Greetings and Salutations.  I'm desperately trying to get everything updated. So I'll be updating one story a week to try and get caught up. At least that's the plan. Enjoy, and please Review.

Buffy looked out the car window as they pulled into their new home. "This is the place." Her mom said as she stopped the car. Creepy factor nine, Buffy thought. Her 'Slayer sense' as she called it was going hyper, and she wasn't feeling things friendly on the Force meter either.

"I don't know mom." She said. "I've got a creepy feeling about this place." Joyce looked at her as she got out of the car. Buffy had told her about being the Vampire Slayer after she'd burnt the gym down to finish the last of the vamps inside. She kind of wished Pike had come with, but perhaps it was better if he stayed in L.A. At least there was someone there who knew what was going on to save the place.

"I know, hon," Her mother said. "I feel it too." This whole town was absolutely reeking in the Dark Side, and Joyce wondered if moving here was such a good idea. "Well, we'd better start unpacking. You start school in a couple of weeks."

"As long as there are no creepy old men handing out stakes, I'll be fine." Buffy muttered. At least the incident had persuaded mom to let her build her own lightsaber. She reached into her bag, fingering it idly. This place was freaking her out. She felt out like she was being followed.

            Angel watched from his car. Of all the places Buffy's mother could have taken her, it had to be the Hellmouth. He ducked down when she looked his way. She couldn't know yet. Not until it was time.

Buffy collapsed frustrated onto the chair in the Library. "Well?" Her new Watcher, Rupert Giles, was about four or five times more annoying than Merrick.

"Seen vampire, slain vampires." She said. "As per Slayers handbook. Nothing really scary, unless you count their breath, which I now have to go home and wash out of my hair." A stifled giggle hit her ears. She looked over at Willow and Xander. They had befriended her upon arrival at Sunnydale High School, which she soon after found, was built over a Hellmouth. My life sucks, she thought. But then, so does their's. Their best friend Jesse was turned on the same night they found out vampires were real. She flashed a winner smile their way. "Anything else before I go home late and come to school tomorrow late? Again?" Xander grinned.

"Yeah, G-Man." He said. "I don't think even Flutty's that forgiving."

"Well you don't have to be here." Giles told him in his stuffy English accent. "In fact, you're not even supposed to be here."

"Giles. Get off that trip, will ya?" Buffy said suddenly. "They're here, they're helping and you can't do anything about it, so lay off." She got to her feet. "I'm going home, see you tomorrow." She stormed out, followed closely by Willow.

"Good one G-Man." Xander said, following the two girls. Giles watched them all leave. How Merrick could handle this insubordinate little girl was beyond him. Giles shook his head. I need tea. No, on second thoughts, I need something stronger.

He watched her from the shadows. She moved perfectly, with careful grace. He didn't see why she might need the help of a pathetic shell of a vampire like himself, but that didn't matter. It didn't really even matter if she never met him, or even knew he existed. He just liked watching her. She dusted the last vamp and then just stood there.

"Ya know if you want to watch, the least you could do is buy a ticket." Buffy said suddenly. Angel blinked. How the hell did she know he was there? "Well, you coming out, or do I have to come after you? I'm warning you though I don't like chasing vamps. It makes me all sweaty, and when I'm sweaty, I get cranky." Angel stepped out. Of course she knew he was there, she could sense vampire and demons, it was a Slayer's gift. He didn't realise she was so practiced. "Ah, at last." She looked him up and down. "Well, it was kind of worth the wait. You're okay looking, except for the whole not alive thing. If you weren't a vamp, I'd say this was going to be a shame." She brought her stake up as she dropped into a fighting position. "Well, we gonna dance or not?"

"I'm not here to fight." Angel said. "I'm here to help."

"A helpful vamp. That's new." Buffy stared at him. If not for the feeling of the Dark Side, she could almost believe him. Even then, there was something else, smothering the darkness. "So, what's your deal, you get defanged? I know. You don't want me 'cross' with you."

"Do you always talk this much?" He asked. Buffy thought a moment.

"I don't know." She said after a pause. "I thought you'd be able to tell me, since you've been watching me since L.A."

"You knew?"

