The music pumped through the large sets of speakers that sat on top of the stage, filtering out into the small enclosed area of The Bronze, bouncing off the walls and being sucked back into the hundreds of teens that squashed into the nightclub. Sweat mixed with sweat and bodies rubbed against bodies, grinding in time to the beat, not bothering to stop for air as they sucked in the smokey, used oxygen around them.

"Aren't you glad you came out tonight?!" Xander screamed into Hope's ear, looking out into the masses, unconsciously bobbing to the music.

Hope stared through her glasses out onto the same seen, not moving her gaze from it as she shook her head and yelled back at her friend. "What!?"

"I said, aren't you glad you came out tonight?!"

A look of realisation crossed her face and she finally turned to him. "It's better than sitting at home."

Xander sipped his drink, searching for the other slayerettes that had crowded onto the dance floor with the rest of the population. Not finding them, he turned back to his Australian friend who sat looking down at her cola and stirring it with her straw.

"You ok?" he screamed again, nudging her by the elbow.

Hope looked up and nodded. "Yeah."

"You'd rather be sitting at home wouldn't you?"

Hope shook her head. "No. I'm just not into this song."

"No, I know what you're thinking." Xander replied. "You'd rather be slaying vampires. I know that look."

"What look?"

"That look! The whole 'this-is-such-a-drag-I--need-to-kick-somebody's ass' look."

Hope shook her head and smiled. "No. This is the 'could-my-back-hurt-any-more-and-this-song-is-dragging-on-foreva look'.

Xander replied with a gentle rub on the arm and his usual puppy dog eyes. "Poor Hope. I shouldn't have dragged you out tonight eh?"

"No, I'm glad you did Xander! Honestly! It's nice sitting here with you, not being able to hear a word you say, but still the sitting is nice!"

"Well, if you want to go home just say, and I'll come with you."

Hope nodded. "Thanks."

"Hey Guys! What you doing sitting here? Why aren't you out there?" Willow screamed cheerily, pointing to the dance floor as she bounced up to the table and plonked down heavily on a stool.

"Just enjoying the atmosphere." Xander replied, smiling over at the redhead.

"What?!"

Hope shook her head as Xander repeated his statement.

Willow smiled and nodded. "It's great isn't it. Haven't been here for a long time. Makes me all nostalgic. I feel all highschool."

"Tell me about it!" Xander replied. "I could go all whacky on you right now."

"Well, I saw the others out there. I'm going to go join them. You coming?" Willow asked, grabbing Xander by his baggy shirt and pulling him off his stool.

Hope shook her head. "I don't dance."

Willow smiled. "Yes you do. I've seen you dance."

"Ahh, but that was a very intoxicated Hope that you saw." Hope reminded her. "And a very less fat one."

Xander slapped Hope on the shoulder playfully. "Come on Aussie girl. Come let lose and get down and boogey."

"I don't boogey. But you go and do that thing you do. I'm fine here."

"You sure?" Xander asked, tucking his stool in while partially being dragged away by his friend.

Hope nodded and forced a smile. "Positive. I'll save the table."

Xander smiled and let himself get dragged away, giving a little wave before being consumed the mass of sweat and skin bouncing away on the dance floor.

"Rupert. I'm so glad I caught you."

Giles looked up from his book to see Michael stride into his apartment. "I didn't know I was going anywhere?"

Michael smiled arrogantly and placed his hands into his dark trouser pockets. "You could have gone out. Who knows, you might have a life now?"

"Well, Michael, I was just doing some research, if you must know. My life consists on saving others."

Michael raised his eyebrows behind his thin black glasses. "Oh really? I thought that was your slayers job. But, I guess it's not a problem, getting involved, as long as you don't get in the way. Nothing worse than getting in a slayers way. A watchers place is behind the scenes: training and preparing. You should know that."

Giles pushed his glasses firmly up his nose. "Are you questioning the way I train my slayer?"

Michael shook his head. "Not at all old man. I think you've done a tremendous job. She's quick on her heels that Buffy. Do you think you'll be able to find Pandoras Box before we all die?"

"We've saved the world before, I can't see why we can't do it again."

"Yes, well it's good to have confidence."

Giles frowned, unsure of what to say to the egotistical man that stood in front of him. On the outside his arrogance was mixed with that stereotypical carefree Australian nature, but on the inside burned a spiteful, strong and demanding man, one you only saw when his confidence was on a high, or he had backing behind him.

"What do you want Michael?" Giles asked bluntly, turning back to his book.

"I was wondering if you'd seen my daughter? The council didn't manage to catch this arvo. Just missed her. Thought she might have come back here."

Giles shook his head. "I haven't seen her."

"Well, that's not like Hope at all. I'm sure she would have checked in with you at one time or another. You are supposed to be looking after her after all. I'm trusting you with my daughters life."

"What do you care about your daughters life?"

"Oh Giles. You have got a problem with me today?"

