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Author's Chapter Notes:
Okay, first of all thank you guys so much for the reviews. I think they are like the best thing ever and really they just make my day. So thanks from the bottom of my heart.
Also I wanted to be a little more specific about the time line as it is in my mind against what happened in season 5 of ats. By the time Buffy makes it to LA we have gone through until the episode Your Welcome. However just to make things a little more interesting for my story Smile Time takes place before that episode and she had arrived before A Whole in the World. And while I did enjoy most of the epi. I needed to change it to fit with my narrative. So I hope this clears that up and explains some of the interaction of the characters.
Please continue to let me know what you think and I will keep going with this even though other evil influences such as work keep trying to distract me. Thanks again.
She stole a glance at the alarm clock next to the bed and saw that it was already ten o'clock.

"Damn!"

"What's the matter pet?" His voice was muffled against the side of her neck.

"It's late and we have things to do."

"I can think of plenty to do and none of them requires us to get out of this bed." The kiss he placed against her neck both tickled and thrilled her.

"And why doesn't that surprise me?" She sighed. "As much as I would like to find out what you're thinking; check out is at eleven and it's already ten."

"What? You're not staying here?"

"Um a world of no. I was going to ask Angel if he wouldn't mind if I stayed at that old hotel of his." It couldn't have been her imagination that she felt him stiffen when she had said Angel's name.

"No need for that pet got a place not to far away."

"You're not staying with him at Evil inc.?"

The look she got from him simply said that she had lost her mind.

"Kay sorry I asked. So what kind of place is it?"

"An apartment 's not fancy but..." She watched as he shyly ducked his head.

"This apartment of yours it has a bed right?"

"Yeah."

"And when I'm there your going to be there right?"

"Pretty much."

"Then its perfect." She tilted her head at him studying him for just a moment. "If you really want me to stay there."

"If you think I'm letting you out of my sight you've gone round the bend."

She giggled and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"Now come on. I'm worried that we haven't heard from the others yet."

********

While Spike was in the shower she took the opportunity to give Dawn a call.

"Hey Dawn."

"Buffy did you make it to L.A. okay?"

"Yeah. I just wanted to call and let you know that I was okay."

"And how was Spike?"

It was telling of how their relationship had changed that Dawn was the one person besides Spike she had wanted to tell about her realization of how she felt. And far from being judgmental her sister had welcomed the news knowing that if she was finally happy than she was happy for her. The maturity she had finally found was astounding and she hoped that she had been able to share some of it with the others.

"Oh Dawn he's good he really is."

"See you were right as usual. And did you tell him?" Dawn had been adamant that the first order of business was to tell the missing vamp exactly how she felt.

"Well aren't we pushy? Yes last night. And again this morning. And I plan on telling him again tonight."

The snicker that came over the phone line made her smile.

"So happy?"

"Dawnie I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am."

"So what else is going on?"

"I thought you said you didn't want to know about the Angel sitch."

"And I changed my mind. It's a thing. Do you want to talk about it?" Her sister was really something.

"Not much to tell right now. I just talked to him a little last night going to go talk to him today."

"And how did he take the whole Spike thing?"

"Did you know that even at 240 some odd years you can still act like you just turned twelve?"

"That good huh?" Buffy heard the sound of the shower being turned off.

"You don't even want to know. Look I gotta go. I'll call you a little later okay?"

"You better and tell Spike I expect to talk to him too."

"I will. Bye."

"Later."

********

One quick shower later she walked with Spike into the elevator of Wolfram and Hart. It didn't matter that it was daylight outside or that there had been no direct threat to her since stepping her first foot into the building. The place was still way too creepy for her taste.

She had no plan of action of course because for once this wasn't a direct fight. It wasn't a foe that she knew she could plan against and anticipate their actions. No now she had only her words to use to convince friends into the right course of action. Some of them more stubborn then others.

So now she stood in the lobby outside of Angel's office wondering what she should say. Part of her thought about just going in there and punching him in the nose to see if it would knock some sense into him. But the other part of her knew that it would just make him get all defensive and huffy and possibly brood more. And she definitely couldn't deal with that.

