A light rapping on her door pulled her back to wakefulness. She sat up with a groan. "Coming." Quickly she pulled her skirt up under her shirt and made her way to the door.

"M..Buffy, dinner will be in half an hour." Eric took in her appearance and continued, "I'm afraid it's more formal than what you are wearing."

"Uh, oh, right. Ok." She stared at him a few minutes longer.

"Oh, right, I'll see you in half an hour," he said through a deep blush.

She staggered to the bathroom and splashed cold water over her face, then quickly rinsed off in the shower. She was just slipping on her shoes when the knock came. Taking a couple of deep breaths she walked to the door.

Eric stood there waiting. He set off deeper into the large building. She followed him down a long hall hung with pictures of the slayers down the years. Another hallway held portraits of watchers and council heads. At last he turned down yet another hall and brought her to the doors of a large dinning room. Twenty council members where already seated along the mammoth table. At the end closest to the door was an empty place for her. At the other end of the table Quentin Travers presided over the assembly. "Ah, Miss Summers, so glad you could join us." Fear clawed at her guts as she moved into the room. Shaking and near panic she tried to slip into her chair. For a moment, just as she sat down, she heard Spike in her mind, "What's a' matter Slayer, you afraid, of these ponces? I can show you real fear." In her mind she saw his cocky grin and swaggering stance. It was enough to shake her mood a little.

She sat confidently and replied, "You may begin now." Her guts did triple flips as Travers scowled at her. Several other heads jerked to look at her and she thought she detected a smile or two on a couple of bent heads. She returned their stares with a sunny smile as servers moved forward with platters of food. She chose sparingly form each, filling only a small part of her plate. 'Gods, why can't I be home sparing with Spike, at least I know what he wants, I think.'

"Miss Summers, are you sure that's enough food?" one of the men near her asked.

"Gotta keep that slayerly figure."

Midway through the meal Travers tapped on his glass, "Ladies and gentlemen, a toast to our brave slayer." 'Ere it comes pet, the suck-up before the punch' "May she soon grace us with her presence." She looked around the table. Several heads nodded in agreement, others watched quietly, still others stared down at their food, and a very few watched her watching the rest. Ice trickled down her back as she wondered what she had walked into.

The rest of dinner passed in a haze of polite conversation. At last Buffy was able to escape back to her room. Head pounding with increased frenzy she shook out three aspirin and a small folded scrap of paper came along. Carefully unfolding it she read, "All is not as it seems. The walls have ears. You are in danger." 'Great,' she thought, 'now I'm in a bad spy movie.' She downed the aspirin and laid on the bed for long moments her thoughts still whirling. Finally she sighed and rose again. Digging in her bag she pulled out the old leather coat and two stakes. She slipped into the coat and shoved the stakes into the pouches in the arms. Quietly she made her way to the door and out into the hallway.

She had almost reached the door when she heard Travers' voice behind her. "Going somewhere Miss Summers?"

"I'm still a little wound after the flight. I thought I'd take a bit of a walk." she turned to face him seeing two others hovering behind him.

"I suppose a walk would be ok, if you took someone with you. We wouldn't want you getting lost now, would we?"

"How about Eric? I already sort of know him."

"No, I'm afraid Eric has already left for the evening. George here will accompany you. Please stay in the neighborhood."

"OK, come on, let's go" Buffy headed out into the night with George quickly following. "So, know of any good clubs? I think I'd like some dancing. That always helps loosen me up."

"I don't think that's a good idea. Some of the clubs get a little wild."

"And the Slayer couldn't handle it? Is that what I'm hearing?"

"Umm, I didn't mean..."

"Good, so let's go." Buffy moved resolutely down the street.

"The nearest club is this way," George interrupted, pointing the other way. She turned and followed him, a small smile tugging at her lips.

He opened the door, offered up the cover charge, and motioned her inside. The music, a mix of power pop, house, and punk, hit her like a blast. "Oh yes, this is definitely better." Smiling she pushed into the swirling press of bodies and headed toward the dance floor. In no time at all she had managed to loose George. She was headed for the telephones when he spotted her and called to her. Hiding her annoyance she moved back over to him. "I was trying to find the rest rooms, um, the loo."

"Oh, sorry. I think they're over that way," he replied pointing. She threaded her way toward them, hoping there was a phone nearby. Luck was with her and soon she was dialing Giles' number.

"Hello?"

"Giles! It's me, Buffy."

"Where are you, the Bronze or something? I can barely hear you."

"No, I'm at some place called Gossips, here in London. Giles, the council is being way more wiggy than usual. I gotta talk to you about it."

"Buffy, I'm sure the council wouldn't do anything dishonorable to their slayer. You know how well intentioned they are."

"But.."

"No buts now. You know they want what's best for you."

The little bit of uneasiness she had been feeling blossomed into full fear. "Uh, I understand. I'm sorry to have called so unexpectedly. We'll talk later."

"Yes we will, later." She slipped into the loo and sat heavily in the last stall thinking furiously. After many minutes she rose and made her way towards the door.

Just before she rounded the corner she heard voices. A voice sounding like George was saying, "...yes, the Slayer is clueless. The reports are right, her friends are her intelligence. By herself she's something of a ditz."

"But what if she doesn't accept the offer?" A woman's voice asked.

"Then we will increase the pressures on her. We can bring pressures on her friends as well," George replied.

"Rumors have it that William the Bloody fights at her side. Is this true?"

"So it seems. We will soon end that as well."

Buffy slipped back onto the dance floor as she heard the two moving towards her. 'Gods, they're going to mess with Spike. They're going to mess with my friends.' She threw herself into the music as her mind tried to cope with what she'd heard. Twenty minutes later she gave up and began searching for George. When she found him she said, "Guess I should be getting back. Those interviews are pretty early, aren't they?"

"That they are." They made their way back to the council buildings in silence. Buffy excused herself and walked back to her room. Once in bed sleep would not come as possible options chased each other through her thoughts.