“Ma’am? Are you alright?” A stewardess stopped by her seat, seeing Buffy’s clenched hands on the seat.

“Can I get a rum and coke?” Buffy asked, hoping the alcohol would take the edge off her fear.

“I’m sorry but we don’t serve alcohol this close to the end of the flight.” The stewardess smiled and moved on. Buffy closed her eyes as the plane pitched again slightly.

“OK. I just have to say something.” Buffy turned to her left to look at her seatmate. He was a grinning twenty something that looked completely oblivious to her discomfort. He wasn’t horribly bad looking but he was beefier and taller than she liked her men to be, not that she wanted to get involved with some random guy from a flight, but it never hurt to look.

“And that is?” She asked, trying to be nice. The guy had been quiet through the whole flight thus far.

“I LOVED you on Demon Hunter.” He gushed.

“Thanks, glad to know you watched.” Buffy’s stomach took a nosedive in reaction to the shifting plane again.

“Do you think the show will be coming back on-air?” The man asked.

“No.” Buffy silently cursed whoever put her on this plane, and then sighed. She knew why she was on this plane, it was all for her career. She flashed back to the moment that got her on this plane.

* * * * *

There was ringing, but where was it coming from? Buffy thought hard to try to figure out what that God forsaken noise was. Has she fallen asleep in class again? No, that wasn’t it. The ringing kept going. Could it be the bell on set to clear the stage? No, she didn’t have a job right now, and why would she be sleeping on set?

She rolled over and realized it was the phone ringing. She groped for the handset of her portable, not able to see properly because she had a sleep mask on. She flopped back on the pillows and answered.

“This had better be the King of freaking Blissdonia to be calling me this early.” She muttered into the phone.

“Buffy, it’s almost eleven in the morning.” The voice chirped back at her, being a perky little snot.

“Willow?” Buffy pushed her sleep mask off and squinted at the bright sunlight streaming into her room.

“Buffy everyone else in the world is up right now, rise and shine pumpkin.” Buffy knew that she would have to strangle her best friend at some point in her life, she just didn’t know that it would be over how perky she was in the morning.

“Yeah, well not everyone in the world was up until 4 a.m. getting Vulcan ears glued to their head, were they?”

“Four in the morning? Good god. You finished shooting though, right?” Willow Rosenburg was not only Buffy’s best friend but also her manager. Willow had taken a public relations course in university, along with business and had agreed to help Buffy out while she started her acting career. So far she hadn’t done too bad a job and she had managed to take on a couple other people as clients.

“Yeah, signed, sealed and delivered… or filmed, printed and aired… almost. What’s up with the early morning shout-out anyway?” Buffy climbed out of bed and stretched before making her way through her small apartment to the kitchen. She started the teakettle boiling for some instant coffee, not up to the task of using the percolator.

“Got some pretty cool news this morning. I think you may want to name your first born after me.”

“Well dish, girl! And no offense to you Will, but I don’t think I am naming my kids, should I ever inflict the terror of my offspring on the world, after flora or fauna.” “Well, I tried anyway. Are you sitting?” Willow grew more excited the more she teased. “Just spill already!” Buffy screamed.

“Ok, remember that part you tried out for about three months ago? The movie about the thief who falls in love with her hostage/partner in crime?”

“Yeah, damn part went to Julia Stiles. Bitch.”

“Not quite. She didn’t work out for the part, so the studio called me this morning and offered you the part cause you were neck and neck with her for the role! How much do you love me?” Willow shrieked into the phone. She didn’t hear anything from the other end of the phone.

“Buffy?” She heard a crash on the other end of the phone being dropped and hysterical screaming in the distance.

“Omigod! Omigod! Omigod!” Buffy jumped up and down in her kitchen, screaming at the top of her lungs. “Willow!” She picked the phone back up and yelled.

“What did I tell you? Unborn child naming worthy, eh?”

“You can name it Rumplestitlskin for all I care. I love you SO much!! You are THE best!”

