A/N: I have revised the first eighteen chapters. So if you happen to be rereading and wondering if something had always been there, the answer is probably not. I have not taken anything out or changed anything major, and have kept the chapter content the same, in order to not throw off the chapter numbers or the reviews. I have ended up adding a few scenes, but mainly there are smaller changes. Tighter point of view, conversation structure, more description, etc. These early chapters before Buffy becomes the Slayer have been bothering me for a while, and after much debating with myself, I decided to redo them. I felt that the tone and style didn’t quite fit with the rest of the story, and I wanted the story as a whole to flow more naturally.

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Chapter 2 - Conversations

Buffy had hung up her phone over an hour ago. Now it sat on the bathroom rug, where she’d discarded it after calling Cordelia. She hadn’t been able to relax until she’d rehashed the entire thing, including what Cordy already knew about her feeling creeped out on campus.

She glanced at the small clock next to the frosted glass windows. She’d been in the tub over two hours. Every time the bath began to get cool she turned on the faucet, adding scalding water and more bubbles.

Try as she might, she wasn’t able to completely unwind. Images from the past two weeks—particularly from that day—kept spinning around in her head.

At first, it had just been a creepy feeling. That feeling of being watched. Walking around campus or downtown, she would suddenly just know that someone was looking at her. A couple of times she thought she’d seen something, but had managed to convince herself otherwise, until recently. But she hadn’t been able to do anything about it; there wasn’t enough to file a report on. There wasn’t any actual evidence at all.

Until today, when everything had suddenly come crashing into reality.

She had been walking in the parking lot when a man had grabbed her from behind and tried to drag her into a van. She’d managed to get his hand away from her mouth and had emitted a bloodcurdling scream she hadn’t known she was capable of. Thrashing wildly, Buffy had kicked behind her, and realized she’d hit a vital spot when she felt his hold on her lessen. Apparently deciding that the opportune moment was quickly passing, he’d flung her roughly into a nearby car, and she had heard the mixed noises of the van speeding away and several sets of footsteps and voices.

“Are you all right?” “Call the cops!” “Miss? Miss?” “No license plate on it.”

Buffy had gasped and stood, ignoring the people gathering around her. Running on automatic, her only thought had been of getting out of there. She had pushed past the small crowd, unlocked her car with shaking hands and sped home. Where her mother had taken one look at her and had known that something horrible had happened.

A knock on the bathroom door jolted Buffy out of her thoughts. “Honey?”

“It’s okay, Mom!” she called.

Joyce entered the bathroom and leaned against the counter opposite the tub. “Well, I have some news. Your father’s gotten a bodyguard for you.”

“A bodyguard?” Buffy exclaimed. “You are kidding, right? Please be kidding.”

Images of some six foot nine, three hundred pound man following her throughout the day flashed through Buffy’s mind. Undoubtedly, he would have big dark glasses and a shaved head. Conspicuous much?

“Can’t I just stay home and hide under the covers or something?”

“Buffy, we have no idea how long sorting out the rest of this might take. You can’t just put your life on hold for days, and certainly not for weeks.”

“Weeks?!”

“Your father has been talking with a man from some agency,” she continued. “They’ve hired us the best. I know you might not like it, but you’ll be safe. Surely that’s more important in the big picture?”

“Yeah, but…”

“He’s coming later tonight, so you can go over things with him before tomorrow.”

“Tonight?”

“Yes, Buffy. Now, I’ve got to go get the guest room ready.”

Joyce exited, shutting the door behind her, and Buffy sank down beneath the water.

Bodyguard. It just sounded so…James Bond. And how majorly weird would it be? ‘Hi, I’m Buffy, and this is my bodyguard. Don’t mind him, just pretend he’s not there.’

There was no way this was going to work. Okay, so maybe not being kidnapped would be a plus, but a bodyguard? Seriously? What was wrong with just never leaving the house again?

Buffy came back up and sighed, wiping the bubbles from her face.

Then she added more hot water.

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When Wesley closed his book and swiveled his chair around, he found a leather-clad figure smirking at him from across the desk.

“It would be appreciated if you would announce your presence,” he snapped.

“And miss seein’ you jump like a girl? Not bloody likely.”

“They’re expecting you tonight. Is that a problem?”

Spike shook his head.

Wesley continued. “This is the information they gave me, as well as the information I’ve collected myself.” Then he paused, holding the folder closer to himself than to Spike. “Are you certain you’re up for this?”

“What, keepin’ some chit alive? Think I can handle it.”

“Yes, well, I was referring to going to her classes, or perhaps not leaving the house—it isn’t exactly going to be exciting.”

“Until someone makes a grab for her.”

“Perhaps. But it will be rather monotonous, I imagine. I suspect that you’re not good with monotony.”

He shrugged.

“Or with playing nice that long.”

Spike laughed. “You afraid I’ll get cabin fever and snap?”

“If I thought there was a possibility that you’d snap, I certainly never would have called you. But please, attempt to be somewhat pleasant.”

He snorted. “For fifteen hundred a day, I’ll be a perfect gentleman. Been a while since I did somethin’ this big.” He reached out and took the folder, pulling out two sets of stapled papers. Spike casually flipped through them and then stuffed them in his pocket. “I’ll save the readin’ for later. So they don’t know, I take it?”

“Of course not. Don’t be absurd.”

“Well, they called you.”

“True. However, I have no reason to believe that there’s anything supernatural involved.” He frowned. “In fact, it’s really not something I would have contacted you about.”

“Then why did you?”

“I don’t know. There does seem to be something strange going on, though I’m not entirely sure what. I do believe there’s more than there seems to be.”

He didn’t respond, and Wesley couldn’t help the slight frown that crossed his face again as Spike stared at him.

Spike grinned. “Still gets under your skin, don’t it?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Yeah, right. Dealin’ with me irritates your indoctrinated learning. It may be good for business, but you’re only sittin’ here all cordial-like cause you know that any attempted killin’ between us can only end one way.”

“Among other reasons.”

“Already had my chance, didn’t I?” Spike smirked. “Don’t worry, Watcher, I’m a man of my word. I’m not gonna kill you, not unless you start it.”

“I know.”

“Trust me, do you?”

“I trust you as far as I can pay you.”

“That’s the best kind.” He stood. “Right. Y’know, if I’m gonna be there ’round the clock, I’m gonna need—”

Wesley sighed. “I’ll take care of it.”

He didn’t even hear the door close when Spike left as silently as he had come.