Author's Note: Who'd have thunk it? People like the story. Let's see if you still like it after this chapter, huh? Anyways, thanks for the reviews. I love 'em.

To a simple observer, the scene at the doorstep seems the most normal of things. What's so strange about a family greeting the new neighbors?

Nothing, of course.

To a more perceptive observer, the scene at the doorstep still seems completely normal. The single mother has much to do and it would do the little brunette girl good to have a friend in the new environment. Nothing strange about that, is there?

No, of course not.

But the scene at the doorstep isn't quite that normal. I suppose you have to be there to notice.

Joyce, for example, immediately notices the youth of Faith's mother. Why, she couldn't be any older that twenty-five, surely.

But most of all, it's an underlying feeling of unease that causes the Summers' to think that the current situation they're in, isn't normal at all.

Buffy, however, is the most confused. The mean woman looks as if she walked straight out one of the movies she wasn't allowed to watch. The way Frankie looks at Buffy is similar to the way Buffy looks at her broccoli. The little blonde checked, but she simply can not find her resemblance with the unappetizing vegetable.

Truthfully, the seven-year old understands none of it.

Yet, even though she is confused and frightened, she does not hesitate to offer her hand to her appointed playmate.

The small brunette has many physical similarities with her mother but has not even a hint of cruelty on her wide-eyed expression.

To Buffy, she seems just as scared and confused as herself. And it takes her no time at all to decide that she, Buffy Summers, will guide this poor lost little girl through her world. They will write books about her self-proclaimed heroics, she told herself.

It isn't her hopes for fame that leads her to want to help the newcomer though. In the first place, it's simply because Buffy has a kind and generous heart. She knew from the first glance that she would like Faith.

So there was no time to be wasted.

Faith, however, doesn't seem to understand Buffy's intention. She stares at the small outstretched hand and then looks upon Buffy as if she has completely lost her mind.

The introvert brunette then seems to understand. She stretches out her own hand and...

shakes Buffy's.

Well... I suppose that's very polite of her, but it isn't quite what Buffy had in mind.

"No, silly!" She gently chides.

This time, Buffy simply takes hold of the other girls hand pulls.

As Hank and Joyce attempt to receive more information from Frankie, like when Faith was expected home, the little blonde practically draggs Faith next door.

"I'm not silly." Faith huffs. "What're you doing?"

Buffy rolls her eyes, unknowingly starting a routine between the two.

"What do you think I'm doing?" She lifts their entwined hands in front of them.

The brunette cocks an eyebrow, which works surprisingly well for a six-year old.

"I think you're kidnapping me." She mumbles.

Oh. Our shy little Faith seems to have a feisty streak. Buffy giggles.

"Hasn't anyone held your hand before?" she asks.

Faith seems to have to think about that. She bites her lip as she tries to recall when her hand was last held. After a minute, she gives up and shrugs.

"Only you."

That's not right, at all. What kind of upbringing doesn't involve occasional hand holding?

Buffy also seems to be shocked by the revelation and would like to do nothing less than hug the unfortunate girl in front of her. But then again, if little Faith was surprised by Buffy holding her hand, what reaction would a hug bring? No, perhaps it would be best if Buffy slowly eased her into these things.

"Well it isn't that hard, is it?" she smiles at Faith.

The brunette looks at their entwined hands studiously.

"I guess not."

And that's how Hank and Joyce find the two girls.

Holding hands on their doorstep, as if they had been best friends forever.