“This could be your big break, Buffy. This could launch you into the stratosphere!” Willow screeched.

“I can’t believe it!! This is AMAZING! I thought that my career was dead after ‘Demon Hunter’ got cancelled. I thought that I couldn’t act.” Buffy sat on a stool in her kitchen and bit her lip. She had done it.

“Too bad ‘Demon Hunter’ was too much like that other demon show with the female lead. God forbid we have too many strong female characters in show business.” Willow said bitterly. Buffy had to laugh. Since her best friend had declared she was gay she had been a walking crusade to get better-portrayed females on TV. Buffy knew why ‘Demon Hunter’ got cancelled, and it wasn’t just because television executives were afraid of strong females… it was because the show sucked- bad.

“Well it doesn’t matter now, does it? Cause I’m going to Hollywood!” Buffy shrieked again, jumping slightly on her stool. She motion caused her perch to wobble and tip over with her still on it. She hit the floor with a loud thud on her back.

“Buffy?” Willow yelled. “Are you ok?”

“Will? What kind of medical coverage does the studio have for klutziness?” She asked, laughing as she stood up.

* * * * *

And so here she was, on a plane to Los Angeles where she would be starring in her first big motion picture. She had had a few other smaller parts that didn’t require many lines or acknowledgements of her talent so this part had indeed come out of the blue. This was her big chance to prove to the world that Buffy Summers was an asset that no one could pass up.

It was also her time to prove that she was going to be a big star, not just the ‘chick on the demon show’ or the ex-girlfriend of popular TV star Angel O’Connor. They had been broken up for a year now, after he decided that he wanted to break out into movies and needed to be an available mover and shaker. The available part meant for all the hot young women he would be meeting. It hadn’t stopped him before to go after other women when he was with her, but once Buffy found out it had obviously taken the fun out of it for him. She was set to break out on her own and blast past him to show him and the world that she didn’t need a man on her arm. This was her time.

“I saw you on Star Trek: Enterprise last night, you know?” The man in the seat next to her wouldn’t shut up. Buffy was normally very pleasant to people, especially her fans- the few that she had. But on a plane was not the best place to be talking to her. The man didn’t know that so she just smiled at him and hoped that he would take the hint. “We are now approaching our destination of Los Angeles, California. Could everyone please return their seats to their upright positions and buckle up as we land. Thank you.” The captain’s voice mercifully came over the intercom and it gave her a chance to look busy.

The man didn’t talk to her while they descended, but waited until they had finally walked off the plane.

“I’d hate to bother you again, but I was wondering if I could get your autograph? I was going to ask you on the plane, but you looked a little tense.” He smiled at her, shyly.

Buffy smiled back, happy to be back on solid land more than anything. “No problem. Truth is, I’m not a good flyer. “ He smiled back and gave her a piece of paper to sign with a pen.

Hope you had a good flight! Best wishes, Buffy Summers. She signed her name with a flourish and gave it to the grinning man.

“Thanks so much! I can’t wait to show everyone. At my university we all loved your show.” He gushed as they walked through the corridor to the airport.

“Glad to hear it.” She smiled at him. Buffy had never expected anyone to be this interested in her life, especially after the less than stellar career she had had so far. This gave her hope. She knew that there had been a cult following of the show so maybe this movie would be it. Her ticket to the world. She was now immensely grateful to the man she had met on the plane.

“What are you working on now?” He asked her, not wanting to press but eager to hear more about her. He had fantasized about her since her show had come on the air and was almost crushed when it was cancelled. Demon Hunter had made a great drinking game.

“Actually, keep your eyes peeled. I’m about to shoot into the stars. It was nice to meet you.” Buffy shot one last dazzling smile at him as she walked away to get her luggage.

Like it or not world, here I come.

“Yes?”

“I was sent by the studio to come pick you up and take you to the hotel. My name is Jonathan.”

