Title: Unstoppable
Authors: Lex's Lady & Mistress Ace
E-mail: winter@sapphire-dragon.net & rosewood@inreach.com
Feedback: It's the icing on the cake. We write because the story demands to be told. Feedback lets us know if we struck a chord with you.
Distribution: Our website, of course, www.fandomwriters.com. The list archives are welcome to it also. Anyone else, please ask first. We'd like to know where our fic is going.
Rating: NC-17 (eventually – or maybe quickly depending on the whim of the muses)
Category: Crossover, Romance, Angst
Spoilers: All of season 1 of Smallville and season 6 of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer
Pairings: Buffy/Clark/Lex, m/f, m/m
Disclaimer: We don't own the characters at all (however much we might wish we did). Buffy and all references to BTVS are property of the great god Joss Whedon, et al. Clark, Lex and the Smallville storyline belong to Miller-Gough et al. We're just borrowing them for a while. We promise to put them back unharmed and perhaps a little happier.
Notes: ** denotes internal thought, * = italics.
Summary: What if the Summers girls moved to Smallville? What if Buffy discovered that Clark had a secret and thought he could use a confidant?
Dedications: From Em: To Ace, for her never-ending support and her willingness to work on this with me. She writes both Clark and Lex in a way I could never hope to achieve, and I couldn't possibly have done this on my own.
From Ace: To Em for reminding me why I love Buffy. To Beth for being my Smallville watching partner even when the scripts were awful. To the whole Clark/Lex list for opening my eyes to the potential here. And finally to Christina for her great story; Runaway Trains at 3 A.M. which was part of our inspiration. You can find it at: this site.

Chapter 32

Daydreaming and chores were never a good mix. It usually resulted in him missing the school bus and Monday morning was no exception. Especially since he had a lot more to daydream about. The memory of being cradled in between Lex and Buffy had just hit its third re-run in living technicolor when Clark heard the unmistakable grinding of bus gears.

He made it out of the barn just in time to catch the plume of dust as the bus pulled away. Damn, fourth time this month he'd missed it. Clark raced up the front steps, slowing down long enough to open the door normally and grab his backpack.

He slung it up over one shoulder, walked away from the house and took off through a field of winter wheat. It being late May, very few cornfields were tall enough to conceal his movement. So he had to avoid any fields that ran alongside the roads but wheat whipping past was a lot quieter than corn, which left him more time to think.

Think about Buffy. Think about Lex. The taste of their skin, the sounds they'd made and how it felt to come inside them. To be with them. Which is where he really wanted to be rather than running to school.

The last two weeks had been torture with Chloe still mad at him about the Spring Formal and Lana being so down about Whitney being gone. Oh and Pete crowing about getting to second base with his date, although that wasn't going to bother Clark any more. He'd gotten a whole lot further than second base yesterday.

That thought was a bit of a bright spot. Distracted by wondering how to work getting laid into a conversation without blowing his whole cover, Clark failed to spot the girl waiting by the front steps. He breezed right past her on his way to his locker where he'd left his Algebra book. It was a good thing that he understood math so easily because having it as the first class of the day would have sucked otherwise.

Dawn stood on the steps, waiting for Clark. She'd already been to her locker and just couldn't wait to pounce on the young Kent. But he blew right past her on his way in the door, and he looked seriously distracted. Dawn was even more convinced that something had happened the day before.

"Clark!" she called out from across the hall. She joined him at his locker in a moment and fixed him with an intent gaze.

"So," she started casually. "What happened with you and my sister yesterday?"

Don't blush. Don't blush. Don't blush. Concentrating as hard as he could on that one objective, Clark reached into his locker and somehow dumped its entire contents on the floor. He bent over to pick them up, refusing to look at Dawn. "We went for a walk and ended up over at my friend's house. Watched a movie and hung out for a while. Why?"

His algebra book went skittering across the floor only to end up right by Dawn's foot. Which meant he would have to look at her. Or at least at her foot and maybe her knee. It was a very cute knee... not as slim and sexy as Buffy's and her legs weren't as strong, which meant she wouldn't be able to wrap them around his waist like her sister did...

And there went the blush. Flame hot, burning all the way up his neck and it was a good thing he hadn't worn red today otherwise his face and his clothes would have clashed.

