ONE NORMAL LIFE / TWO EXTRAORDINARY LIVES

CHAPTER 83 - THE LONG ROAD HOME

JULY 8, 2008
TUESDAY
9:30AM

They had been driving almost 2 hours, from the beautiful, scenic mountains from Sedona, and now into the burning hot desert that was Phoenix in July.

Although air-conditioned, the omnipresent heat from the outside could be felt both physically, as well as almost mentally by the group.

Xander stopped for gas soon after arriving on the outskirts of Phoenix. As the door to the RV opened, they immediately felt the blast furnace effect of the desert in its full glory.

"Jeez," Xander said, stepping out.

Buffy was next, followed by William.

"Ever feel anything like this?" she asked him.

He shook his head.

"Gives the term 'hot as hell,' a new meaning, huh?" Xander asked.

William nodded.

Dawn, Willow, Buffy, all went inside the convenience store, to escape the heat, while Xander gassed up the RV, and William under Xander's direction, checked on the oil, fluids, and tires.

Ten minutes later, a very red-faced Xander and William came into the store, as well, to pay for the gas and to get some ice and cold drinks.

"I've gotta take the RV across the street to the service station," Xander said, after paying for the gas.

"Why?" Willow asked.

"William discovered it was almost out of coolant. I don't know if it ran out or was about to overheat. I just want to make sure, we don't need to get stuck out in the desert with a blown radiator. Guy behind the counter called them, they can take me right away, so shouldn't be too long."

"Can they check RV's? Thought you needed to take t sor sort of babies to a special garage or something," Dawn said.

Everyone looked at her.

"What? I was doing my homework, when we thought we were going to have to rent one," she said, rolling her eyes.

"You're right, Dawnie," Xander said, using the familiar, "but I guess there's so many 'snow birds' around here, that lots of gas stations have special bays just for these kind of vehicles. At least, that's what Frank says," he motioned to the guy at the cashier."

"Okay, so let's go do that."

It was about half an hour later when it occurred to Buffy that she needed to call Clem. Xander was in the garage talking to the mechanic, along with William, who had eagerly gone along, interested in finding out as much as he could about cars, while he still could from Xander.

Buffy took Willow's laptop and her cell phone into the bedroom.

Luckily, Clem answered in a couple of rings.

"Clem? This is Buffy."

"Hey, y. Ay. Are you calling me why I think you're calling me," he asked, unable to keep the excitement from his voice.

"I am. William and I should be home tonight. But it's probably going to be really late; more likely past midnight, by the looks of things," she answered and explained where they were and what was happening at the moment.

"Buffy!” Clem said, making a loud whooping noise into the phone, “Sorry, I’m just excited! I miss my neighbor. Neighbors," he corrected himself.

"Listen, I've been making a list of things I was going to pick you up from the grocery store. Why don't I read it to you and you tell me if there's anything else you need, or if there's something on the list you don't want."

For the next few minutes they discussed the grocery list. He'd covered most her bases, but she added some sugar, tea, and a few toiletry items. Otherwise, it seemed pretty thorough.

"I can't thank you enough for doing this for me.\ "N "No problem. I've been looking forward to it, actually."

"Oh, Clem, before I go, could you do one more thing for me? For tonight?"

"Sure, what?"

* "Could you make sure the gate is working? I have the remote, but in case it's out for some reason, I really don't want to have to shimmy over the top of it tonight at midnight with William...just check it, okay?"

"Why don't I just go open it up around 10pm? You say you're getting in after midnight, right?"

"Yeah, you could do that. Hopefully, the remote will close it. Or I can just get out and close it. I just don't want to climb any fences tonight."

"I understand. Anything else?"

"Would you turn the lights on at the house for us?"

"Sure, Buffy. I was going to do that anyway!"

"Sounds funny to hear you call 'Spike,' William, you know?"

"I guess so. I sort of forget that I'm doing it anymore. I hardly ever call him Spike anymore. You'll know what I mean, when you see him again, get to know him again. Though, come to think of it, I did call him Spike yesterday, but that was because something happened...nevermind, I'll tell you about it later, okay?"

"Sure, Buffy. Well, see you tonight then. I don't mean I'll see you, actually, but I'll just see you, without being seen, understand?"

She laughed, "Clem, you know I've known you long enough to actually be able to answer 'yes' to that question. I've gotta go now, so I'll see you tonight, and thanks again."