Giles sighed, trying hard to control his anger. "I've had a problem with you for ten years."

Michael chuckled slightly, enjoying Giles resentment towards him. He still stood casually in front of the Englishman, looking down at him with shining eyes. "Oh Rupert, you haven't changed one bit."

"But you have Michael."

"Really? Well, life sometimes does that to you."

"Life? Please Michael, you've had ten years to deal with life."

"Giles. Just, for one second, forget how much you hate me and tell me where my daughter is."

"I told you I don't know. Probably out with the rest of them, enjoying herself as someone her age should. I don't need to keep tabs on her. She's old enough to look after herself."

"Please Rupert. She's running away."

"She's not running anywhere. But I wouldn't blame her if she did." Giles spat, snapping the book shut.

"This is very important Rupert. I know you can understand this."

"No, no Michael, I don't think I can. The Council has no right to do what it's going to do to her. It will kill her."

"It won't kill her Rupert." he dismissed, waving away the comment. "It's a perfectly safe procedure and…"

"Emotionally it will! Jesus Michael. Can't you see? She's been through so much…"

"She wouldn't have had to go through so much if she had done the right thing in the first place." Michael explained, pulling his hands from his pockets and fiddling casually with his watch. "This situation needs to be fixed and this is the only way."

"It's inhumane."

"No, it's practical."

Giles shook his head, a bitter chuckle escaping from his lips as he got up and started slowly towards the man standing in front of him. "This is NOT practical. Just because it ruined your little experiment…"

"Hope was the link Giles!" Michael exclaimed, matching Giles emotion. "Why can't you see that?"

"I see it. But she can still be the link, even with a baby."

"Don't be stupid." Michael laughed before returning back to the seriousness of the situation. "How did it happen Rupert? Someone as strong as her… a normal man couldn't match her strength."

"Maybe it was a moment of weakness Michael. Everyone has one."

"Not my slayer."

"Hope is not an experiment anymore. You of all people shouldn't treat her like one. I can understand the council having such a separated view from her, but you? She's your daughter. You and Catherine…"

"Don't you dare bring Catherine into this." Michael spat, his words tight with rage.

"Why not? She was part of it. You both agreed to it. One side effect was Catherines death, but that hasn't stopped you…"

"Catherine wanted the same thing I did. To rid this world of its terror."

"What about a healthy baby girl? Not a slayer, just a beautiful daughter that would grow into a beautiful woman."

"Don't start this crap with me." Michael ordered, meeting Giles' gaze. "You have never known what it's like to have a daughter, so don't start this sentimental bullshit on me Mr Giles."

"I was the one who was there when she came home that night. I was the one who saw her cry, she broke down and called for you, but I was the one who held her and told her it would be alright."

"Well, then you lied to her."

Giles shook his head, his words only above a whisper. "No, I did not lie. Because, everything will be alright. The council will not touch her. I love her like my own, just because you can't shouldn't stop other people from loving her."

"Is that it?" Michael asked hatefully, turning his back on Giles and walking towards the other side of the room before facing the Englishman once again. "You think I don't love her? I trained her! I trained her to survive. I gave her the best chance of getting through life. Her powers. It was the best thing. You know it, and I know it."

"You very well know where I stood when they took the vote to drug her. And you know what? I was right. Making a slayer, trying to fool fate. Who were they thinking? The council won't win this one. It killed Catherine. Who knows what it's doing to Hope?"

"Hope was fine. There were no side effects…"

"Except when she fell pregnant and her powers vanished." Giles reminded, walking over to the couch and leaning up against it. "How does the council explain that?"

Michael took off his glasses and started to polish them rapidly on his white shirt. "They can't. That's what they want to know. The more tests they can do, the closer they become to being able to perfect it."

"Make their own perfect slayer?"

Michael didn't answer. Both men stood in silence for a while, knowing what the council had done, and what it wanted to do. Giles crossed his arms over his chest and looked across at Michael who studiously placed his glasses back on his nose and sighed.

"She's my slayer Giles. And no matter how much you care for her, or how wrong you think this is, it will happen. It's my decision."

Giles knew this was true. His words came out slowly now, controlled and quiet as they reverberated across the room. "But she's also your daughter. Who's having your grandchild. I know most fathers don't like the thought of their daughters having children, but I know she just wants you to be pleased, because, amazingly, after everything, she actually is."

Michael looked up from the spot he had been studying on the carpet and came to rest his gaze upon Giles. He didn't say a word, just shoved his hands back in his pockets and leant up against the green wall, waiting for Giles to continue.

"You trained her to survive. And survive she has done. She is the strongest girl I have ever met. I have known her since she was little, I watched her grow up, just like you did, and she is one tough woman. She may have lost her physical strength, but up here, she is a quick as ever." Giles stopped and tapped his temple. "Her mind contains so many horrors that she has locked away and won't let anyone else see. Maybe for our sake, that's the best thing, because if she ever let them out, I don't think she would ever come back."