"Don't go getting any ideas," Xander said as he watched his fiancée stare dreamily at the baby he held in his arms.
"But look Xander she's all squishy and fat, I want to make squishy and fat babies with you," Anya said squeezing Faith's cheeks. Faith whined in protest pulling back from the ex demon who was undeterred in her actions holding up each of Faith's hands and examining her fingers.
"I don't think Faith appreciates being called fat and squishy," Dawn commented looking up from the book that sat in her lap. The entire Scooby Gang was congregated in the Summers living room researching the Absentitus demon and possible ways to turn Faith back.
"Well if she didn't eat twenty thousand times a day maybe she wouldn't be," Buffy mumbled from her spot on the couch. Upon feeling all eyes on her the blonde Slayer looked up, "What? She's so little why does she need to eat so much? And why does it have to be in the middle of the night?"
"I believe it comes with the territory of being ten months old," Giles said looking up at the disgruntled baby who was trying to bury herself in Xander's neck to escape Anya's pinching fingers.
"That sounded like baby knowledge Giles, was everything you said last night a lie?" Buffy asked.
"There may have been some time spent researching uh, baby knowledge last night," Giles said his ears reddening in embarrassment.
Buffy's retort was cut off by Faith who had finally had enough of Anya poking and prodding her and gave an indignant cry.
"Oh that was loud, Xander our squishy babies will not be that loud will they?" Anya asked resuming her examination of the infant he held. Faith grunted unhappily and started to squirm in Xander's arms and he struggled to keep a hold on her.
"You can put her down Xander we found out this morning she can crawl on her own," Buffy said as she watched her friend struggle with the irritated baby. Xander did as he was told and plopped the infant on the floor. Faith used her new found freedom to get as far away from Anya as she could and crawled quickly over to the couch where Buffy and Dawn were sitting. Using Buffy's jeans to hold onto the baby pulled herself up and stood unsteadily still holding tightly to Buffy's legs to keep herself upright.
"Hey Faithy," Buffy said earning herself a big smile from the baby standing in front of her. Faith pulled on Buffy's jeans and the blonde Slayer bent forward to lift her up onto the couch placing her in the middle between Dawn and herself. Faith grabbed a hold of Buffy's little finger holding it tightly in her hand and turned to the teenager beside her. Faith babbled happily to Dawn whilst trying to grab onto the book the brunette was reading all the while making sure that she held on tight to Buffy's finger.
"I wonder what she's talking about?" Dawn commented pulling the book out of the baby's grasp.
"Ooh we could do a spell that would let us understand her," Willow said her attention immediately pulled from the book she had been reading.
"No, no spells, there's already enough crazy mystical stuff going on in her body it could do more harm than good," Buffy said squashing the redhead's excitement.
Dawn squealed then pulling the baby onto her lap and holding her to her tightly looking around at the other's in the room with a guilty look on her face.
"Dawn?" Buffy questioned as Faith squirmed against the teen trying to escape.
"What? She's huggable I'm just hugging the huggable baby," Dawn said her voice several octaves higher than usual.
"It's because she's squishy," Anya nodded enthusiastically.
"Nothing, nothing happened," Dawn said quickly trying to keep hold of Faith who had started to cry as she tried to pull herself away.
"Dawn let her go she's not happy," Buffy said.
"And that noise is horrible," Anya said blocking her ears against the crying baby.
"Okay but it's totally not my fault," Dawn said releasing Faith reluctantly.
"What's not your fault?" Buffy asked as she pulled Faith onto her lap using her thumb to wipe away the tears that were falling steadily from the infant's eyes.
"Um that," Dawn said pointing to the ripped page that Faith held tightly in her fist.
"Dear God, that didn't come from my book did it?" Giles said his eyes wide as he looked between the torn page and Dawn who looked back sheepishly.
"It's not my fault I can't be expected to watch her and research I don't have any experience in this," Dawn said shrilly her face reddening when she realised how weak her argument was.
"Unfortunately not her fault either Dawnie, she's just a baby she doesn't know better," Willow told the defensive teen as Giles grabbed the book from her.
"Well welcome to the world of an elder child. I got blamed for so much stuff when you were little, still holding a grudge over the soil in Mom's handbag incident," Buffy scowled.
"Oh thank God," Giles sighed in relief as he took a closer look at the ruined book.
"What?" Xander asked smirking at the ex Watcher.
"Dawn, do you realise you had been researching from a history text book," Giles asked.
"Oh, well it made just as much sense as one of your old stuffy demon books," Dawn retorted visibly relieved that she hadn't ruined one of his books.
"A girl after my own heart," Xander smiled at the teen.
"Oh Faith no don't eat that," Buffy cried trying to wrangle the now soggy piece of torn text book from Faith who had been chewing on it, "don't tell me you're hungry again," she said holding the baby out in front of her.
"I-I can f-feed her if y-you want," Tara piped up. Buffy handed the baby over to the blonde witch smiling at her gratefully.
"Giles I'm having a thought that maybe sending Buffy out to you know do a bit of maiming and killing of this demon guy and then her presto adult Faith reappears and we can be done with the boring book reading," Xander said closing his book dramatically.
"That's a distinct possibility, although eliminating the demon could also destroy any chance of turning Faith back. I think we are far better off trying to find the origins of the magic uses to enact it's mission and then go from there," Giles said.
"Giles are you positive that it is magic that Absentitus used?" Willow asked.
"I'm fairly positive. I cannot conceive of any other way that he could achieve these results," Giles replied.
"Well magic leaves a signature or trace behind, maybe Tara and I could find the magical signature and maybe that would help us figure out what magic he used," Willow said.
"It's certainly the best suggestion we've had so far," Giles mused.
"What would it mean for Faith? Would it be dangerous for her?" Buffy asked.
"No, not at all. It is very similar to the trance you yourself performed when you believed a spell was being cast on your mother. Faith would simply have to sit still while Willow and Tara perform their spell," Giles told her.
"And there's your problem," Dawn said, "how do you suggest keeping a ten month old still while there's scary chanting going on around her?"
"Naptime?" Buffy suggested shrugging her shoulders.
"Oh," Dawn said embarrassed again, "really not my day today is it."
"So would you guys be able to do the spell when she has a nap today?" Buffy asked Willow.
"Definitely, we'd just have to get a few supplies but we could do it when we get back," Willow said nodding enthusiastically.
"Excellent," Giles said closing the book in front of him, "I can go with you to open the Magic Box."
All heads turned towards the kitchen as they heard Faith squeal in delight, her laughter echoing out to where they were all sitting. Buffy smiled to herself as she imagined that gummy smile and big brown eyes.
"I think you're g-going to h-have to take h-her shopping for m-more clothes," Tara said coming into the room holding Faith out in front of her. The infant was covered head to toe in what looked to be mushed peas. The mushy green goop was sliding down the side of her face and in her hair and the previously clean white onesie she had been wearing was now stained with green splotches.
"Oh Faithy you're supposed to eat your food not wear it. That's not to say that mushy peas aren't a totally hot fashion accessory but I think they look heaps better in your mouth then on your head," Buffy smirked taking the baby from Tara.
"Yeah, we're going to have to go shopping."