He'd managed to keep a straight face while he answered her, but he was blushing now. And... staring at her knee? Boys were so strange, but it made her tingle a little inside that he was blushing over her. Maybe she did have a chance? She wasn't as pretty as Lana, but maybe...

No, Dawn, wait. Mind on task. Flirt with Clark later.

"Why?? Um, maybe because she was practically glowing when she got home last night?" Dawn answered with a hint of sarcasm hiding her mixed feelings about Clark. "Maybe because she looked more alive than I've seen her in over a year? Maybe because even though she looked like she wanted to crawl into bed and just sleep, she also looked like she might actually get a decent night's sleep with no nightmares for a change? And you ask me why???"

Oh man, she was glowing? That alone was enough to make Clark feel about ten feet tall. He'd helped make somebody glow, which was a whole lot better than second base any day.

One thing about his hair being this long, he could sometimes hide behind it. Clark used it to shameless advantage, looking up at Dawn from underneath the wide fringe and pulling the peeping out from under his lashes thing to full effect. And damn if Chloe wasn't right about that effect, Dawn's serious expression wavered and she smiled at him. "I dunno. My folks liked her a lot and invited both of you to our place for dinner tonight so maybe that's it?"

"Oh. Um... yeah, maybe. I mean, I guess it might be," Dawn admitted. "I know she misses having a family." They both did, if Dawn was being honest. "But... well, it just seemed to be more than that. Come on, what did you do? Was your friend home? Is he older?"

"He was home and yeah, he's older. We worked out a little in his gym while he took care of some business." Clark had his books now and the rest of his stuff got shoved into the locker. If Buffy hadn't told Dawn anything about yesterday, then he shouldn't be telling her anything either. "Look, I've got to get to class. It starts... uh-oh... now."

The bell was about to ring and he had to get all the way across school to get to his class. Dawn was still standing in front of him with her arms crossed and he was going to have to move her.

Clark was saved when Lana rushed by and grabbed Dawn's arm on the way. "Come on, Dawn, we're gonna be late!"

Dawn grumbled but allowed herself to be led away. "This is so not over, Clark!" she called over her shoulder as she was dragged down the hallway. She'd catch up with him at lunch. Or right after school.

*****

Okay, so... Desk neat, calendar and Lex's schedule printout for the day on the left side of the L-shaped desk. Computer centered on the longer section in front. The picture of the Summers women, all three of them, sat beside the monitor, and the little crystal vase Joyce had always kept on her desk was just behind the frame. Her drawer organizer was stocked with pens, pencils, highlighters, post-its, and whatever else she might need.

She'd been given her network login and password, plus an ID and security code until the guards started to recognize her. Those were stowed in her bottom drawer, along with her purse and a few other small things.

Buffy stood to one side of her desk and surveyed the organization. The few photos were nicely placed in visible but out of the way places. The vase looked a little odd, standing empty, but she hadn't found the artificial lily her mom used to keep in it all the time. It must've been in a different box.

At least she was dressed properly; years of watching Joyce get ready for a day at the gallery had made some impact, at least. She wore a light violet blouse with tiny buttons down the front, a black skirt that fell to just below her knees, and the single pair of pantyhose that she owned. She hated the things, but most places required them.

Her makeup was subtle and her accessories were modest - she wore a pair of hoop earrings and a small silver locket, and her hair was up in a twist held by a silver clip. And that was all. Very plain, very business-like... or, she guessed, anyway.

****

He'd risen early, much earlier than usual in order to get the second quarter projections to his father. Breakfast had been a glass of orange juice and four painkillers for the headache right behind his left eye, which started the instant Damien handed him the cell phone. Dear old dad was in a rare mood, rather loquacious as he tried to pry out of Lex why he'd been unreachable for the majority of the past 24 hours. While Lex fended off Lionel's barbed comments, Damien set about getting him dressed and ready for the day.

Impeccable suit - Armani with Gucci shoes and a crisp lavender shirt with just the right amount of drape to be comfortable. Killer tie, knot perfect and teeth gleaming as he snapped the phone shut and snatched up his keys. The trip to the plant had been pleasant, mainly because the phone was locked in the glove compartment. He'd promised Clark early on in their friendship to never use it while he was driving and he always kept his promises to Clark.

