Twenty minutes later she stepped into the Camden station and threaded her way through the crowds and up to the street. Making her way through the evening throng she found the side street and then the small bookshop Giles had purchased. Pausing in the shadows she looked in through the front window, moving to see around the books. She headed toward the door, then stopped and walked back to the small alley. Skirting the refuse bins and rubbish she counted her way to the back of the bookshop. 'Good plan, pet. Get 'em from behind.' Silently she stalked to the door and opened it quietly. Stepping inside she saw the two shadows watching through a partially open doorway across from her. She rapidly closed the distance, stepping around the piles of boxes and wrappings from a recent shipment.

In the front of the shop Giles started at a noise from the back of the shop. A second thump brought him into motion. He had just cleared the counter when Buffy stepped from the back with a satisfied smile. "Close the door Giles. We don't need any more unwanted guests. Then come join me in the back." Quickly he moved to do as she asked then followed her into the back room.

Looking down at the two tied up men she paced back and forth, not realizing she was using Spike's pattern. She padded over to the nearer one like a large predatory cat. A dark smirk appeared on her face as she purred, "Now, you are going to tell us why you are here and why you have been hassling my good friend." Neither man moved. Buffy pulled a stake from her coat sleeve and gently caressed the man's face. "You know, someone once asked me if I had ever staked a human. I've never staked one," she paused for a beat and continued softly, "by mistake." Giles jerked at the silky dark menace in her voice. For the first time since becoming her watcher he feared her. "Or maybe you'd like to watch while your friend becomes uncomfortable?"

The quiet ring of a cell phone interrupted her. "Ahhh, the master calls the lap-dogs. Soon they will send the hounds. Too bad, I was so looking forward to a long conversation. We'll just have to leave you here then." She grabbed one of them and hoisted him to his feet. She quick stepped him out the back door, grabbing another bit of twine on the way. Once he was on the ground by the dustbin she rapidly tied his ankles together, then tore a strip of cloth from his shirt and stuffed it into his mouth. A few more moments work and the second one joined him. The predator faded as she turned to Giles and said, "Giles, come on, we don't want to be here when the hounds arrive. Do you know of a good place to go?"

"W-well, there's an American kind of place. It's loud but close and we-we could try and talk there." Quickly he led the way back onto Camden High Street and turned right. A couple of blocks later he turned to cross Camden to his destination.

Buffy stopped and stared a moment. "Oh this is so Animal House. You're kidding, right?" The sign above the door said Belushi's.

"No, no, this is the place. We could go elsewhere if you think we should..."

"No, this is fine." Buffy followed him into the crowded room and to a small table that had just opened up.

"Now Buffy, what is happening? Why is the council suddenly so interested in you? And why are you here?"

"I, I'm mostly out of money. The council called and offered me a job, with really good benefits. I was hoping it was on the up and up, but I should have known better. Travers called and said he would pay my way over so we could talk about the deal and like a fool I trusted him." Bitterness tinged her voice as she went on, "It was the usual thing with them. A bunch of tests I had no hope of passing and then them laying down the law on how it was going to be. I guess they remembered how I am, rather than giving me any chance to decide Travers drugged me and was getting ready to plant some kind of chip in my head."

"Oh good lord."

"Yeah, well the drugs gave me a weird reaction and I saw our friend the First Slayer again. Only this time I had a surprise for her, rather than letting her kick my ass around the desert I bonded with her."

"You what?"

"Bonded with her, absorbed her energy, mind melded with her, take your pick. Anyway, with her help I got out of there as quickly as I could. Now I have to get back to Sunnyhell, erm Sunnydale." Giles started at the slip. 'Damn that blond vampire, why can't I shake his words?' She bit her lip and continued, "There's more..."

"Um, yes, there always is, isn't there." Giles removed his glasses and polished them on his shirt.

"I think there's something else going on too. I had to get out the first night I was here, you know, last night when I called you." He nodded. "I overheard a conversation between a younger council employee and a woman. Giles, they are going to threaten S.. my friends if I don't agree. They couldn't have known of Travers' plan, otherwise they wouldn't need threats. I would have had no choice. Now that I'm missing, I'm afraid there'll be trouble."

"You say you bonded with the First..."

"Giles, there're more important things here..."

"No, this is very important. There are hints of it in the chronicles of the early slayers. I, I should research this more.." He gazed off into the crowd for a few minutes, "Umm, where was I? Oh yes, this changes everything."

"What's going to change everything is if they are going after my friends. I have to get home. I need to see if my ticket is still good."

"Call from here. I, I know the owner. I can get you a place to stay here tonight, myself as well. It won't be safe to go back to my place." Giles rose and made his way to the bar. After several minutes of talking to a youngish man behind the counter he returned. "It's all set. You are upstairs and I have a room right next to yours. He won't tell anyone if they come looking. You can call from the room about your ticket." Distracted again, Giles stared into the crowd once more. "I need my books," he muttered. "We should move now, before they start hunting through the neighborhood."

The rooms upstairs were small but comfortable looking. Buffy moved to the phone and started to dial the airline number. "When you are done, let me talk to the agent. I will be following behind you. I need access to the books I left with Anya." It took only moments for Buffy to confirm that her ticket was still good. It took considerably longer for Giles to book a flight. The soonest one he could get was four days away.

"What are you going to do about your shop?"

"I have a couple of friends here. I can get one of them to watch it for me. I can't very well go back there for a while. The council will be after me to get to you." Giles started for the door the turned to ask, "What time is your flight in the morning? You can take the Tube to Heathrow, but it's an hour and a half or so from here."

"It's not until noon. We could go shopping in the morning. S...um Xander wanted something from Resurrection Records and I wanted to check out some of the local shops while I was here..."

"Probably better not. The council will most likely be keeping watch on this area. Besides, if your flight is at noon, check in will be hours before that, and with the Tube ride besides, you'll still need to leave early."

Buffy pulled an exaggerated pouty face and flopped back on the bed. "Yes dad." She then smiled warmly at him, "Thank you."

"You..you're welcome. Now get some sleep."

Even with the safety of the hostel morning came too early. She staggered to the small bath and made ready for her trip. She was just finishing when there was a soft tap on her door. "Buffy, we best head for the Tube. I thought I'd come along and keep an extra eye out."

"Thanks, I'll be right out." They slipped out the back entrance and made their way up to the tube station. There they joined the throngs of early morning commuters. Just over an hour later they emerged at Heathrow Airport. Giles escorted Buffy to the check in counter, hugged her goodbye, and turned to go. His voice came out somewhat thick as he reminded her to expect him four days later.