Buffy heaved the last of the suitcases off the luggage carousel and added it to the pile on Giles's trolley. How did we end up with so many bags? Oh yeah - Willow's crap at fitting her crap into one suitcase. Buffy giggled to herself, earning questioning looks and raised eyebrows from the other passengers around.
Passing through the doors into arrivals Willow spotted a Wolfram and Hart sign – the driver sent to take them to the firm base.
9 o'clock that evening Spike marched across the lobby, pissed that his duster had been shredded and scorched to pieces. That's the last time I do anything to help that plonker, he thought.
"Hey!" Harmony cried from her desk. "You could have cleaned your feet!"
Spike looked behind him at the set of sooty footmarks tramped through the carpet. "Get maintenance to deal with it. And get me a new one of these," he threw the duster at her desk before going into Angel's office.
In Angel's office Willow sat with Wes and Fred leafing through piles of paper work faxed through from various archives. Buffy leaned against Angel's desk deep in discussion with Angel, Gunn and Giles.
"Peaches I have a bloody bone to pick with you." Spike stormed through the doors and noticed Willow sat on the floor and Giles walking over towards him. "Hey Red. Roops…Red!"
Doubling back he stared at them both before turning to confront Angel. Leaning against the desk he saw a slender blonde with her back to him. Oh my God! Spike could of sworn his heart started to beat again as she turned around.
Oh my God! A thousand thoughts went through Buffy's head. It can't be him, but it can't be anybody else. She desperately wanted to turn around and see him standing there alive – well in none dust form anyway. But her knees were weak and she knew that if it weren't him she would break.
Angel was staring at her watching her face carefully. Feeling everyone's eyes on her she took a deep breath and slowly turned.
"Buffy" The whisper barely left his lips as she flew at him and was in his arms.
"You're alive. O my God you're alive." She buried her face in his neck, breathing in the yummiest scent that she loved. Tears spilled from her eyes soaking his shirt.
"Yeah. I'm here and I'm never letting you go again." Spike held her to him, feeling her mould into him. He kissed her hair; never wanting to let this moment end he buried his face in it willing the rest of the world to just disappear.
For a long time they stood there, Buffy's sobs died out and she pulled back to look into his eyes. She stroked his face looking over his perfect features – his cheekbones, jaw line, beautiful eyes. Spike closed his eyes revelling in her caress until a sudden sting shot through his cheek. She slapped him!
"What the bloody hell was that for!"
"What was it for? Spike you're alive and you didn't try to find me? Contact me? What the 'bloody hell' do you think it was for!"
"Well technically I'm not alive luv and I've also only been her a month and for 2 weeks as was a bleedin ghost!" Spike heard his voice rise and couldn't help laughing at her impression of him, but hated himself for it when he saw the hurt and disappointment in Buffy's eyes.
"You could of called." She said meekly, feeling that she could cry all over again.
"I'm sorry pet. I love you."
He held her close to him and the mumbled words against his chest nearly made him collapse.
"I love you to."
Willow cleared her throat loudly. She was happy to see Spike too, and even happier to see Buffy so happy, but they did have work to do.
Buffy felt the colour rush to her face and glanced up at Spike through her wet lashes. Looking round Spike saw Wesley and Giles rolling their eyes, Angel glaring at him with disdain, and Fred and Lorne watching with soppy looks. He grinned down at Buffy, giving her a wink before turning;
"So what's 'appnin? You found that prophecy yet?"
Later that evening Buffy and Willow opened the door to one of the large conference rooms at the back of the building. Throwing her research onto the table Buffy went to look out over the glowing city of Los Angeles. Willow began to unpack her laptop and organise the papers for the all-nighter they had, ridiculously, decided to pull.
"I know it sounds stupid, but this is probably the most fascinating mass of concrete I've ever seen." Buffy giggled and crossed her arms across her chest.
Willow stopped what she was doing and moved next to Buffy at the window.
"It is amazing. Shame it will be destroyed if we don't defeat this apocalypse… should really get back to work…"
"Yeah…"
Neither moved. They were both hypnotised by the glowing lights of the city.
"Knock, knock." Spike stuck his head around the door. Buffy and Willow broke from their daze. Spike watched Buffy as she moved back to the table, pulling a chair out and plopping into it wearily. Looking up she caught him staring and shot him one of her winning smiles.
Spike was knocked to the side by the rest of them coming through the door, loaded down by work.
"We're getting nowhere with this," sighed Fred as she spread the papers out. "Nothing we have – or have access to – has anything about this apocalypse. This could take days!"
"Then we better get to work then," said Wes as he and Andrew came in with yet more books.
Angel added his last file of paperwork to his huge pile just as the clock switched to 00:00. Grinding the sleep from his eyes, he stretched and stood up, gathering some things to take through to where everyone was researching.
He locked his office door behind him, dumped the paperwork on Harmony's desk, and began to make his way down the dark corridors. Turning a corner Angel's vampire senses picked up someone behind him. Allowing his nostrils to flare he attempted to pick up on a scent.
"Harmony" he growled under his breath. What was the stupid bird still doing here?
Starting back down the corridor Angel carefully checked every doorway until he came to the janitors' closet. Opening the door he stepped in and looked around the room. "This place is bigger than my bathroom!" Spinning around he caught Harmony trying to sneak out.
"H..hey boss."
"What are you doing here Harmony?" Angel asked in a strained voice. She was the last thing he could deal with, what with Buffy and Spike. I still can't believe they…God no, bad thoughts.
"Well I thought I could help. You know get coffee or blood if you prefer." Harmony flashed one of her best smiles and batted her eyelashes.
"Go. Home. Now."
Knowing that midnight wasn't the best time to provoke her already pissed off boss, she quickly backed out and made a run for the lift. "R..right boss."
"The end of the world is becoming more welcome by the minute," Angel said to himself as he made his way towards the conference room. Nearing the others he bumped into Lorne, juggling cardboard cups of hot beverages.
"Hey Angel cakes, I picked you up a double shot unicorn blood, thought you might be needing it by now."
"Lorne you have no idea." Angel took the cup along with several others and nudged the door open.