The greetings as he hit the door were very satisfying. When he first came to Smallville everyone who worked here saw him as a glaring example of nepotism. The old man's son promoted to the head of the class in front of several more qualified individuals. The place oozed resentment, thick and choking by the end of each workday.

But after leveraging the employee buy-out and forcing his father to turn over the Smallville Savings and Loan to him, Lex had managed to save not only the plant but most of the town. He'd approved loans to help with reconstruction, had made several calls to Washington and pulled in the right favors to get FEMA moving on rebuilding damaged buildings. It paid to attend boarding school sometimes. Lex had friends in high places that would prefer some of the exploits from their youth never come to light.

To Smallville, he was now a hero. And he liked that feeling.

The monotone murmur of voices around her, coming from the hall and nearby offices, suddenly changed tone and increased in volume. Buffy tried to close her mind to it, to shut it out so she could focus on finishing the arrangement of items on her desk. But in shutting out the rest of the noise, she not only missed hearing the name on everyone's lips, but she didn't even hear the door open behind her.

Blonde, neatly dressed and standing in front of his assistant's desk. Lex spared her one quick raking glance before he strode through the outer office. He had about ten calls to make and Gabe had a few things he wanted to go over with him before the 9:00 safety meeting.

His own door opened with a touch, allowing him into his inner sanctum. Lex dropped his cell phone on his desk, fired up the laptop and punched in two passwords before the image of the girl in the outer office came back to nag him. Nice figure, flash of a truly gorgeous leg and a mouth that called him back. There was something familiar about the girl.

The main screen was up and running by the time his hand was on the doorknob. He pulled the door open and took two steps into the smaller office. The girl's head came up from where she was studying the placement of something on the desk and Lex felt his heart stop.

Literally stop.

Buffy.

His lover was standing there while his new assistant was God knows where. Three more steps and his hand was around her wrist, dragging her into his office.

Lex closed the door behind him, locked it and spun her until she was pressed up against it all in one seamless motion. He was between her legs, his hands braced on either side of the door as he kissed her. Long and hard and deep, filling her mouth with his tongue... reacquainting himself with her taste. Poppyseed muffin, coffee and the faint hint of mint mixed in with the unique flavor that was all her own.

Buffy's eyes fell closed and she whimpered softly. For a fraction of a second she was frozen while two sides of her mind battled. It didn't take long for her to convince herself that just one kiss wouldn't hurt anything. This was what she wanted, what she'd needed from the moment she'd stepped out of the Lam until the moment his lips met hers.

She gave in to the kiss with another whimper and wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him back deeply. He tasted like orange juice and something she couldn't quite identify underneath the taste that was truly Lex. And she'd missed him so much... missed the way he tasted, the way he touched her, the way she felt in his arms.

They were both breathless when their mouths parted, and she could barely murmur his name. "Lex...." She clung to him for support while her head spun just from his nearness.

"Beauty... I missed you." With one hand, he tilted her chin up and kissed his way down her throat. Lex flicked open the top button on her blouse easily. "How did you find me? God... you taste so good." Another button went while he kissed her again. The calls could wait, his firing his new assistant because she couldn't be bothered to be on time could wait.

Everything could wait until he was inside her. His whole body ached to have just that. Waking up alone had been almost too much to deal with. He'd dreamed about her and Clark all night long and now here Buffy was in his office. There was enough time... there had to be enough time.

"I missed you too, love," she murmured back. Her head tipped back even further as his kisses trailed down her throat. She tried to speak, to force the words past her lips. And slowly, haltingly, they did. "I fell asleep thinking about you... and I woke up... thinking about you. And I realized... that I'd forgotten... to tell you..." She was cut off by a sharp buzz, followed by Gabe Sullivan's voice coming over the intercom.

Mr. Sullivan and Lex had a pre-meeting meeting scheduled for right about now, and she silently cursed Mr. Sullivan for being so damn prompt. Couldn't he have given her five more minutes with Lex?

"Hold that thought," he murmured, the words buzzing against her skin. Lex squeezed her breast gently before moving away. "Gabe, right on time." Lex motioned toward a door on the far side of the office.

His private bathroom was behind that door and Buffy could hide there until he was done with Gabe. After that he'd clear his schedule for an hour or three. Clear his desk too so he could lay her down across it and find out if she tasted just as sweet in the morning as she had last night.

