*You're cynical and beautiful
You always make a scene
You're monochrome delirious
You're nothing that you seem
I'm drowning in your vanity
Your laugh is a disease
You're dirty and you're sweet
You know you're everything I need*

I have been in LA for three months. I thought that when I left Sunnydale that the feeling that I was being followed would disappear. I thought once I got away from the Hellmouth it would go away, but if anything it has gotten worst.

When I was in Sunnydale it would go away if I was with Buffy and even lessen when I was with Oz. Now, I feel it every time I step out of my apartment at night. I've never have told anyone because they would think I was crazy and paranoid. Maybe I am.

Tonight, when I left to go to the library, I felt eyes on me as soon as I left my sanctuary. The weird thing is that I've never gotten any bad vibes from the source of my discomfort. The 'eyes' have never felt like those of a predator or something that wanted to hurt me. They've always felt just sort of observant. I even get a protective sense from them.

You ask how I could sense these things? To be honest, I really don't know.

*Everything you are
Falls from the sky like a star
Everything you are
Whatever you want*

It was a short walk. The library was only a few blocks away. As I slipped into the library the feeling disappeared. Strange.

I wanted to dwell on it, but I was on a mission. My American Lit teacher had assigned an introductory assignment. Each student was to do a paper on an American author. I had no clue who to do it on.

Science section. Foreign Language section. Biographies... yes! Off to work I went. By closing time I had picked Poe as the topic for my paper. His use of irony I is something I have always admired.

Armed with several books, I started the trek back to my apartment. Oddly, I did not feel the eyes. It worried me. More that I wanted to admit. It was almost like when the bully ripped away my security blanket on my preschool's playground. Except this time Xander wasn't here to try, unsuccessfully might I add, to get it back. But that's beside the point. I felt lost.

I briskly started walking back to my apartment. I had learned the hard way that it was bad to dawdle at night. You tended to get attacked by some nasty beast. Or mauled. Or perhaps you would develop a sudden severe case of anemia. None of those appealed to me.

*I wanna kick at the machine
That made you piss away your dreams
And tear at your defenses
Til there's nothing left but me
You're angry when your beautiful
Your love is such a tease
I'm drowning in your dizzy noise
I wanna feel you scream*

I had stepped away from the library to eat and when I come back, the bloody girl had already left. I could smell her unique fragrance flirting with me... stirring in the night air. She must have left just a minute ago. Damn. The girl is a bookworm. I expected her to be in the fucking library for at least an hour.

I started running down the familiar path to Willow's apartment. I knew she couldn't have gotten very far. I focused on my attuned senses, searching for Willow. Call me paranoid or psychotic, but I knew something bad was going to happen. Hell, it might have been already happening.

*Everything you are
Falls from the sky like a star
Everything you are
Whatever you want*

Suddenly, a vampire jumped out from the shadows and started attacking me. I fumble for the cross that I wear around my neck. I broke the silver chain and shoved it into my attacker's face. He hissed and backed away from me. I reached into my pocket and retrieved a vial of holy water. I struggled to open the cap but found that I couldn't open with only one hand. I stepped closer to the vampire and smashed the glass container into it's face. It shrieked like a female who had just saw a rat when the water burned it's face and the glass penetrated it's skin.

I looked around frantically for something that could serve as a stake. I had completely forgotten mine at home. Damn LA! No freaking trees to speak of. At least New York has Central Park.

I had failed to notice during my search, that my efforts were no longer needed. I glanced back to where the vamp had stood and saw Spike standing in the ashes. He drew me into his arms and kissed me, yet again. It was very passionate. It was almost like he put all his fear of losing me into that kiss. But that is preposterous. Spike doesn't give a damn about me.

Oh yeah? Part of me asked. Then why has he saved you twice from vampires and kissed you? He's probably been the one that's been following you too. Why the hell else would he be here?

I realized that that part was right. I pulled back from Spike. "This is getting a monotonous. You saving me, then kissing me," I commented.

Spike just grinned in answer. I started to walk home. Spike fell in step beside me. An almost comfortable silence sat between us.

It was a quick walk. It ended almost as soon as it started. Spike left me at my door and started to walk away.

"Spike," I called, stopping him. "From now on, stop following me in the shadows. If you want to play bodyguard, you can do it at my side." I turned and went into the apartment.

Spike watched Willow retreat. She's one smart cookie, he thought. He hadn't expected her to guess that it was him that had been following her. But he was very pleased. Her offer to let him walk by her side was very tantalizing.

Very tantalizing indeed.