Chapter 2

Whoo, I updated, kudos to my...three reviewers! To Gidgetgirl Deluxe a) thanks muchly for your reviews (I assume you and gidgetgirl are the same, or you're at least, like, the super-powered version that can...fly...), and b) I now accept anonymous reviews, so come on down and party all you nameless statistics! Ooh, if anyone wants to beta. It'll probably be like, once a month.

Ok, story time...

'Ok, you can totally do this. You're a strong, independent, magnificent woman. Who happens to have dropped into Bizarro land, where picket fences and farmer's tans are fashionable and you can relate to children. Nonetheless, it could work though, because-OH MY GOD IS THAT A GARDEN GNOME?! Ok, ok, you can't do this. You're weak. Weak, weak, weak! So why don't you just turn on around and go back home to Daddy?'

The young woman in the stopped car glared at her reflection.

'Shut up brain,' she muttered, and stepped out of her convertible, smoothing her hair. She glanced nervously at the amateurish blue paint job on the front door of the red brick house. Approaching it, she plastered a smile on her face.

'Hi, I'm the new nanny, and I..love kids!' she practiced, 'Hello, I'm your new nanny, and I just adore childr-' her rehearsals were cut abruptly short as the door opened just as she reached for the knocker. A small, brunette child stared up in a manner considered rude by all but babies and cats.

'Paedo much?' she drawled, shrugging, before turning back into the house. 'Comin'?'

'Uh...shouldn't I talk to your Daddy first, kiddo?' Faith glared at the stranger. 'Daddy' and 'Kiddo' did not bode well. Filling her lungs with air, she bellowed, 'WES! WOMAN!'. At the sounds of footsteps coming from upstairs, Faith decided her job was done, and went to watch t.v. Wesley rushed down the stairs.

'I'm so sorry, you must be the new nanny, I was just discuss-' Wesley looked up. 'Oh, my, well, I must say I wasn't expecting anyone quite so...accessorised?' 'Attractive?' he thought.

Cordelia fingered the solid-gold hoops in her ears. 'Ooh', she thought, 'English, and...spectacled. Intellectual...pretty really...'

'Uh, hi! I'm Cordy! Well, Cordelia, actually, Cordelia Chase, but you probably know that already, and I'm gonna be your nanny, I mean, if that's what you want, which, by the way I really hope it is, cause I so need the money at the moment and...' She paused for breath.

'Well, Miss Chase, Alexander and Anya both gave you excellent recommendations.' Cordelia looked up. Then the babble-monster attacked again with a vengeance.

'They did? Call me Cordy, by the way. Are you sure, cause this place is pretty upside down, ya know. I mean to be honest, I don't know the first thing about kids. I mean, if there was ever a person you didn't want around your daughter, 'd probably be me, ya know? Like, I was with my little cousin one time, and, well, long story short, she ended up stuck in a trash chute,' Cordelia slowly began to slow down, 'I...had to get her out with a shovel.'

'Cordelia...'

'And olive oil.'

Wesley smiled at her encouragingly, although it was perhaps the smile of someone who was afraid of the consequences if he didn't.

'Well, we'll see how it goes shall we? Would you like to meet Faith?' Cordelia nodded mutely and Wesley led her into the adjacent room where Faith was slumped in front of the television.

'Faith, love, turn off that monosyllabic game-show and come say hello to Cordelia. She's going to be your nanny for now.' Faith remained sitting with the t.v on, but turned towards the nervously smiling woman.

'Hey.'

'Hey Faith.'

'You like ice-cream?'

'Hell-I mean, heck yeah.'

'School?'

'Ick.'

'T.V?'

'Yup.'

Faith paused, and thought hard.

'...squirrels?'

Cordelia suppressed a smile.

'Trust me kiddo, anything to do with the outside world, I'm probably not gonna like.'

Faith turned to her father, her face fixed.

'She can stay.'