A/N: If this gets confusing I'm sorry. Also there is a little reference to abuse of a minor in here so this is a little warning, it's not too graphic or anything just sort of refers to it.

"Mom are you sure you want to do this?" Buffy asked her mother for the hundredth time that day.

"I'm sure," Joyce replied placing her hand on her daughter's knee as the two sat together on the couch waiting.

"But are you really sure have you really thought about what this is going to mean?" Buffy asked her.

"Buffy I thought we talked about this and you were ok with it. I know what she put you through and I know how hard this is going to be for you, but that poor girl was drowning and she needs us to save her because she's got no one else," Joyce replied.

Buffy sighed, "I know."

"I know you do, you always do the right thing and that's why I'm so proud of you." Joyce said.

Buffy's thoughts were a mess. She was apprehensive that is for sure and she was angry, but she felt this overwhelming desire to make things right.

The two Summers women sat in their living room in silence until a knocking at the door broke the two from their thoughts.

"You ready?" Joyce asked Buffy standing up and turning towards where her daughter hadn't moved from the couch.

Sighing Buffy nodded and took the hand her mother had outstretched. Reaching the door both women took deep breathes before Joyce opened it to reveal Angel standing there in his signature black coat.

"Joyce, Buffy," he said nodding at them both.

"Angel, it's lovely to see you again," Joyce said while Buffy stood there looking at him.

"You too Joyce you look well," Angel replied.

"Is she here?" Buffy asked him cutting through the pleasantries.

"Yeah she's here," Angel said, "Faith do you want to say hi to Buffy and Joyce?"

A dark head of hair appeared from behind Angel but before Buffy or Joyce could get a look at the face, the girl who Buffy guessed would be no more then four years wrapped her arms around Angel's leg and buried her face into Angel's leg.

Joyce bent down in front of the child, "Faith honey, its ok we're not going to hurt you," she said placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. She frowned when she felt the child's muscles tense under her touch. When Faith didn't turn around Joyce sighed and stood back up motioning for her daughter to give it a try.

Buffy knelt down in front of the young girl amazed that this could be the same Faith she had known. The Council had told them of their plans for rehabilitation. They had discovered that all of Faith's issues stemmed from the abuse and treatment she received as a child and had therefore theorized that by re-doing her childhood would allow her to grow up a more stable person. Essentially the Faith she had been before wouldn't exist anymore, the life that that Faith lived anyway.

"Faith, hey Faithy it's me Buffy do you remember me?" she asked smiling a little to herself when she saw the young girl nod.

"Do you remember what you used to call me?" she asked.

"B," was the whispered reply and Buffy wasn't sure that without her Slayer hearing if she would have heard it.

"That's right; do you want to turn around so I can get a better look at you?" Buffy asked her but was disappointed when Faith shook her head once again.

"How about something to eat I'm sure you're really hungry after coming all the way from England," Buffy tried again.

She was rewarded when Faith slowly unwrapped herself from around Angel's leg and turned to face them. The child in front of her was an exact replica of Faith with the same long brown hair and chocolate brown eyes, her face still had that big of puppy fat that most toddlers had. Buffy reached out and tucked some of Faith's hair that had slipped in front of her face and smiled when the girl looked at her with those big brown eyes.

"How about something to eat would you like that?" she asked again stretching out her hand for the smaller girl to take. Faith looked up at Angel with large eyes silently asking him if it was ok to go with Buffy, he smiled and nodded to her and she reluctantly took Buffy's outstretched hand.

"How about some cookies would you like some of those?" Buffy asked as the two walked through the front door.

"Buffy not too much junk," Joyce called in after her.

The two girls walked into the Summer's kitchen and Buffy let go of Faith's hand to begin searching through cupboards to find what she was looking for.

"I was positive we had cookies around her someplace," she muttered to herself.

"Not 'sposed to have cookies," she heard spoken softly behind her.

"What was that sweetie?" Buffy asked Faith turning around to face the small girl.

"Ma says I'm only allowed to have cookies if I'm a good girl and I'm never a good girl," Faith replied looking at her with sad brown eyes.

"Well I think you've been a pretty good girl so far don't you think so maybe we can have cookies," Buffy said smiling softly at her as Faith nodded with wide excited eyes.

Coming back into the living room cookies in hand they were greeted with Joyce, Angel and Giles who had joined them while the girls had been in the kitchen. Upon seeing Giles Faith quickly glued herself to Buffy's side grasping her hand tightly.

When Giles spotted the girls he smiled and walked closer towards them. As he bent down in front of her Faith buried her face in Buffy's side and Buffy could actually feel her trembling against her.

"Faith its ok it's just Giles," she said trying to pry herself away.

"She won't remember him. The Council chose only to have her recognise Buffy, myself and Joyce," Angel piped up.