"He's not in yet." The reprieve from facing Angel came in the form of a little voice from behind the desk.

"Harmony you don't have to hide." She was amazed that she could get her voice to sound so patient. Guess dealing with Andrew had some good points after all.

Buffy watched partly amused as the top of her blond head started to poke over the desk. When she didn't move further she was surprised that she actually chuckled.

"Really I'm not going to hurt you."

"But you're the Slayer."

"Kind of know that. C'mon I'm serious you don't do anything to me and I'll leave you alone."

"Um okay well... You want me to call him?" She gestured towards the office.

"No that's okay. We'll come back later."

She took Spike's hand and began to walk away.

*********

Spike led her down the hall towards the lab where he knew Fred was working. They stopped near the glass doors observing as she talked to a man in a white lab coat and studied a giant stone box. At least that's what it looked like it was to Buffy.

Clearing her throat as she walked in Buffy smiled as Fred glanced over to her.

"Hey Fred I was wondering if I could talk to you for just a minute?"

"Sure." A bright smile on her face. When she got closer her voice dropped. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh yeah. Everything's fine why do you ask?"

"Well after last night and then I hadn't heard from Wesley today and I'm kinda worried."

Buffy caught something in the other woman's eyes as she had talked about the former watcher.

"Nothin' to worry about pet."

"We sent him home to get some sleep."

With the look of relief that flooded Fred's eyes Buffy was certain about her instinct.

She nodded. "So what do you want to talk about?"

While she talked Buffy watched a young woman with dark brown hair and also in a lab coat, as she walked into the room and began to chat with the man. After a few words the man left and the woman began to study the object more carefully.

"I was just wondering if you had thought about what we discussed last night?"

The lab coated woman reached out her hand curiously to a purple gem on the thing and Buffy watched, as a gust of air seemed to blow in her face disturbing her hair.

Hearing the sound of ragged coughing Fred turned her attention to the woman. The man from earlier also returned.

"Laura are you okay?"

"Yeah just." cough, "I must of disturbed a pocket of air or something."

"Knox let's get Laura to medical and get her checked just in case."

"Sure Fred." Buffy watched as the two of them left and took a glance at Spike. He looked as confused as she felt.

"Well that was sure odd." Fred's brow was furrowed in thought.

Buffy let out a long sigh. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

*********

They had watched as Fred in full Haz Mat gear fully inspected what they had told Buffy was a sarcophagus. An obviously old and ornate one. After watching the poking and prodding for about a half hour she was bored.

"Maybe we should go check on Laura." She knew that the plea to get out of the lab was plain in her eyes.

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"If you want pet. Medical's just down the hall." She could tell that he was just as bored as she had been but wasn't going to let her know that.

They walked into the Medical area in time to see that the place was totally empty. There was no sign of Laura or the doctors who worked there.

Shrugging their shoulders to each other they turned and left the room headed for the lobby area. Maybe they could find Angel or Gunn now and talk to them.

Turning around a corner they almost ran into Laura literally.

"Hey Laura how are you?"

"Clean bill of health. They just let me out of there."

"Better safe then sorry I guess."

The young woman nodded.

"You're new here aren't you pet? Don't remember seeing you much."

"I just started here two weeks ago. Ms. Burkle, I mean Fred hired me herself."

"Well I'm glad you're alright. I'm Buffy by the way and this is Spike."

"It's good to meet you." She shook Buffy's hand. "Thank you."

"For what?" She thought about the conversation they were having but couldn't reconcile the words.

"For being so nice. I mean I don't even know you but... well thank you."

Buffy gave her a warm smile.

"In that case you're welcome. Did you want to head back to the lab with the others?"

"Actually that was where I was headed. Will I be seeing you later?"

"A definite possibility."

She watched as Laura opened her mouth to speak when her eyes suddenly rolled up into the back of her head and she began to sink to the floor. Reacting quickly Spike reached out and grabbed her settling her down gently as her body began to convulse.

"We need some help over here!" Buffy yelled.





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