“Hey Jonathan. I don’t care where you take me, as long as you get me out of here.” She bent down to pick up her suitcases, but obviously couldn’t handle the whole set of five bags, so Jonathan bent to help her. “You don’t have to do that.”

“No problem. I’m an intern, so I’m very used to grunt work.” He picked up her luggage and led the way through the throng of people to the front entrance. Buffy shrugged and set off after him. A limo was waiting outside the doors, but Buffy was looking for a more discrete car.

“This way please.” Jonathan indicated to the long black vehicle and Buffy’s eyes almost bugged out.

“For me?” She asked, surprised. Sure, this may be her big ticket to stardom, but why were they fawning over her now?

“Yes. What did you expect?” He was a little surprised by her naiveté. This was a huge movie, with huge stars. Granted, he knew very little about her but if she had been picked for it then she must be some kind of hot stuff.

“Not a limo, that’s for sure.” She slipped into the car when he opened the door for her and sank into the plush leather interior. This was going to be so cool. Jonathan sat at the front with the driver and they were off.

* * * * *

“I’ll help you get your stuff into the hotel and then we’ll head over to the studio. You got a copy of the script, right?” Jonathan helped her out of the limo when they got to the hotel she would be staying at for the duration of the shoot. It was a large, swanky Plaza-Hilton-Trump Towers type establishment that Buffy had only passed by on the street. When she had been working on Demon Hunter she got to live in her own apartment as they shot in LA and any other movie she had worked on just put her up in smaller hotels, like Howard Johnson. Since the show had wrapped she had given up her LA apartment and settled back in her home base of Sunnydale.

“Uh, yes. I got one a month or so ago.” Buffy grabbed a couple of her bags from the trunk with Jonathan.

“You’ll probably get an updated script so I hope you didn’t commit the lines to memory yet. Here, let me get a trolley for your stuff.” He made to grab her bags but she pulled away.

“Why? I can carry them. And I know enough not to memorize the first version of the script that I get.” She huffed away into the hotel, leaving Jonathan to trail behind in her wake.

She knew he was just helping, but she wanted to prove herself so badly. She didn’t want to act like a prima donna, especially when no one knew who she was, and she didn’t want to come off like a rookie when it came to acting. And he was an intern for pity’s sake! Where did he get off telling her how to go about learning her lines and carrying her bags for her and… God! I AM a bitch! Buffy thought to herself. She paused in the lobby, letting Jonathan catch up to her.

They walked to the check-in desk to get her keys and as they did Buffy couldn’t help but admire the decadent hotel she was in. Right out of Pretty Woman this was, and she was the uncouth hooker waiting to be transformed into the well-mannered elite.

“Hello there. Buffy Summers is checking into her suite.” Jonathan spoke for her. Willow had explained that all the reservations had been made for her, she just needed to show up. If this was what the lobby looked like she couldn’t wait to see what the studio had put her up in for a room.

“Yes. She’s on the 19th floor, room 1. If you would like to leave your baggage here we’ll have a bellhop take it up in a moment. Please enjoy your stay here Miss Sunmmers.” The man at the check-in desk smiled at her and handed her an electronic card- key to use to unlock her door before typing on his computer at the station.

“Are you alright with leaving your stuff here, Buffy?” Jonathan asked cautiously.

“Yes, that would be fine.” Buffy dropped the bags she was carrying where Jonathan put the bags he was carrying, leaving her with only her purse to carry. He led her to the elevators and they waited for one to open, which was not long at all.

“What floor please?” The elevator attendant asked.

“Nineteen, please.” Jonathan answered. Buffy was a little uncomfortable in these surroundings, having people take her luggage and push the elevator buttons for her. But she supposed she should have to get used to it soon, if this role was going to make her famous. If things went right she would soon have people wanting to feed her food and carry her to the bathroom if she wanted. So sad, she thought, that people actually DO make others do those things for her. I don’t want to be like that.

