quietly so Buffy had to strain to hear him.

“And what did you say?”

“I said yes, but you didn’t like it – then he shouted at me and said I better not have told you it was him, and he said remember he could still make a bad thing happen to my mom”

“RIGHT, THAT IS IT!” Spike came bursting into the rehearsal room boiling mad.

Xandy cowered at first until Spike put his arm around him and said

“Listen Xandy, you are my friend and you will always be our friend, you’re not to worry because I’m going to put a stop to this right now!”

Buffy looked alarmed and said,

“Spike, no – you don’t know what’s gone on, what’s happened!”

“Oh yes I do – I wasn’t asleep on Sunday, I heard every word, now that bastard is scaring you, he’s frightened somebody with the mind of a child and I’m not prepared for him to do that Buffy – poor Xandy’s scared witless he’s gonna do something wrong and something bad will happen to his mother, it’s not right and I’m going to the police about it!”

“Xandy, would you be prepared to tell a policeman or lady what Angel said to you?”

“About the flower and hurting my mom?” Xandy asked

“Yes. He’s been very bad Xandy, very, very bad. Did you know it was Angel who messed up my motorcycle and made me fall off and bang my head badly so I was in hospital?” Spike said.

Xandy’s eyes went big and he looked from Spike to Buffy and asked incredulously,

“Really?” Buffy nodded and said yes.

“Okay, I’ll tell the police officer what he said – he can check it’s true cos it’s on the recorder”

“Recorder, what recorder?” Spike asked frowning

“Sometimes I forget to give mom messages, so all calls are recorded so mom doesn’t miss anything important”

Buffy grabbed Xandy and gave him a big kiss on the cheek and said,

“Oh Xandy, that’s brilliant – have you got the tape?”

Xandy nodded and slowly took it out of his pocket and gave it to her.

“Xandy mate, put it there, you are brilliant! This is just what we need!” Spike held his hand out and beaming Xandy shook Spike’s hand, who then pulled him into a hug.

“You’re a good lad Xandy, a very good lad!” Xandy felt so much better now, he’d been so worried that he couldn’t sleep.

ooOOoo

Buffy got on the phone to the lawyer………

“………I see, but how old is Mister Harris?” the lawyer asked

“He’s 25, but has a learning age of an 8 year old”

“I thought that was just for the show?”

“No, it’s his real life condition” Buffy said

“Well…ordinarily, I’d try for ‘Coercing a minor into committing an offence’, but as he’s 25, I’d have a job trying to make it stick”

“But he has the mind of a child – that’s what’s important, there’s medical back up of that fact”

“He does know right from wrong?”

“Oh yes, he knows, his mother has instilled that him, and about telling lies, he knows to always tell the truth”

“Well that might all very well, but the defence then will say that all kids lie”

“Well they can say what they like, he’s got what Angel said on tape – we’ve heard it for ourselves”

“He taped the call? – Isn’t that a bit, well, too clever for him to do that? – I mean to think of doing that, that is to say, it would be a cast iron proof and would be excellent”

“It’s a function his mother put on the phone so she doesn’t miss messages, Xandy forgets to give his mother messages, so she has everything taped, we’ve got Angel on the phone saying things to Xandy to frighten him, like if he tells anybody something bad will happen to his mom” Buffy explained.

“Right, well I’ve got to move fast, he’s supposed to be in his lawyer’s office tomorrow to have the plea bargain put to him to accept – I could easily tack on another ten years for this – could you get me some documentation about Xandy’s medical condition do you think?”

“Sure, we’ve got copies of the originals at the studio; his mother gave them to us so my mother, god rest her soul, could read authentic medical records about his condition. I’ll ask Xandy’s mother if it’s okay to give them to you” Buffy said

“Thank you, I’ll be in touch, bye”

ooOOoo

Buffy was in the rehearsal room the following morning when her mobile vibrated and she looked at it and saw she’s got a text message,

She read:

Fwnd Sympthc Jdge, got PBarg stp. Wll go to Trial – lookg at least 25yrs fngrs X’ed - AFR

Buffy couldn’t wait for Spike to finish his scene so she could tell him. She heard ‘and cut’ from Tara and waited excitedly for him to come into the room.

“Spike!” she ran over and hugged him.

“Oh – hey love – you look happy – oh I take it old Farqy came up trumps then?”

“Well I don’t know what you just said, but its great news, he found a sympathetic judge, and the plea bargain’s been stopped and it’s going to trial, he said – listen to this, Angel’s looking at least 25 years!!”

“Wow, now that’s more like it!” Spike said grinning

ooOOoo





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