"Bye Buffy. Tell William I'll see him soon, too."

"I will for sure. Bye Clem," Buffy said, smiling as she hung up. Now it was official. They really were on their way home. It also reminded her that she had to do one more thing.

She just started to turn off the phone when it rang.

“Hello?”

“Buffy? It’s Clem, I forgot to ask you something, do you have Willow’s email?”

“Um, sure, why?”

“Just something I need to ask her. Don’t worry, nothing bad, I don’t want a year’s supply of kittens or anything.”

Buffy laughed, “I know. Here it is,” she said, giving it to him. They hung up again, then, and she went came out of the bedroom.

“Wanna go shopping?” she asked Dawn and Willow.

“Sure, where?” Dawn asked.

“I don’t know yet, I just remembered I have to get something for Clem, though.”

She found out that there weren’t tou tourist-y stores within walking distance, but there was a gourmet cooking shop about 2 blocks away. After first discounting it, Buffy realized; it was more than perfect!

Willow decided to stay and make a call to Kennedy, so Buffy and Dawn walked, complaining all the way about the suffocating heat.

Buffy found an expensive set of 5 ceramic mixing bowls; each with a different Soutterntern Scene: Saguaro, Kachina figures, mountains, and prickly pear. There was one other, which she almost liked better, but one scene had been of the Grand Canyon, and she didn’t want William to even chance seeing that again, not even in a picture, so she bought these ones instead.

She also bought him an apron that said, ‘Kiss the Cook,’ with a big Saguaro Cactus on the front. The background dark clouds and the cactus stood out against them.

Buffy and Dawn made their purchases; Dawn had decided to buy a few things for her apartment, too, and walked back to the garage.

“We should’ve had them pick us up,” Dawn moaned carrying the box of plates she’d bought.

“Hey, got about 30 pounds of bowls here, so preaching to the choir,” Buffy said.

They made it back, just as the mechanic was finishing up.

It had taken about an hour to recharge the radiator and fix some hoses, but they were finally on their way out of Phoenix.

"I know this is putting us behind the 8-ball, but it's a good thing we had it done," Xander said.

"Not a problem," Buffy said.

“They decided to take Highway 10, which would take them to closest to Orange County Airport, where Buffy could pick up her car. Since Dawn had driven to San Diego to pick up the papers from Lawrence, her car was closer to Buffy, so Buffy and William would drive Dawn back to her car, then drive home to Julian.

“You know, Buffy. I really don’t need my car tonight anyway. Xander and Willow can come back to my the apartment with me tonight, which isn’t that far from where we’re dropping you and William off, then they can drive me to San Diego tomorrow, and head out on Highway 8 back to Arizona. Or, I could just get Dr. John to give me a ride to my car. Either way.”

“You and he are pretty close, aren’t you?” Buffy asked, feeling guilty that over the course of the last few months, weeks in particular all attention had been focused on her and William.

“It’s been getting there,” Dawn said, evasively.

“Are you…where does he live.”

“No, we’re not living together.”

“I didn’t think you were,” Buffy said, but then again, besides that a male’s voice hadn’t answered Dawn’s phone, she really wouldn’t know.

“But we don’t live too far apart, “Dawn continued, “he’s over quite a bit. At least he was until about 2 months ago, when he went out of town for a continuing education class, then I was finishing my semester, then he was on vacation, then I’ve been gone.”

“Oh,” Buffy said.

“But we’ve kept in touch by email most days.”

“You have? I didn’t know. I’m sorry about that…about having kept you away from your life for all this time.”

“It’s okay, Buffy. Really, you know I wanted to be here for you. And for William,” Dawn said.

“I know. I just…I appreciate it so much. I’m just glad that you’ll be getting back to your own life. As you should be.”

“And you to yours. Both of yours,” Dawn said, smiling, quickly catching William’s eye, as he glanced up at her.

He had been looking down during the conversation, embarrassed by the attention that had been diverted from all of Elizabeth’s friend’s lives, coming to his aid, mostly. Dawn from her studies and a possible serious boyfriend, Willow all the way from England, a lover and work. Xander and his family, across the country, practically from the Atlantic to the Pacific shores. All bec she she asked them to, to help him. It was one of the most, if not the most humbling feelings he’d ever had.

He took a quick look at Elizabeth. What was it about this tiny girl, woman really, that she commanded such loyalty, such devotion, such love? He didn’t know what it was for them, but for him, he’d never met anybody quite like her.