"Faith it's ok I swear Giles wouldn't hurt you," Buffy tried again.

"That's right Faith I would never hurt you," Giles said trying to coax the child from her hiding spot.

As soon as he touched her though Faith freaked and tried to climb her way up Buffy's body trying to escape Giles' touch. As soon as Buffy picked her up Faith hid her face from view in the crook of Buffy's neck and Buffy could feel the other girl's heart racing as trembles ran up and down her spine. Frowning at Giles Buffy took Faith and sat down with her on the couch. The three adults stood watching with worried looks on their faces as Buffy tried to sooth the young girl.

"Faith, it's ok, he won't hurt you, I won't let anyone hurt you ok," Buffy said quietly to her.

"I don't want to," came the mumbled reply into Buffy's neck.

"You don't want to what sweetheart," Joyce asked her but got no reply other then Faith shaking her head.

"Can you guys maybe give us a minute?" Buffy asked looking at the three standing in front of her. They nodded and left the room silently.

"Faith, what don't you want to do?" Buffy asked softly stroking her hands through the child's long dark hair.

Faith sat back and Buffy found herself looking into the most serious brown eyes. With one small hand on each of Buffy's shoulders to balance herself the child took a big breath.

"I don't wanna let your Ma's boyfriend touch me," she said quietly casting her eyes downwards.

Buffy actually felt a little sick when she heard Faith say that. Giles had explained that the child would have retained all of her memories up until the age of four, but for someone to do such a thing to a child this young Buffy had to stop tears from falling at the thought of it.

"Is that what your Mom's boyfriends do to you?" Buffy asked her tipping her chin upwards so they were looking at each other again.

Faith nodded and Buffy couldn't help it when a few tears escaped and started to run down her cheeks. Faith little a small hand and gently wiped away the tears. Buffy smiled at her using her hands to brush away a few unruly curls.

"I promise you I will let nobody hurt you ever again," she said. She surprised herself with how quickly the thought of protecting Faith had become her main priorities. Hours early she had actually been regretting saying yes to taking Faith in but now as she looked at the child all she wanted to do was give her a better life. Watching Faith stifle a yawn Buffy smiled again. She knew the part that she played in Faith's original downfall and she was determined now to fix the mistakes of the past.

"What do you say we go and see what the others are doing?" she asked lifting Faith up as she stood and placing her on her hip.

"Oh and Giles isn't my mom's boyfriend, but he is kinda like my dad. But you gotta know that he would never ever hurt you okay, he's really just like this tweed covered British teddy bear," Buffy said and Faith giggled as they walked into the kitchen where the adults were.

"What's so funny?" Joyce asked the pair.

"B says Giles is a skittish teddy bear," Faith said.

"Or something like that," Buffy replied smiling.

"So how does this whole thing work?" Buffy asked.

"Well I have the papers here for Joyce to legally adopt Faith, the Council has agreed to pay a sort of child support if you will to cover any extra costs you might have," Giles said reaching into his jacket pockets to produce the papers which Joyce took to read over.

"What do you think Faith do you want to stay and live here with Buffy and Joyce?" Angel asked looking at Faith where she was still in Buffy's arms her head now resting on Buffy's shoulder.

"Yeah Faithy do you want to come and live with us?" Buffy asked her and smiled when she felt Faith nodding as she snuggled deeper into Buffy's hold.

"Then it's all set, "Joyce said as she signed the bottom of the page.

"Right well I will send these off tomorrow morning. Angel how long will you be in town?" Giles asked gathering up his things.

"I only came to get her settled and then I'm back to LA," Angel replied.

"You're welcome to stay for awhile Angel, I'm sure Faith would like it if you did," Joyce said to the vampire.

"I think it's probably best if I go, she might get too attached then, I think it will be easier on her if I didn't hang around, but thank you for the offer," Angel said smiling warmly at the oldest Summers woman.

"Of course, well Angel if you would like I could give you a lift to wherever you're headed on my way out," Giles said to which Angel nodded in thanks.

"Looks like someone's had a long day," Joyce said standing in front of her daughter who held a now fast asleep Faith in her arms.

"She hasn't slept since we left England, I tried to but she was worried about how Buffy would react when she saw her," Angel said.

"So she knows that we had issues in the past?" Buffy asked.

"She doesn't know why or what happened but because there is a recognition of you in her subconscious she can associate that maybe everything isn't right. But by the looks of things I think you've done a pretty good job at getting her to feel comfortable with you," Angel said to her.

Buffy looked down at the girl in her arms. She wasn't used to seeing Faith look so innocent, but her heart warmed as she felt Faith shift in her arms and tighten her grip around Buffy's neck.

"Yeah, it looks like things are going to be off the good."

A/N: Is it ok so far? Do you guys understand what's happened?