"Lex, your door is locked and I can't find your assistant." Gabe walked around the desk, checking the pictures and smiling when he caught sight of Chloe's new friend, Dawn, in one of the photographs. Her mother must be Lex's new assistant.

"I'll be right there, Gabe." Lex thumbed the intercom off and straightened his tie. Buffy was still standing by the door, looking a little dazed. He crossed to room and touched her mouth with his fingertips. "The bathroom's right over there. I'll be in as soon as I get rid of him. Go on, Beauty."

Buffy raised an eyebrow but didn't argue with Lex. Instead she reached up and wiped her fingers across his lips, rubbing away the lipstick smeared on his mouth. With a small smile, she stepped around him, rebuttoned her blouse and ran a quick finger around her lips to clear any smudges. Then she grabbed a notepad and pen off his desk and stood unobtrusively near the wall: near enough to take notes, far enough to be out of the way.

She was his assistant, after all. There were legitimate reasons for her to be in here. And if Mr. Sullivan asked, she might've accidentally hit the lock on the door when she closed it behind her, because she really was rather nervous about seeing Mr. Luthor...

Once Buffy was out of his line of sight, Lex unlocked the door. Gabe was standing on the other side with a sheaf of papers in his hand and he was talking even before he got all the way through the door. "Good morning, sir. We've had some problems in area twelve over the past few days. Mainly chemical burns and the washing stations need to be upgraded."

They walked over to Lex's desk where Gabe laid out the reports and tapped them with his fingertips. "It'll take a little bit of capital but it'll keep OSHA off our backs. And save us on down-time with injured workers."

"You know I don't like my people getting hurt, Gabe. Do you have a cost analysis on how much it will run?" Lex frowned as he read through the report. There were no crippling injuries and for the most part no lost time but they'd been lucky. The last thing he needed was a bunch of OSHA inspectors climbing all over the place.

"I have it right here. The bottom line's pretty low and it will meet with the loss control recommendations we got from the work comp people last week." Another report ended up in Lex's hands and he scanned it quickly.

Gabe was right, the bottom line on the upgrades was low. They'd save that much in the decrease of their worker's compensation premiums inside of one year if the measures were implemented. "We should do it. We'll discuss it with the supervisory teams at 9:00 and get a least two people on each shift trained to use the stations. Sound good to you?"

"Did you check the design proposals to see where the washing stations drain to? If you're adding in new ones in new locations, you'd need to check that or the EPA will have fits," Buffy spoke up softly. She'd been taking notes during the conversation, but she'd only gotten a quick glance at the drawing attached to one of the reports. She knew enough about the business regulations to know that a plant like this wouldn't want either OSHA or the EPA angry with them.

And she'd done some reading in the news archives online before moving to Smallville... there had been EPA incidents here in the past, more than once.

Gabe answered immediately, beaming in approval of Lex's new assistant. The last one had been abysmal and, according to rumor, the guy had been spying on Lex and reporting back to his father. The outer office staff held a party the day Lex fired him. "They drain into the grey water treatment tanks and then out to the hydroponics facility."

Another one of Lex's innovations at the plant. The hydroponics facility not only served to filter the water and make it usable again, the water hyacinths made the place smell wonderful. And the EPA gave them high marks on the dual usage. The hyacinths filtered the water and the plants themselves were used in turn for fertilizer.

Buffy was apparently taking notes and pointing out very valid concerns. That clinched the deal for Lex. Whenever his new assistant decided to show up for work, she was going to be replaced with his lover. She at least knew what she was doing. Even understood some of their challenges.

He glanced at the chemical components of the soaps used at the washing stations as well as the pressure needed to run them effectively. The chemicals were biodegradable within two weeks, even faster with the use of hydroponics filtering. It was nice to be able to put his degree to work. Dad had paid a lot of money for him to attend Princeton and that education was paying off now. "Gabe, we'll put it to the safety committee. I'm sure they'll agree."

Buffy nodded her understanding and made another note. She felt like she was in way over her head, and she suspected she'd be making a trip to the local library very soon. Chemistry, safety and environmental regulations, and God only knew what else. Not that she wasn't interested but learning this stuff on her own was going to be a major task. But it would give her something to do, since there were no demons to research.