"Of course." Buffy fumed. "It was a bit hard not to. It's like someone turned on a blacklight globe in my brain. So, you wanna tell me why your following me around, or do I get to stake you now?"

"I saw you in the graveyard." Angel tried to think of a way to make it sound casual. "That first night when you found out. You looked like you…needed help, so…"

"You started stalking me?" She demanded.

"I was watching you." He corrected. "I guess I worried. You looked kind of out of your depth. I thought I might be able to back you up."

"Which brings me back to why a vampire would want to help the Vampire Slayer." Buffy brought up. "Not exactly what you'd call a normal partnership."

"I'm not exactly what you'd call a normal vampire." Angel said with a sad smile. "A couple of centuries ago, I crossed some Romany Gypsies. Bad move on my part, they cursed me with my soul."

"A vampire with a soul?" Buffy blinked. What did the Slayer manual say about this sort of thing? Nothing she knew of. This was something new, which meant she needed help. She couldn't exactly talk to Giles about this, so that left… "Mom." She reached out with the Force, calling to her mother.

"What is it, Buffy?"

"Nothing big. Just a vampire with a soul."

"Buffy, that's an impossibility. Are you sure?"

"Well, besides the fact he told me, there's something else besides the usual feelings of the Dark Side, like there's something trying to smother it."

"Hmm, interesting. You may want to talk with Mr. Giles about this."

"And cop a lecture about not Slaying on sight? Not looking forward to it."

"I know, hon, but this is his area of expertise. I only met one vampire."

"Yeah, you're right." Buffy thought for a moment. "You want me to trust you I need you to do two things. First, you need to come with me. I need to run this past my Watcher, cause as far as I know, this is something completely new." Angel nodded. "Secondly, I need you to tell me everything you can about a vampire named Spike."

"Very good, dear." Joyce sent. "Your learning."

"What's Spike got to do with anything?" Angel asked as they headed to the high school.

"My mom had a run in with him while she was still in college." Buffy said. "She only survived because he was waiting for me. Before my parents even got married." Angel looked at her. "So, Deadboy, do you know this creep or not?"

"Firstly, I'm called Angel." The souled vampire said. "And secondly, yes I know him. Unfortunately. He's one of the mistakes I made during my time before the curse. He was turned by my own Dark Child, Drusilla." He shook his head ruefully. "I told her it was a bad idea, but she wouldn't listen. She was always bringing home strays. Anyway, after he was turned, it was left to me to train him."

"Why?" Angel looked at her.

"Because Dru is stark raving mad." He said sadly. "Before I turned her, I tortured her."

"You are really evil." Buffy said, stake ready, just in case.

"Was." Angel reminded her. "I'm not that creature anymore."

"The jury's still out on that one." Buffy reminded him. "So how'd Spike know about me?"

"Dru's a seer." Angel said. "It's the reason I turned her. I'm guessing she still hangs around him." Buffy shook her head.

"So I have, from what mom described, a Billy Idol wannabe with a crazy fortune teller girlfriend out after me." Angel grinned at her rather accurate description. "Why me?" She said, looking heavenward. "Wasn't Lothos enough, now I gotta deal with this? Are you punishing me for something?" Angel's grin turned into a chuckle. "What are you laughing at?"

"I think I should have introduced myself sooner." He said. "I haven't laughed this much since I turned." Buffy glared at him as they reached the high school.

"Don't get used to it, Deadboy." She said. "I'm still very uneasy around you. One wrong move, and you're living in a vacuum cleaner for the rest of eternity, got it?" Angel's grin vanished.

"Got it." He said. He knew she would have some trouble trusting him, he just wished there was some way to prove she could trust him.

"Well, time to see how hysterical Giles is going to get." Buffy said as they headed to the Library.

As they entered the school, a man walked out of the shadows. He pulled a mobile phone out of his pocket. "Hello? It's me. I just saw the girl, and you'll never believe who's with her. That Angel guy you told me to keep an eye out for." There was a pause, then "I'll keep watching her. Just remember our deal. Alright then, talk to you soon." He hung up and looked up at the school. Soon, he would live forever, and nothing was going to ruin that.

Ooh, mystery guy following and watching Buffy. Who is he? Who is he working for? Will Angel ever gain Buffy's trust?

Stay tuned.

Doc.