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Chapter 34 Housework and Holiday Plans

“Spike, is this yours, is it important?” Buffy asked, picking up the thick envelope that contained the script for the Dr How movie. Buffy was tidying up.

“Oh god, yeah I forgot about that, I wanted to tell you – then well it just went out of my head because of – well lets not rake over old stuff – read it if you like” Spike had just filled the dishwasher and he was on his way to the basement with the bed linen and towels from the bathroom to put in the wash.

“Er, I will after I finish dusting – have you finished with the vacuum cleaner upstairs?”

“Yes love, it’s in the hall, I bought it down. I’ll just put these on then I’ll take out the garbage, then I’ll make us some coffee okay?”

“Hmm, love it!” Buffy said. She squirted and rubbed, polished and dusted, then vacuumed the hall and lounge. Spike disappeared into the basement to put the washing on, and when he came back up, she asked,

“Did you –“ Buffy began

“Yes, I put the wash-ball in the machine with the washing liquid, and the softener in the draw like you showed me” Spike said with a grin.

“Good – I can’t bear scratchy towels – or bed linens come to that!”

“Right, coffee got some hazelnut syrup for you to try”

“Hmm, sounds yummy! – Right, where’s that big envelope…” Buffy found it on the coffee table.

___________________



They sat on the sofa next to each other as Buffy read the Dr How script.

“So you could come and visit me on set, and I could come back here for the odd weekend, we won’t be apart for the whole eight weeks!”

“You wouldn’t want to stay there then?”

“Don’t be silly…only if you were staying too!” Spike reassured her by giving her a kiss and squeezing her hand. The telephone rang, it was Joany.

“Hi Spike, I was wondering if you and Buffy would like to come to a murder mystery night next Friday here at my house”

“Next Friday? – Oh we’d have loved that, erm…”

“I sense a ‘but’ coming on?” Joany sounded disappointed

“It’s Willow’s birthday, and we promised Ford that we’d try and think of something special for her to do that night – her parents have plans for the Saturday, her actual birthday. Ford’s really sweet on her!”

“He is? - I thought so, well how about we tell Ford, and we all play a part, but not tell Willow, then she can play detective – I was going to invite them anyway, that can be her surprise – I’ll get her a cake and sparklers – we can have cake and champagne at midnight!”

“Joany, you’re a life-saver, that would be brilliant!”

“Well you phone Ford and tell him, and I’ll get on with the arrangements!” Joany said.

“What’s that Spike?” Buffy asked as soon as he’d put the phone down.

“Joany, she’s invited us to a murder mystery night at her house next Friday, we’ll all have a little part, but not tell Willow – when we get there, somebody gets murdered, and she can play detective finding the clues to the murderer - I think she’ll love that, don’t you?” Buffy was grinning

“That’s brilliant – and it won’t cost Ford a penny –he can buy her a nice present instead!” The telephone rang again…

“I’ll get it – Hello – oh hello Bernice…you do, oh that’s good, I got a mixed bouquet as I wasn’t sure about what you liked…no not at all, it should still be me thanking you! I’ve got all the containers, I’ll take them to work with me on Monday and give them to Willow…okay, you’re welcome, bye – oh give my regards to Ira, bye!” Spike put the phone down and said,

“That was Bernice thanking me for the flowers I sent her to thank her for putting me up”

Buffy smiled and looked at her own bouquet of blood red roses Spike had sent her sitting in a crystal vase on the dining room table.

“Oh and remind me on Monday, to give Willow all those Tupperware boxes back from yesterday morning’s breakfast”

Buffy nodded. Spike went to pick up the phone to ring Ford, when it rang again!

“My, we are popular this morning…hello – oh hi dad! Uh huh, sounds good, when? – Ah…yes there IS a problem actually…see on Friday………” Spike went onto explain to his father… and then after the call had finished, he said to Buffy,

“………So dad said he’d come with us, and give Joany a surprise – you don’t suppose she’d mind us bringing him do you?”

“I think she’ll absolutely love it – but now we’ve got to be careful what we say and who we say it too!” Buffy said with a grin.

Spike said he’d phone Ford.

“Hi, Ford – all your problems are over, listen carefully…” he explained everything carefully.

“……He’s really pleased, he knows Willow will love it!” Spike said to Buffy

___________________


“Scene 4, take 1, Babs arrives at diner and gives Buffy alarming news…and Action!” Tara closed the clapperboard and the camera trained on Babs’ van arriving at the diner.

“Buffy, your meat order has arrived” Xandy called, and Spike went out to help.

“I must see Buffy, is she in Spike?”

Spike picked up three heavy boxes out of the back of the van, and nodded towards the diner and said,

“Sure, she’s filling the ketchup bottles”

Babs hurried into the diner and said,

“Buffy, I am right in thinking you said you’re not selling that land of yours that backs onto my land, aren’t I?”

“That’s right, Leedermann left on Friday with no shadow of a doubt from me, why?”