They made their way across the deserts of Arizona and finally, by midday, crossed the border, not far from Blythe. They all stared at the sign welcoming them to the Great State of California. They had really done it!

There were signs up, as they crd, wd, warning of bringing in any fruits, vegetables, or animals that may carry diseases detrimental to agriculture in the state. There was a state employee standing there as the vehicles slowed down to take a leaflet and answer his questions regarding what they were bringing into the state.

“Weird, isn’t it? Not like we’re coming from another country,” Xander said, after they’d pulled away.

“Still, California’s had its problems with non-native insects, diseases, animals, etc.” Dawn said, “learned that in my ecology class.”

“Me, too!” Buffy chimed in, “well, not so much an ecology class, as a biology class.”

They stopped soon afterwards for gas, and so Xander could take a lunch break and a nap. Willow took over driving, and Buffy joined her for a while up front.

“Well, Buffy, looks like you guys are finally going to be home tonight.”

“It’s weird, know what I mean? All these years I’ve lived in his house alone, never thinking it would ever be anybody there but myself.”

“But you’re happy, right?”

“Of course. I am happy. William makes me…I can’t describe it exactly, but there’s something about him that makes me feel peaceful, safe. Which, hey, considering the mind-numbing fear I feel some of the time because of him, that’s saying a lot,” she laughed, well aware of the absurdity of her statement.

“Well, of course you’re afraid, too. Who wouldn’t be, given the circumstances? The fact that he makes you feel all those other things, too, though…Well, that’s just wonderful. Really it is.”

“Yeah,” she said, smiling, “kinda is.”

“William seems truly happy, too.”

“I think he is, despite not remembering. Or, hey, maybe because of it. There’s times he seems…almost joyous, happy in a childlike way; carefree, free,” she said, smiling as she remembered certain times over the past few weeks where his awe, his joy was almost breathtaking in it’s purity to watch, infectious in it’s gleefulness.

“I’ve noticed, too. We all have. He’s quite charming that way, you know? The joy in the little things he radiates. Guess it is rather like watching a child discover the world.”

Buffy sobered, “He’s so innocent of…well, of everything.”

“Not everything,” Willow said, looking at Buffy and winking.

“No, not everything,” she said, blushing.

“That’s a good thing. He doesn’t just radiate joy because of his innocence; he radiates it when you’re anywhere around him. When he looks at you…he’s come a long way since we got him out of that hospital, and that’s all because of you.

“Buffy shook her head, “Not just me. I couldn’t have done it without you guys.”

“Yes, you could have. You would have. I know you, Buffy. If I hadn’t come, if Dawn hadn’t come, if there had been no Bernie, no Dr. Turner, no helpful nurses, no Leroy…any of us, I have no doubt that you still would have found a way to him and gotten him out of there. We’re talking about destiny here, Buffy. Yours and Spike’s, yours and William’s. Why else would you have seen that article when you did? Why would everything have worked out as it did? That’s why it’s brought you both to this point.”

“Well, I’m not a big believer in all that destiny stuff, though considering I was The Slayer, I suppose I should be. I just like to think of people having free will, more than things being inevitable.”

“Free will doesn’t cancel out destiny, you still always have choices.”

“What I’m trying to say is that, whether or not I could have done it alone, I’m so so glad that you guys were there to help me,” she smiled at Willow, “I didn’t realize how much I missed you guys.”

“I missed you, too, Buffy. We all did. I’m glad you called, glad we all got to take this trip together. Oh, and have you seen Xander and William, lately? I think they actually like each other!”

“Yeah,” Buffy giggled, “who would’ve thought…?”

They rode along in silence for a while.

“I just hope that when William finally finds out, and I know that it’s only a matter of time that I’ll either have to telm, om, or that he’ll remember, that it won’t destroy him. That he won’t be so hurt from it…I don’t want to see him hurt; don’t want to be the one who hurts him.”

“I know.”

Buffy shook her head, “I feel…selfish, Willow. It’s not just that I don’t want him hurt, it’s…”

“You’re afraid of how he’ll react to you, when he finds out?”

Buffy nodded, “Yeah…I think he’ll…no, I know he’ll hate me.”

“No, Buffy. He won’t hate you.”

“Yes, Willow. He will,” she said softly, “but I made a promise, a vow, after we found out that he was alive, before I even went to look for him, that no matter what, I would be there to help him, and that’s what I’ll continue to do. Even when…even if he winds up hating me.”