"I'll have the notes typed for you before your meeting," she volunteered as Gabe gathered up his reports. There weren't a lot of notes, anyway; they would mostly be reminders of things Lex mentioned he wanted to do or have done. Might take her five minutes, and only because she wasn't the world's fastest typist. It would probably take Willow all of two minutes to get these notes typed.

"Good. Thank you, Ms. Summers. Gabe, thank you for bringing this to my attention." Lex walked Gabe out of his office and then the outer office, closing the door behind him. He was impressed. Buffy had kept her cool and managed to convince Gabe that she was his new assistant.

When he turned around to compliment her on her resourcefulness, Lex found that she'd followed them out. In fact, she was pulling up a chair in front of his assistant's computer and had the notes laid out beside it. Lex was more than impressed.

Buffy clicked open the Word program on the computer - very current, with Windows Millennium and Office 2001 Professional edition. Willow would be jealous. But she could feel Lex watching her, so she turned the chair and looked up at him. "Was there something you needed?" She was playing it cool; not overly formal, which would probably make him ask questions and possibly throw their relationship into doubt.

But she wasn't casual enough to use his name. That would make people talk, and she was certain that people in nearby offices or in the hallways were curious about her and probably eavesdropping. She bit her lip lightly, wishing they'd had a chance to talk in private. She very much regretted her lapse yesterday; she should have mentioned work. But it hadn't come up, and it just hadn't registered that the man she fell in love with was her boss.

She was playing this to the hilt. Which was good since he planned on replacing his new assistant with her. And the already sleeping with her thing was a bit of Luthor tradition. Lex couldn't remember a single assistant his father had that Lionel hadn't slept with. Or once he'd reached the age of maturity, that Lex hadn't slept with in order to get information about dear old dad.

With his hands tucked in his pockets, Lex skirted the edge of the desk and stood behind her while she typed. He kept his voice low, familiar with the ins and out of office intrigue as well as small town behavior. Despite his bow to being circumspect, every word was a honeyed seduction as he murmured, "Other than you? Not much."

Buffy shivered and her typing faltered for a moment as the silken tones swept over her. She backtracked and corrected the mistyped words and attempted to continue on while she answered. Her voice was equally low and if he hadn't been so close, he would never have heard her. "I know. I feel it too, and I wish we were anywhere but here." She finished with the notes, few that they were, and sent the page to the printer.

Her typing done, she swiveled in her chair so she could face him. "But I need this job, badly. I need the benefits that come with it so I can take care of Dawn. And the only reason I have it at all is because my father set it up for me. There aren't many places anymore, that I know of, who hire even a secretary or personal assistant who doesn't have some kind of college degree."

The sudden lift of his brows followed by a narrowing of his eyes was the first reaction. He went from warm charm to ice-cold in less than a second as her words sunk in. The Lalique vase he'd been running an idle finger down wobbled but didn't fall. Lex checked the other decorations and spotted a picture that provided silent confirmation of her statement.

She'd lied to him. Just like everyone else in his life, Buffy had lied to him. Her position had been confirmed for over a week. She'd known who she was working for from the outset and even with that knowledge, she'd climbed into his bed yesterday and not said one word about this.

If she lied about this, what else had she lied about?

Torn between applauding her on her acting abilities because it had been quite the performance or turning on his heel and walking away, Lex opted for neither. Instead, he reached past Buffy for the printout of the notes. He had a meeting to attend. He'd think about this situation on the way there.

"Thank you, Ms. Summers. I understand your motives and applaud your methods. Your sister will be well cared for. We here at LexCorp always put family first." With that Lex did step back and away from her. He checked his watch pointedly before flicking his attention towards her face. "If you'll excuse me, I have a meeting."

Buffy blinked. He thought what?? Shock threw her off-balance completely, but she recovered after a moment. "If that's what you really think of me, Lex, then I will walk out that door and never come back," she murmured softly. "If you could possibly think so little of me that I would use what happened yesterday as a way to keep my job, then I have no business here."

She would do almost anything for Dawn, but whoring herself out to keep her job wasn't one of them.

"I swear to you, I didn't know who you were until Clark told me. And when I realized how I felt about you, all practical thoughts about everyday life and work flew straight out of my mind. Part of being what I am is being emotional, and that's what I focused on. You know how I feel, and you know how honest yesterday was. But if you want me to leave, I will go." She turned away, unable to stand the cold look in his eyes any longer.