“Jonathan,” She started, ignoring the attendant in the moving elevator with them. “I am sorry for what happened out there just now. I didn’t mean to go all wiggy on you, I just don’t want to come off all stuck-up and in the clouds, you know?”

“Oh, it’s no problem at all. It’s quite refreshing actually. I have had worse things done and said to me since I have been an intern for the studio. This is the first time I have ever been sent to handle a star personally, so I was just trying to do everything correctly. I am sorry if I over stepped my bounds with you.”

“Oh, not at all! You were nothing but nice and helpful. I am just not used to it, is all. I’m nervous about this job, you know?”

“Ah, you’ll be great! I watched your show when it was on. I was very disappointed when it was cancelled. And I loved you on Enterprise.” He gushed, revealing his true star stuck nature.

“Thanks. Glad to know that some people watched.” She grinned at him as the elevator dinged for their stop. The attendant announced their floor and let them step off.

“Alright, this is you.” Jonathan indicated to the first door that they came to on their right as they walked the short distance from the elevator to the room.

“There are only four doors up here. This isn’t a penthouse, or something, is it?” Buffy again was swamped by her complete naivete of the situation.

“No, there’s only one penthouse, on the top floor. These are just suites.” Jonathan took her card-key from her, after she let him and swiped it, allowing them access to the room.

“Just suites.” He heard her mutter as they walked into the main room of the suite. It was really an apartment, to Buffy. They were standing in a seating area bigger than her living room and kitchen combined, with a dining room set near the back, where the patio doors were. Off to her left was a small kitchenette, with a mini-fridge, microwave and sink. To her right were large, open double doors that led to her huge bedroom. She walked in and marveled at the beauty of it. There was a huge entertainment system facing the bed with a TV, VCR and DVD player, along with a nice stereo. She found an all-purpose remote for the machines on the bedside table. When she sat on the bed to her left was the bathroom. She walked in and gasped at the luxury of it. There was a shower stall, as well as a whirlpool tub that was big enough to swim in. Candles of all colors were around the tub and sink, as well as a basket of bath accoutrements that when she read the card she found out it was from the studio. Willow must have told them I love to take baths, she thought smiling at the heavenly scented products.

When she emerged from the bathroom she walked straight to the second set of patio doors in the suite in her room. She didn’t walk out on to the balcony but just looked out over the city of Los Angeles, hardly containing her excitement.

“Hey Buffy?” Jonathan called from the living room. He obviously had not explored the place as she had.

“Yeah?” She poked her head out of the room.

“We need to get to the studio so you can get the new script and meet everyone, ok?” He looked at his watch, checking to make sure that they were not late. They still had enough time to get there.

“Can I just freshen up first?” She asked, wanting to see the bathroom again.

“Sure, I’ll go wait for you downstairs in the lobby and get the driver around, ok? I’m leaving your card-key on the table beside the door.” Buffy nodded and watched as he left the room. She squealed and ran to the bathroom, flicking on the lights. She quickly touched up her make-up and ran a hand through her hair, making sure it wasn’t horribly flat from the flight.

There was no reason why Buffy couldn’t make it as a movie star. She had the good looks, and small body. She could act and knew enough about career choices to not get cast as the typical blonde cheerleader. She had the long blonde hair and hazel eyes of the typical beautiful “talent-free” actresses that were so abundant today, as Willow had put it, but she was far from brain dead and ditsy. That was why Thief had appealed to her so much. She was playing the female lead that was in control of her own life and situation until a male got into the mix and screwed things up for her. She wasn’t sure who was playing her male lead. Willow had mentioned his name a couple times, William “Spike” Giles, but Buffy hadn’t had time over the past month to thoroughly find out who she was. She could have asked Willow to do the legwork for her but she had been busy with her other clients as well so that wasn’t an option. All she knew was that he was in a band “Band of Buggered” that was very popular and this was his first movie. She had never heard them perform, as far as she knew, but then again she didn’t even have time to research her costar, let alone listen to music or watch movies. She would hopefully find out for herself today. She was very nervous and hoped that he was a sane rock star, not some druggie party animal. She did know that he was handsome however, from what she had heard about him. Even same-sex-oriented Willow said he was good looking.

