"He-Hello?"

Willow walked timidly into the library, holding onto the hall pass she had just received, summoning her here. Not that she was afraid-she probably spent more time in the room than anyone else in the school. It was what she had heard about the new librarian. Granted, most of it was from Cordelia (Does she have to let everyone know when something doesn't go her way?), but even Xander and Jesse were freaked by this guy.

And now she had to talk to him.

She walked up to the main desk, looking around for signs of life, which were quite absent. "M-Mr. Giles?"

Almost if by magic, a middle-aged man dressed in a tweed suit emerged from the book stacks. "I'm sorry about that. You must be Willow." Approaching the girl, the man seemed almost like an oversized teenager as he nervously walked to her, and shook her hand. "I'm Mr. Giles, and I have some important news to discuss with you."

"OK..." answered the young woman, now adding confusion to her already existent fear.

"Into each generation, a Slayer is born. One girl, in all the world, a Chosen One. One born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, to stop the spread of evil, and the swell of their numbers." After spouting the almost practiced words to the now skeptical girl, the new librarian added, "Willow Rosenberg, you are that girl."

"Me?"

"Yes, you," he affirmed. "The previous Slayer was killed last spring in Los Angeles. I'm sure you heard about the fire which leveled a high school gym at, Hemery, I think it was, correct?"

"Y-yes," stammered Willow, slowly becoming unable to process all of the information being given to her. "They said that some girl named Buffy started it, and was killed. What does this have to do with me?"

"You are no longer Willow Rosenberg, student at Sunnydale High School. You are Willow, the Vampire Slayer."

"No," declared Willow as she backed away fearfully. No!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Rosenberg, but this is who you now are. This is your destiny." Giles had barely become this child's Watcher, and was already hating it. From what the Watcher's Council had given him, this Willow was completely unlike every other Slayer that he had read about. She was, for starters, a certified genius. Also, she was frightfully timid. Unlike most other Slayers, who were generally outgoing, popular young girls, Willow had but three friends in the world: another girl, Amy Madison, and two boys, Jesse McNally and Alexander Harris. The Harris boy had especially concerned the Council, as there were specific instructions on how to keep him from interfering with the new Slayer's mission.

But all that mattered right now was the girl standing before him, now in tears. "I-I can't be a 'Vampire Slayer'. Vampires don't even exist! Besides, I'm supposed to be in chemistry right now, helping Xander with our lab, and getting an 'A' so I can get a scholarship at some prestigious college."

"I wish it were true, but vampires *are* real, and you *are* the Slayer." Changing his approach, Mr. Giles asked, "Have you ever experienced moments of superhuman strength in times of great stress? Had dreams that mysteriously came true? Sensed great evil where none existed?"

Willow's face became pale as she remembered incidents where all of these things came true. She had broken Harmony's wrist when the lead "Cordette" (as she and Xander called them) pushed her in the hallway outside gym class three weeks ago. And her dreams had always come true. Except the ones about Xander, that is, she reminded herself with a frown. And there were times that she would be enjoying herself at the Bronze when she'd suddenly become completely wigged out for no reason-so much so, that Xander would have to walk her home and spend the night, sleeping on the floor. "Oh, God, it...it's true. I'm going to faint now, OK?"

Her Watcher followed his job description and watched as Willow fainted, landing on the ground with a loud THUNK.