She stared at the objects on her desk for a moment, then started gathering up picture frames in her hands. She had to leave. She didn't know what she was going to do, but she had to leave.

Flat out honesty in her voice and the way her hands trembled tore at him. Nobody was that good of an actress. That tone was the one she'd used with Clark when they'd almost lost him yesterday and more than anything else that was what convinced Lex she was telling the truth. His hand closed over hers and when Buffy looked up at him, Lex murmured. "No, Beauty, I want you to stay. I'm... I'm sorry."

The report landed on her chair as he grazed her cheek with the back of his other hand, smoothing away the beginnings of tears. "I've been lied to so much sometimes it's hard to see the truth... or believe in it." Lex's mouth quirked, the scar pulled taut for a second before he moved in closer. "I'll be back in half an hour. Please be here."

Buffy saw real regret in Lex's eyes and heard it in his voice. He'd made a mistake and apologized for it; without another thought, she forgave him. It still hurt, but she forgave him. "I'll be here," she agreed very softly. She set the pictures down on the desk and turned fully around to face him. "I'm sorry I forgot to tell you, yesterday. I remembered sometime in the middle of the night, and it scared me."

She shook her head lightly and wiped at her eyes, very glad she'd thought to wear waterproof makeup that morning. At least her mascara wasn't running. "You'd better get to your meeting before you're late," she finally said. "But maybe we can talk when you get back?" His calendar was clear between 9:30 and 10:15, though he probably had work to do in that timeframe. Still, perhaps taking a few minutes to talk this out would be better overall.

"We can," two words, one breath followed by a brush of his mouth against hers. His anger dissipated in the face of her tears as well as her honest indignation. "If it's any consolation, I was planning on firing my new assistant and offering you the job."

That drew a smile from her and the very last of his irritation faded. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Meet me in my office and we'll talk." That said, Lex retrieved her notes, straightened his tie and glided away. He didn't pause on the way out of the door but he did stop long enough to place his palm on the glass... much like Clark had done the night before when he and Buffy had been out on the balcony.

Buffy smiled again and held up her hand level with his, despite the distance. Then he was gone, and she was alone again. It was the work of mere minutes to replace the pictures in their earlier positions. Another minute went to saving and closing the file containing the notes she'd typed him.

The setup for the e-mail server took about fifteen minutes by itself, because she just wasn't quick with this computer stuff. If she'd still lived in the same town with Willow, she'd have called to ask for help, but instead she struggled through the program herself. At least she was learning, and using the program would probably be much easier than setting it up.

****

The meeting went as most of them did since the buy-out. There were no objections to his advice or his requests although a few questions were raised. Both he and Gabe fielded them, working in unison to make certain that everything ran smoothly. His employees trusted Lex, even seemed to like him although that could change at a moment's notice. Another one of his father's lessons: loyalty was a fair weather friend, when the wind shifted it would be gone.

His mind remained focused on business while his body ached for other things. For soft lips and liquid heat. For the slow rock of slim hips into his own as they followed his every move. For the deep burn of Kent's cock while it moved in counterpoint to that subtle rock and push and slide.

Lex was obsessed and he knew it.

*****

Time never dragged so much as when you wanted it to go by quickly and didn't have much to do.

Buffy was going quietly crazy. The past twenty minutes had dragged on endlessly, and not even messing with the computer had helped much. The clock seemed to be frozen in place at times.

She needed Lex. To talk to him, to kiss him, to know that everything was okay between them. He'd scared her, really scared her. She'd come within a heartbeat of losing him, and it had shaken her badly. Sending him off to his meeting had been the right thing to do in her capacity as his assistant. But being his assistant wasn't a major part of her life, and being his lover was even after only a day. And beneath the mask of calm, she was shaking.

Finally, with only five minutes left until he was supposed to be back, she got up and went into his office to wait. She made a quick trip to the bathroom to be sure her tears hadn't left any marks on her face, then sat down to wait.

Her hands folded tightly in her lap to keep them still, her legs crossed at the ankles as she sat. A notepad and pen rested on her lap, but it was mostly for the sake of appearances. If anyone should stop in looking for Mr. Luthor, she would look like his assistant waiting for his return. Hopefully, anyway.

*****

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