She finished checking her hair and grinned at herself one last time before turning off the lights in the bathroom and heading for the door. The first thing she would have to do when she came back was take a bath with all that wonderful bath stuff. She headed for the door, noting that her luggage was now sitting by her door, which must have arrived before Jonathan left.

She was contemplating taking a jacket with her when she started to step out of her room. At the last second she noticed the card-key that Jonathan had left behind on the stand and managed to grab it before she shut the door, thus saving her from the rookie embarrassment of having to get management let her back into her room. That would be stupid, she shook her head and turned back out of the doorway quickly, not noticing where she was going.

*Whump* Buffy soon noticed the fine quality of the hotel carpeting as she was sent to the floor as a result of crashing into someone, very hard. She lay with her head touching the floor for a moment while she got the breath back that had been knocked out of her.

“Whoa there, are you alright luv?” A worried English voice came from above her, causing her to groan internally. Great, only the 6754th time today that I have made an ass of myself.

Grimly she rolled over, prepared to meet some stuffy coot that would rag her out for not looking where she was going. There was an overhead light right behind the man as she looked at him, causing his face to be obscured as Buffy squinted into the light. Her chest still ached a little from the crash so she didn’t try to get up.

As the man’s face came closer to see if she was all right, Buffy lost her breath again. This time it was from the man standing above her. The way the light was behind his head made his almost white hair glow, as if he were in a halo and as he leaned down even more she could see the beautiful blue of his eyes, that pierced through her. As if he weren’t beautiful enough he had cheekbones that one could ski down, they were so high and perfectly defined.

Oh yeah, this is heaven. Buffy thought as he lifted a hand to her forehead. I’m in the presence of an angel.

“So, luv. Are you alright, or am I going to have to perform mouth to mouth?” The angel murmured to her, a smirk crossing his beautiful features.

Oh, boy. On the other hand, he could be a devil too…

Buffy sat up slowly, watching the man above her.

“So, you’re alright then?” The man asked her, a small, but concerned smile on his face.

“Yes, I’ll be fine.” Buffy accepted his hand to help her up and stood carefully. She was still a little shaky and accidentally stumbled into him, causing her to feel how firm and strong his chest was. She stepped back quickly however and dropped his hand. “Thank you.”

“No problem. Next time you should watch where you are going.” He smirked at her, looking her over. “I’m not used to knocking girls off their feet in the literal sense.”

“Excuse me?!” Buffy had planned on just walking away and heading downstairs where Jonathan was waiting for her, but this man’s egocentric view of himself and his suggestion that their mishap was her fault made her stay. “I should watch where I’m going? I am not the one who went barreling down the hallway like a bat out of hell. If you had been watching where you were going we wouldn’t be having this discussion! And as far as you knocking girls off of their feet, well.” She quickly looked his body over, taking in the bleached hair and gorgeous blue eyes, long black leather duster and the tight black T-shirt with the blood red unbuttoned shirt over it and the black denim jeans that clung to his long and undeniably hard legs. Hello salty goodness, she thought but forced a look of disgust on her face. “We’ll just leave it at that.”

“Oh! Oh! I see how it is. Get this, if you hadn’t been walking out of you door backward you would have seen me coming, and noticed how much of a hurry I was in! And if we’re going to talk about the opposite sex.” He followed her example and looked her over a second time. He’d known who she was as soon as she rolled over on the floor. She was his leading lady for the movie. She was actually quite fetching, with her long blonde hair on top of that beautiful head, her face flushed from being knocked down and arguing, hazel eyes flashing, her whole small, tight body tense from their encounter. I could drown in her, he thought, wondering what it would be like to kiss her, before snapping to attention and deepening his smirk. “I don’t really want to leave it at that, Goldilocks.”