“Buffy,” Willow shook her head sadly, “I think you underestimate his love for you, I think…”

“I don’t…I haven’t for a long time. Not Spike’s and not even William’s. I just don’t think it will be enough.”

“Buffy, you need to trust in him, you really do. He’s a good man and he’s crazy about you. I think he’ll forgive you anything, not that I think that there’s anything to forgive, if that’s what you’re worried about. I think it’s yourself you can’t forgive, can’t trust.”

Willow didn’t know the half of it; there was plenty to forgive. Plenty. And there’d be a whole lot more before it was all said and done. Buffy looked over at Willow, “You might be right. Guess I’ll just have to wait and see, huh?”

Buffy got up, “Well, think I’ll go check up on him.” She paused behind Willow’s seat and gave her a pat. “Thanks for the kind words. I’ll think about what you said.”


“Damnit!” Willow said to herself after Buffy had left, “damnit!”

“Hey,” Buffy said, sitting down on the couch next to William. Him and Xander appeared to be watching a Cubs game on the television set. It even appeared to be exciting from the way Xander was making noises and talking to the set. She’d heard him explaining some finer point of the game as she walked back.

William turned toward her, his eyes and his smile giving her his full attention. He extended a hand to her and pulled her down to sit next to him. She snuggled in at his side, as he leaned over and kissed her hair, “Missed you,” he whispered, so only she could hear.

She turned toward him, and pulled his face towards hers and kissed him.

“Sheesh, William!” Xander exclaimed, “how am I going to teach you about baseball if you can’t keep your hands and eoff off of Buffy for more than 2 seconds?”

“Dunno,” William said, grinning, “maybe through email?”

“Come on, Xander, since when did you become so into sports? Don’t seem to remember you hardly ever watching any games,” Buffy said.

“That’s because I was always surrounded by you girls. Everytime I tried to turn one on, you girls would turn it off,” he said, “oh, Xander, why do you want to watch dumb old baseball?” he said in a high falsetto voice.

Buffy laughed, “Did not. Bes, es, if Angela was here, you probably wouldn’t even care.”

“Buffy,” Xander said, as if trying to explain something to a child, “I’m trying to be a bit of a jock for William here, do you mind?”

She laughed, “No, I don’t mind, Xander.”

“Good,” he said, and went back to explaining the game. William, however, was busy rubbing her back, finding the contours of it, much more interesting than the baseball diamond.

“Where’s Dawn?” she whispered.

He motioned to the bedroom, “Taking a nap I think.”

“The game probably made her tired,” she said, winking.


4:30pm

The game had finished, just as Willow pulled over to get some gas. They were at Chiriaco Summit, where one of the many aqueducts diverted the Colorado River to the California desert and to millions and millions of Southern California residents.

Xander got back in the driver’s seat and William decided to ride up front with him for a while.

“So, William, aou eou excited about going home?”

“I’m excited about seeing home, since I don’t have any memory of it.”

“I never knew, never would have even guessed you owned a house,” Xander said.

“Well, guess that makes two of us,” William replied.

Xander shook his head, afraid to say anything else.

They talked for a while about sports and cars, and what William might do once he got back.

“I think your idea of my going to school is a good one. Learn something new. Well, it’s all new to me, I guess,” he said, sort of laughing.

“What about you, Xander? What did you study in college?”

“Um, I didn’t. Wasn’t really college material; took some trade classes in building and construction. Was good at it, too, until I lost my eye. Still, I’m good at blueprints and design; that’s what I’m doing now. Lucky, I can make a living at it, still.”

“Did you go?”

“I think so, I mean, if my memories aren’t all false. Went to Oxford.”

“Oxford, huh?”

William nodded.

“What did you take?”

“Latin, Greek, ancient history, English, the Classicot mot much use, is it?” he laughed softly, self-deprecatingly.

“What did you do with it? Or what were you going to do with that stuff?”

“Teach, I guess. Never got the chance. At least don’t remember teaching. I remember working as some clerk in a stuffy old office. Hated it. Just lived for having time off, so I could write…wasn’t much good at that either, I’m afraid.”

“What did you write? Stories or something?”

William didn’t say anything.

“Well?”