“Only – are you having a survey done on the land or something?”

“A survey – no – how do you mean?”

“Well when I was coming over the Ridge, I looked down onto your land, and there were two men – one looked like he was taking soil samples, the other man was drilling – there was a car parked by them.

“Drilling?! Right! I’m phoning the sheriff’s office!”

Buffy quickly wiped her hands and went to the phone in the stockroom. She quickly dialled the local sheriff’s office.

“Hello Sheriff Dawson? – is Officer Jones there I need him urgently, this is Buffy Wilson at the diner”

“Morning there Buffy, what’s the problem?” The sheriff asked, and Buffy told him what Babs had seen.

“We’ll be right out there!”

“And cut!” Thanks folks next scene, the Sheriff and Officer Jones leaving the diner, clearing up after the dinner time rush, and Buffy and Spike discussing what happened, Red and Charity clearing and cleaning tables… in two please folks” Warren called.

Buffy and Spike took their places, as did Charity and Red with trays laden with dirty plates, mugs and cutlery etc.

“Scene 7 take 1 – discussion and action!” Warren closed the clapperboard………

“That man’s got a nerve the size of a house! Of all the cheek!” Buffy said

“Well, you heard what the sheriff said, those two guys got a call to do a survey of the land, they thought it was legit, they didn’t know that the land didn’t belong to him” Spike said

Charity emptied her tray into the dishwasher and pressed it to start.

“But what would they be looking for?”

“Well I suspect, Leedermann now thinks that Buffy won’t sell because the land is valuable, she knows something he doesn’t”

“What’s that then?” Charity asked

“Well, he’s now probably thinking that there’s gold or oil or something on there, that’s why she won’t sell” Spike explained

“And is there?” Red asked waiting for the dishwasher to finish its cycle.

“No, there isn’t, it’s just an old Native American Indian burial ground, dad bought it as a favour to Little Sun, who saved his life as a child. 22 years later, the government wanted the land and despite huge objections from the Indian nation there, the government almost got their way – until dad stepped in and bought it up for them, gave it to Little Sun as a gift. His grandson, Sun Bear gave it back to us when the last Native left the land. It’s a burial ground, sacred to them and I won’t sell it” Buffy said, and then she added, I’m just going to phone my lawyer, I won’t be long.

“But what would they be testing for – how would they know what’s in the land?” Charity asked

“Well soils have minerals and such in them, and certain minerals lets them know if there’s gold or oil or something of value, depending on what it is” Spike explained.

Buffy came back.

“My lawyer says it would be best if I surround the land with a wire fence and put up notices stating it’s private property and to keep out, and a notice stating that the land belongs to me and all enquiries are to be made to me, that way there can be no mix ups like with those guys today who thought that because Leedermann was paying them he owned the land” Buffy said.

“But everybody in the county here knows you own that land Buffy, it’ll be a shame you have to go to the expense” Red said, emptying the washer and re-filling it.

“Well, if that’s what it takes…” Buffy said

“And cut!” Okay folks, that’s it for today, you can go home now – oh Spike, can I have a quick word?” Warren said

“I’ll wait for you in the car” Buffy said and went to get out of her work clothes.

“Ten days – I’ve managed to work things so that the weekend will come and we can all start back on the Wednesday, so we finish on Monday, the 23rd”

“Brilliant! I can book tickets now – that’s great, oh, and not a word to Buffy” Spike said

“Okay promise – bye now!”

“Yes, bye Warren”

____________________


“Oh Ford, it’s beautiful!” Buffy looked at the necklace Ford had bought for Willow for her birthday

“Do you think she’ll like it? – I’ve kept the receipt just in case”

“Oh she’ll love it I’m sure, it’s so delicate and pretty – she’ll love it!” Buffy said with a grin. Ford snapped the velvet box shut and slipped it into the fancy velveteen bag it came in, with ‘Tiffany’s Jewellery in gold letters on the front.

“Warren said he’s letting us off early, so I’ll pick her up at 6.45 – you all get to Joany’s place at 7.15, we’ll arrive at 7.30 and shout surprise is that okay – you’re bringing Spike’s dad aren’t you? Ford said to Buffy, she nodded and said,

“Yes, Sir Rupert is already at my house, he arrived first thing this morning. And you’re sure Willow doesn’t know a thing?”

“Nope, coz she asked me what she should wear I told her, her best dress!”

Buffy grinned and said,

“Well it will be a nice dinner first!”

“That’s it, so I’m wearing a tux!”

“I’ll get Spike to wear his, he was undecided between the tux and his suit”

“Great, I won’t feel bad just me wearing one then!”

“Sir Rupert is going to turn up looking like Sherlock Holmes – it’s going to be such FUN! Oh, quiet now!”

“What are you two whispering about?” Willow asked smiling

“Us, nothing!” Ford and Buffy chorused together, then they broke out in a fit of giggles. Willow just shook her head – she knew it was something about her birthday, so she’d let them off the interrogation!

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