“AGH! Whatever, I have to be somewhere.” Buffy turned to head to the elevator but was stopped by his voice.

“I’ll be seeing you, luv.” She turned to face him.

“What do you mean?”

He considered telling her, but thought it would be more fun if she found out later when they met again at the studio. “We’re neighbors.” He pointed to room three, right beside hers, down the hall farther.

“Great. I’ll be getting a new room.” Buffy muttered, rolling her eyes as she started toward the elevator again.

“Hope we get to know each other better.” He called after her, grinning as she shot him an evil glare over her shoulder. He watched as the elevator doors opened and closed after her. This could be fun…if I wasn’t late! He thought as he looked at his watch. He muttered a curse and rushed to his suite to get ready to go to the studio.

* * * * *

“I was beginning to think you had gotten lost.” Jonathan greeted Buffy as she ran out of the elevator.

“Sorry about that. I had a run-in, literally, with someone in the hallway. Anyway, let’s hit the road!” Buffy followed Jonathan out of the hotel to the limo and vowed to put all thoughts of the blonde man out of her head. She’d just have to do her best to avoid him. He likely wouldn’t be staying long, so she could probably manage to not see him for the duration of his stay. She wouldn’t even be at the hotel very much anyway; the days on set were often very long. It’ll be easy. I won’t have to see that totally annoying, immature, stupid, sexy jerk again. Wait- sexy? Oh, boy

Buffy slumped back in her seat and covered her face with her hands, groaning as she did so. This could turn out to be a long shoot.

* * * * *

When they got to the studio, Jonathan led her into a lounge area where a few other people were milling around. Buffy was quite excited at meeting she people she would be working with her for the next few months.

“If you wouldn’t mind waiting in here, the directors writers and other cast members should be here soon for the meet and greet. I’ve got some other stuff to do, will you be alright here?” Jonathan led her into a lounge area where a few other people were milling around, when they got to the studio. Since she had come in as a replacement for the role the cast and crew already established for the movie had already gotten together to do a run through of the script.

“Sure. Thanks for bringing me this far, Jonathan.” Buffy smiled as he left the room and took a deep breath, praying that she wouldn’t turn into a total spaz around these people.

“Hi there, you must be Buffy!” A pretty young woman with long, dark brown hair came up to her and offered her a hand. “I’m Cordelia Chase, but you can call me Cordy. I’m playing your best friend/accomplice in the movie.”

“Hi, yes I am Buffy. It’s nice to meet someone from the movie and finally be able to put a name to a face. I’ve been so swamped since I got the part I haven’t had time to figure out who is who, I’m afraid.”

“Oh, it’s no worry. No one important is here yet. Just some of the make-up crew and what have you. I think this is nice though, meeting everyone before the actual shooting starts.”

“Yes, I was relieved at that. I’ve heard about people coming on set and the first thing they have to do is film a love scene with someone they have known for an hour.” Buffy cringed at that thought, having to do a love scene on her first day.

“I wouldn’t be worried about that if I were you. Just to be able to be in the same room as Spike Giles would be amazing, let alone be in bed with him.” Cordelia grinned at that.

“I really wouldn’t know.” Buffy replied.

“What? You don’t know who Spike Giles is? William ‘Spike’ Giles? Wow, I guess you have been swamped this month. Haven’t you heard his group ‘Band of Buggered’?” Buffy and Cordelia started to walk to the refreshment table as they talked.

“No. I mean, I have heard of his band, just never stuff by his band. Are they good?”

“They’re great! So sexy, all of them! I imagine since he’ll be in LA for the next few months that they’ll be playing a few shows at some clubs around here. We should totally go!” Cordelia said excitedly.

“That would be nice.” Buffy was glad that she would be able to have one friend on set, at least. “What does he look like, exactly?”