William sighed, “Poetry mostly. God awful stuff, too, if I recall,” he shook his head at the painful memories, “got made fun of for it, by the blokes in my social circle, and even moreso, by the ladies. Called me William the Bloody.”

“They called you what?” Xander asked, not sure he’d heard correctly.

“Called me William the Bloody, because of my bloody awful poetry.”

Xander couldn’t help himself; he cracked up with laughter. So that was where the name, ‘William the Bloody,’ came from! Not from Spike having terrorized Europe as the evil vampire, but by having been such a bad poet as a man!

William cringed as he heard the laughter, hurt, wishing he hadn’t said anything.

“Hey, William, don’t get your dander up, I was made fun of plenty in school myself.”

“You were?” William asked, looking at him, astounded, “I would never have guessed. I mean, you seem perfectly norto mto me, look normal, sound normal. I would’ve thought you’d have had all the ladies falling all over themselves for you.”

Xander really laughed then, “Not even close. I could barely get a date, and that was only after I’d groveled, begged, cajoled, and pleaded. I was pretty much a dateless nerd throughout high school. Even past it.”

“What did they make fun of you for?”

“The better question would be, what didn’t they make fun of me for? Looks, grades, non-athletic abilities, you name it, they found a way to twist the knife. ”

“Well, it looks like you turned out alright, despite that,” William said, “you have a lovely wife and two ly kly kids, a good job, friends…”

“Yeah, you’re right about that. Things definitely turned out better than I thought they would ever turn out after…well, back then. Thanks for saying that,” Xander said. Who would’ve thought that he and Spike shared that sort of thing in common?

A few minutes later, Xander said, “You’re okay, too, William. Looks as though things are turning out okay for you, too.”

“Thank you, Xander. I…I hope so.”

“They will, just give it some time. You’re already ahead of the game, you’ve got Buffy in your corner, and she’s a force to be reckoned with, if you haven’t already figured that out.”

He nodded, “Yeah, I figured that out,” he agreed. He was quiet for a few minutes, then blurted out, “I want to marry her!”

“What?”

“Marry her. I want to marry Elizabeth!”

“I see. That’s…does she know?”

William nodded, “I think I made an error in mentioning it to her too soon, right after…well, too soon after we’d been back together.”

“She freak out?”

“If by freak out, do you mean did it send her running? Then yes, it did.”

Xander thought about this for a while, not believing he was going to offer the following advice, “I think that you should just give her some time. Give yourselves some time to get situated, know what I mean? Once you’re living together for a while, maybe after you’ve gotten back on your feet, to to school, gotten a job or whatever…try again. Bet she’ll say yes, then.”

William felt hopeful; “You think so?”

“I think so. She loves you, so why not?”

“Why not? That’s the question, isn’t it? Elizabeth said something about not wanting to rush things, about me getting my memory back first. I think that, for some reason, she thinks that once it comes back, that I wouldn’t want to marry her,” he shook his head in dismay, “I’d still love her, I know I would, so why would she thinat?”at?”

Xander shrugged.

William was quiet for a moment. He knew that Xander, all of them really, had been careful not to talk about his past. Knew that instead of filling him in with lots of details, they seemed to be hiding them, instead.

“Xander, without being specific, which I know you won’t be,” he said, sneaking a sideways glance, “but if you can, answer me this, is there some reason that I wouldn’t want to marry Elizabeth, if tomorrow, I remembered everything?”

“I don’t think so. You loved her before and you love her now. If you, as you say, got all your memories back tomorrow, I still think you’d want to marry her.”

“And what about her? If I remember everything tomorrow, is there a reason that she wouldn’t…wouldn’t want…me? Um, to marry me?”

“You’re asking me, Xander Harris, to examine the mind of a woman. Closely. Buffy’s mind, at that. I don’t even examine Angela’s mind that closely. en ten to me, William, if you want to preserve your own sanity, I wouldn’t even try to understand a woman’s mind. They’re too complex, especially hers. Short answer, I don’t see why she wouldn’t marry you one way or the other, if she loves you. I mean, she does love you, so it’s not that.”

“Dawn said she was scared, so did Willow.”

“Well, there you go, then. They’re like a beehive.”

William just looked at him.

“The way women understand each other, relate to each other, like bees in a hive, hive mentality,” he said, shaking his head, for the tenth time in as many minutes.

“So, I shouldn’t scare her, then?”

“Sounds reasonable to me, but what do I know? Guy, here. Okay, I’ll bite. What’s she supposed to be scared of?”

