BTVS, Angel and Charmed characters do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Spoilers: Up until the Season 5 episode The Body (just to be safe).

Giles glared at the head of the Watcher's Council delegation. Quentin Travers had always been an insufferable prat and he seemed to know exactly which buttons to push to make Giles lose his cool. Tonight, however, he needed to keep his temper in check in order to give the others time to get away. He took a steadying breath before answering, "I assure you Quentin, the medical situation of Joyce Summers is quite serious."

"Yes. I am aware of that," he replied with that smug grin of his.

"You've seen her medical records! What right have you to invade the woman's privacy!" Giles was appalled, but at the same time not surprised, by Travers' gall.

"What gives the Council the right, as you say, is that Joyce Summers is the Slayer's mother. That makes it our business. Against my recommendations, the Council allowed the Slayer to remain in her mother's care rather than become our ward. If something were to happen to Mrs. Summers, the Slayer would be at risk."

Giles snorted. "Funny, you didn't seem too concerned about Joyce's well being when you forced the Cruciamentum on Buffy and your pet vampire took her mother hostage!"

"Yes, well. That was unfortunate. But your hands aren't clean in that incident either, Rupert. You were the one that administered the drugs to your Slayer, rending her powers useless."

Giles snapped. He lunged at Travers, intent on beating that smug look off his face. He managed to land one solid punch before he was grabbed by a rather burly bodyguard. Shoved into a chair and restrained with the plastic handcuffs favored by police, Giles glowered at the unconscious form on the floor. At least he'd knocked the bastard out. He said a silent prayer to the Powers that he would be able to withstand the inevitable interrogation long enough to allow Wesley and Xander to get everyone to a safe location.

The other Watchers remained silent as they waited for their leader to regain consciousness, giving Giles the opportunity to study them. Most were unfamiliar. Quentin's bodyguard was known to him, of course, and the others were just as burly. Noticeably absent were the scholars like Wesley's friend Lydia. He took in their defensive positions and their body language. These were obviously members of the infamous Wet Works division. Quentin meant business this time. He idly wondered if he was their only target, or if they had come for Buffy as well.

The door to the training room slammed open and an irate Angel emerged. The vampire had taken them all down before the council team could even reach for their weapons. He sent a disdainful look to the still unconscious Travers and approached Giles, who had cautiously stood during the altercation.

"Angel?"

When the vampire turned towards the Watcher he was still in game face. Giles took a calming breath, mentally telling himself that Angel had his soul again. This was not Angelus. However, when the vampire approached, still in game face and without comment, Giles knew he was in trouble. "Where is Buffy?" he demanded.

"Safe."

"That is not what I asked, Giles. Where is she?" Angel snarled.

"I don't know," Giles answered honestly.

Without warning Angel struck him with a right cross to the jaw and Giles went down hard. His final thought before succumbing to unconsciousness was not again. The vampire scooped up the Watcher and threw him effortlessly over his shoulder, unaware of the council representative that was hiding behind the counter.

Wesley had called for a rest stop. Although they hadn't put enough distance between themselves and Sunnydale for him to be comfortable, he wanted to put a halt to the blind running. They needed a game plan. So they took a couple of rooms at a roadside motel. Joyce, Cordelia and Wesley were going to watch over the still sleeping Buffy while Xander, Dawn and Anya made a food run.

They were halfway through their meal when Buffy started thrashing and whimpering on the bed. Joyce tried to soothe her but she remained in the grips of her nightmare.

"Giles," she whimpered. As she became increasingly more agitated she continued to call out for the Watcher. Joyce looked over to Wesley, "Is she having a Slayer dream?"

Wesley cautiously approached the bed. He carefully felt her forehead and noted her elevated temperature. "Perhaps. Some Watchers recorded an elevated body temperature when their Slayers experienced a prophetic dream, but it wasn't consistent. Has Buffy ever discussed her Slayer dreams with you?"

Joyce shook her head. "No. I'm afraid I didn't react well to finding out Buffy was the Slayer. I've tried to make up for it, but I think she's still a bit leery of discussing Slayer issues with me. Wouldn't she have discussed it with Rupert? Wouldn't he have recorded it in his journals?"

"Well, normally Slayers live with their Watchers. Giles' journals on the matter, therefore, rely on whatever details Buffy would have noticed or shared."

Buffy's thrashing became more violent and her cries for Giles became more insistent. Wesley foolishly tried to restrain her and was punched for his efforts. With a final thrash she sat up screaming. And looked around a bit embarrassed that she had an audience as she was back to her proper age. She pulled the covers tightly around her and said, "I need clothes. Please tell me someone brought some for me."

"Dawn, could you please get some clothes for your sister from my bag?" Joyce said from her position on the floor.

As Dawn moved to comply, the rest of them filed out to give Buffy some privacy.

"Good to have you back, Buffster," Xander said with a grin as he closed the door behind them.

Buffy dressed in record time and Dawn fetched the others. She wasted no time on pleasantries when they were all assembled.

"I need to get back to Sunnydale. Now. How far are we?" This was directed at Wesley.

"Sweetheart, don't you think you should …"

Joyce's comment was cut off by an impatient Buffy, "Mom, I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine. I had a Slayer dream and Giles was being hurt. Bad. I need to get back there. I won't fail him again."

"We're a little over two hours north of Sunnydale. We stopped to eat and decide where to go."

"Okay. I don't think Giles was totally wrong about getting some of us out of Sunnydale, although he will pay for casting that morphy spell on me. Xander, I want you to take Mom, Dawn, Cordelia and Anya to a safe place."

"But …" he started to object.

"No arguments, Xan. I'm trusting you with two of the most important people in my life and I need to know they will be safe."

"You can count on me, Buffy. We'll …"

"No. Don't tell me where you're going. Giles was right about that. It's the best chance to stay hidden from Glory. I'll get a message to you somehow, when it's safe to return to Sunnydale."

"Buffy?"

"What Anya?"

"You could change the outgoing message on the voicemail for the Magic Box when it's safe. This way we can call and check without being traced."

Buffy paused and then smiled at the ex-demon. "That's a really good idea, Anya. Ok. You guys should get going."

She turned to hug her mother and sister goodbye. "Buffy," Joyce began. At her daughter's determined look she just said, "Be careful and take good care of Rupert."

"Thanks, Mom."

Cordelia hesitated at the door, "Buffy, are you sure you don't need me to come with you?" When Buffy shook her head in the negative, she continued, "He's strong Buffy. And he'll never blame you, no matter what happens."

"I know." She surprised the seer with a hug. "Take care of them, Cordy."

"I will."

When they had gone, she turned to Wesley. "We need to get to Sunnydale."

"Buffy, the Council won't kill him until they have whatever it is they are seeking."

"It's not the Council I saw in my dream, Wes. It was Angel."