“Well, he’s built- but not muscle-y, you know? Great abs, gorgeous blue eyes, and the whitest h-“ Cordelia cut herself off, distracted by the arrival of someone. “Oh, hey, that’s the assistant-director, Wesley Wyndam-Price. You met him at the audition, right? He’s British, so he’s a little proper and stodgy but he’s absolutely brilliant. Kind of cute too, don’t you think?”

“He’s something to look at.” Buffy agreed. Wesley scanned the room, which was filling up slowly with minor cast and crew from the movie, and smiled when his eyes fell on Buffy and Cordelia.

“Girls! So glad to see you! Buffy.” He offered her his hand as he approached them and they shook hello. “So nice to see you again. I am glad to be working with you on this after all. I was very excited when Julia Stiles decided to bow out. You were always my first choice.”

“Good to know. It’s good to see you again, as well.” Buffy smiled.

“Hello Wesley, remember me?” Cordelia was desperately trying to get the English man’s attention. He turned to her and flushed a little.

“Miss Chase, it is good to see you as well. I trust you’re doing well?” Buffy slipped away silently, realizing there was something going on between the two of them that she wasn’t privy to. She’d probably be able to get it out of Cordy later; by the way she couldn’t seem to keep her mouth shut. She noticed there was a percolator on one of the tables set up for refreshments and made a bee-line to it, knowing that she would need caffeine in order to keep going for the rest of the day. She had been up since six in the morning to get ready for her flight, get to the airport, wait for the flight, actually be on the four hour flight and it had been a couple of hours since she had gotten off the plane. She’d been in New York auditioning for a play that she knew she wouldn’t get and giving an interview to a sci-fi magazine following up on her stint as the ‘Demon Hunter’, now nearing four in the afternoon.

She poured herself a stiff cup of coffee and blew on it quickly as she looked around the room, trying to recognize people. She knew the really big stars in show business, at least in acting, but anyone else from TV, or lesser-known movies were a mystery to her. She usually had Willow fill her in on these things.

“Um, hi.” A shy voice from her left snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Hi.” Buffy replied, turning to the girl. She was a little taller than Buffy with long, dark blonde hair and grey-blue eyes. She wore a pair of jeans and a nice ruffled top, dressy enough for this event but casual enough to be comfortable. Buffy wished that she had jeans on now, instead of the black dress pants and white sweater.

“I-I’m Tara MacLay. I’m head ofthe make-up on the set.” She was painfully shy, and barely met Buffy’s eyes. Buffy gave her a warm smile.

“Glad to know. I’m just glad to meet someone else here. I don’t know anyone.“ Buffy said, laughing.

“Oh, well I could point out a few people to you, if you wanted.” Tara offered. Buffy smiled at her again.

“That would be super. I’m kind of bad with names too, so having someone tell me a few times who people are would be great. I’d hate to call someone by the wrong name and have them hate me!”

“Oh, no. Everyone you’ll be working with are really nice.” Tara and Buffy moved to a small set of comfortable chairs, slightly out of the way of people so they could look at them in peace.

As Tara started to tell her who some people were and what they were like Buffy began to relax. Cordy and Tara were really nice and it was great that she’d met them first so she wouldn’t be sticking out like a sore thumb, or looking like a dork. She was normally a very confident and self-assured girl but she felt out of her element here. This being such a big movie and she wanted to prove herself so much that she wanted to come across the best way possible. Shut up, Buffy. Just be you. It got you this far. Now suck it up! Her mind yelled at her and Buffy relaxed a little more.

She and Tara were having a great conversation about the movie and what had led them to be involved with it when the door opened again and a few more people came in. There was a general hub coming from the area where the people had come in. Buffy tried to get a look at them but there were now too many people around and most of them were taller than her. She wondered if it was her leading man who walked in and stood up to try to get a better view. Again, she couldn’t.

“Do you want to go see who it is?” She asked Tara. She shook her head, choosing instead to watch from afar. Buffy told her she would be right back and made her way through the mini-crowd to see who it was. Some people introduced themselves as she passed them, but she was too intent on seeing her leading man to pay attention, not that she would remember anyway.