“I guess losing, loss, love,” he said, shrugging, “same thing we’re all scared of, I would think.”

“Well, just keep reassuring her that you’re not going anywhere, then. All the guys she’s ever known, starting with her dad, all left, so can’t really blame her there.”

“I guess that includes me, as well.”

“”
”

“I left her. For 5 years, didn’t I?”

“William, without saying anything specific, as you put it, believe me, it’s not the same. You didn’t get up and walk out of her life.”

“Sounds like that’s just what I did. Well, I guess not, because I don’t remember doing it. Still…”

“You know what you and Buffy have in common?” Xander asked.

“What?”

“A whole shit-load of unwarranted guilt about everything! Love her, stay with her, hopefully she’ll marry your sorry ass someday, making you the luckiest and happiest son-of-a-bitch in the world, make babies, grow old together and die at a nice ripe old age, okay? Now, would you stop yammering on William and let me drive, for cripes sakes?” Xander asked, giving him a friendly punch in the arm.

William looked shocked for a minute, then laughed; “I really am a pathetic ponce, aren’t I?”

“You said it, buddy, not me,” Xander said, smiling as he went back to driving.


Dawn and Willow were talking when William came back from up front.

“Where’izabizabeth?” he asked.

“Went back to the bedroom a few minutes ago,” Dawn answered.

She watched him go back to the bedroom. She rolled her eyes at Willow; “They really can’t keep away from each other.”

“Nope, doesn’t seem like it,” she said, winking at Dawn.

William knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

“Hi.”

“Hi. Miss me again?” she asked coming up to him and putting her arms around him.

“You know it,” he responded, pulling her towards him, and kissing her, “besidhat,hat, I was wondering what you were doing.”

“Packing up our stuff,” she said, pointing to the dresser and closet.

“Guess we’d best do that, huh?”

“What time is it?”

“Think it’s around 5:00pm. Xander said we were only about 75 miles from Santa Ana, is it?”

“Yeah, that’s a bit south of Los Angeles. My car’s parked at the Orange County Airport.”

“Oh,” William replied. “Xander said that you could’ve taken a flight from San Diego, that it would’ve been closer.”

“He’s right, it would’ve been. I was originally booked to fly out from there, but I changed it.”

“Why?”

“Do you remember the first time I saw you again, at the hospital?”

He kissed her gently on the lips, “Never forget that, Elizabeth.”

“Well, Dr. Turner had told me that visiting hours on your ward were only until 5:00pm. The flight I originally booked, wouldn’t have gotten me into Chicago in enough time to see you that day, so I cancelled it and took an earlier flight from the Orange County Airport,” she said, nuzzling heck,eck, “I couldn’t stand to not see you for one more day.”

He hugged her tightly to him. If she hadn’t come and spoken to him, if she’d waited until the next day, he might have never gotten out of there, mig might have been too late. He shuddered at the thought.

She felt him shudder and knew what thoughts were going through his head; they were going through hers, too. Plus, what she knew about how Angel and his lackeys had been involved. If she hadn’t gotten that flight, everything could have played out so differently.

She hugged him extra hard, thinking about what Willow had said, “Guess it was fate that I took the earlier flight,” she said.

He nodded, as his lips found hers, “You found me,” he whispered.

“I found you,” she whispered back, “and you found me, too.”

“Let’s make a promise to always find each other,” he said.

“No.”

“No?”

“Let’s just make a promise not to lose each other again.”

“Even better,” William said, smiling at her, “never want to lose you again.”

“Me, either,” she said, as her hands went around his neck, her mouth once again finding his. She kissed him passionat pul pulling him over to the bed.

He moaned, pulling back a little, surprised, “Didn’t think you’d want to do this right now.”

“Why not?”

“Aren’t we getting rather close?”

“William, remind me to explain the greater Los Angeles traffic system to you sometime. Especially at rush hour, when people are getting out of work…I’ll be surprised if we get to the airport in less than 3 hours.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Well, in that case…”

END CHAPTER 83

*The explanation for the gates that Spike has surrounding his house/property in Julian can be found in Ch. 12 of ONE NORMAL DAY, the prequel to this story. I explain it a bit further in the next chapters, if you don't want to go back and read that.

Actually, lots of stuff I refer to in this whole story, has to do with the first story, so I take that back, go catch up! Hey, it's shorter than this story, only 38 chapters.
-)