“Hey.” She said, coming up behind Cordy, who was still standing with Wesley, still talking to him.

“Hey, where have you been?” She asked.

“Talking to some people. Who is it that just came in?” Buffy asked, standing up on her tiptoes.

“Oh, that’s Angel O’Conner.” Just as the words came out of Cordy’s mouth the crowd parted a little and she could see the tall man, with the full head of hair standing by the door. A woman who looked like she stepped out of the pages of Goth Weekly stood beside him with her arms around him protectively. Buffy stood for a moment, in shock as she saw the former lover of her life in person for the first time in over a year. Angel’s eyes made their way over some of the people around him, before landing on her. Buffy fought to keep a normal expression on her face but in her mind she was screaming so loud she wondered why her head hadn’t exploded yet.

“Buffy.” Angel pasted a sly smirk on his face as he made his way to her. His goth dog followed, her hand completely enveloped by his.

“Angel. How… nice to see you again.” Buffy said politely. Cordy and Wesley watched the pair closely, not wishing to get involved, but there if need be.

“Same here, Buff, same here. What have you been up to, anyway? I thought I’d seen a publicity shot somewhere of you in elf ears, did my eyes mistake me?” Angel stared at her, his eyes mocking her.

“Actually, they were Vulcan ears. For someone who was so obsessed with Star Trek for so long, I’m surprised that you didn’t know the difference.” Buffy hadn’t meant for that to come out, but it was and now she was the one staring at him. Angel blinked but didn’t fall for the bait.

“Oh, is she the one who was on that devil show, honey?” The demonic girl attached to Angel’s side spoke finally, in a small, breathy child voice. She was English, but looked like she was from the seventh gate of hell, with her long black hair, long gown with the blood-red bodice and flared black skirt.

“Yes Dru, the one that got canceled.” Angel told her. “So you finally landed a decent role. Who knows, you might catch the eye of some guy who isn’t scared off by your ‘tough girl’ role- or you’ll attract some really cute girls to your kind of ‘butch’-”

Buffy took a deep breath, before cutting him off. “What exactly are you doing in the movie Angel?”

“I play your ex-boyfriend who helps to steal your inheritance, dearie. Kind of like real life, isn’t it?” Angel smirked at her, sure he had her. Buffy just smiled sweetly.

“Yeah, it kind of is. You playing a bit part, while some other hunk of a man takes the lead role in my life. Fitting, isn’t it? I bet you auditioned for the lead, too, didn’t you? Too bad, maybe next year you’ll be a real man.” With that Buffy brushed past him out of the room, noticing as she did so, the shocked look in his eye and jaw clenching in annoyance. She needed to find a bathroom, fast.

She scurried down the hall, trying to look as normal as possible, breathing a sigh of relief when she finally did. She ducked into the room and headed for the mirror.

“You did good in there, girl. Don’t let him get to you or see you sweat and you are home free.” She told herself. She thought back on the conversation she had just had and smiled to herself. “That was damn good.”

She quickly washed her hands, as if washing off the bad Angel karma and prepared herself to go back into the meet and greet room. You made it to here. Someone knows that you have talent and that is why you are here. They could have picked any old blonde bimbo to replace Julia Stiles, but they chose you. Get out of here and kick some ass!

Buffy stood up and threw her shoulders back, holding her head high. She opened the bathroom door and reached up with her right hand to push her hair back. That move caused her to not see the quick moving person coming down the hall and the next thing she knew she was sprawled out on the floor, admiring yet another posh looking carpet.

There is no way that this can happen twice in one day. She thought as she groaned to herself. She would hurt tomorrow, that’s for sure. At least the day was almost over and things couldn’t get any worse.

Her eyes widened as the Gods cursed her for that thought.

“You know, Goldilocks, we have to stop meeting this way.”