Consequences

Chapter 3

Giles was sitting in the library. A Large book in front of him. Dawn and Robin were sleeping in his office. The rest of the group was sitting around trying to find a way to change them back to there normal self's. So far there wasn't much to go on. There was vague references about the demon in the books he had. They were rumored to be extinct for hundreds of years. Aperrantly the books weren't very accurate. They had been studying for over an hour. Giles looked up when the library door open and Tara entered. Kennedy, who had joined them in there research when they had returned, waved in greeting. It surprised everyone when Tara and Kennedy became friends of sorts. Tara smiled at everyone and then looked at the table groaning loudly when she saw the books on the table.

"What's the new big bad." She sad sitting down heavily. "And do I need to be involved i'm tired."

"It's already dead." Said Buffy never looking up from her book. "But it turned Dawn and Robin into five year olds before it died." Tara's eye's widened.

"It was a Pedohoro?" Giles looked up in surprise as well as everyone else.

"What do you do you know about them?" Giles asked. "And how?"

"Um well when I was younger I did allot of research on demons. I wanted to find out what I was. What my family told me I was. obviously I never found it. I usually just skimmed through they books looking for demons that appear to be human until they reach a certain age. But the Pedohoro intrigued me. Anyway I guess you know the basics. The nails have venom in them which turns it's victims into five year olds. The exact age that the victims get turned to depends on the date they get changed and there birthdays." Everyone was looking at her. Tara was surprised she wasn't stammering. "Like Robins Birthday is in a month so right now he's five and 11 months old almost six. And Dawns birthday was just last month she five and one month." She looked at them all and shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay how do you change them back." Asked Buffy.

Tara took a deep breath." You don't, there is no antidote. And no magical way to reverse it. Right now they are there five year old self's. They won't remember anything past the age of five and how ever many months old they are. There's nothing you can do. There going to have to relive there lives. There child hoods everything. I'm sorry." Buffy sighed and then banged her head on the table. Giles got up and walked over to the window a book in his hands. Everyone was silent not really sure what to do. Willow got up and started to putting away the books that had gathered on the desk. Tara looked around. Noticing that a face was missing from the research group.

"Where's Faith?"

"Don't even get me started on Faith." Snapped Willow. "She thinks she can run this school, and then she just takes of without telling anyone. She was supposed to be with Dawn." Tara looked around the group, Giles was cleaning his classes, Buffy was banging her head lightly on the table while the others put away the books.

"What do you mean?" She looked at Xander. "She left?"

"Yeah her bikes gone, as well as most of her clothes she must have left yesterday after her fight with Willow." Said Buffy. Her head still down. Tara stood fast knocking her chair over in the process

"Your kidding right?" Giles looked at her slightly surprised. Tara sounded angry but not at the fact that Faith left, she seemed angry at Buffy and the rest of them. When no one answered she hurried to the door throwing on her coat.

"Tara what's wrong." Asked Xander.

"First of Faith doesn't have much cloth's she likes to travel light. If she were to take of she would take everything. Let me guess all her leather was gone, which has to be dry cleaned are hand washed" She was facing them all her eye's narrowed. "And Faith's bike, her transmission's shot are something, remember that girl Hattie who got suspended for taking it out a weak ago. Faiths great with fixing motors but she couldn't fix this, she had to take it in yesterday. She asked me to pick her up but I had to go out of town." The group looked at each other, remembering know that Faith had mentioned getting her bike fixed. "So that means, Faith was with Dawn and Robin, which means she's know a five year old little girl outside in the cold rain scared to death, and I'm going to find her..." Giles interrupted

"Don't bother I found her." Giles was looking out the window and everyone rushed to see what he was looking at. The window was on the bottom floor in the front of the building, facing a busy street. Outside wet and shivering looking around desperately, was a small girl with dark curly brown hair and brown eyes. Her clothes were to big and old. Giles sighed and started towards the door.

"I'll get her something warm to wear." Tara said heading out he door behind Giles while Buffy followed. Giles walked through the lobby Buffy close behind him.

Faith didn't know how long she had been walking. She remembered thinking she should go back to the shed when it started to rain again. But figured she should find home, or at least something to eat instead. Now there were allot of tall buildings around her, none of which looked like the one she lived next to. She started looking around for a dumpster that might have some edible food in it. She hadn't eaten in awhile. Two day's she thought. But there wasn't any restaurants around that she could see, and usually offices like these didn't have that much food in there dumpsters. But know the gnawing in her stomach was getting unbearable. She stopped and looked around. Searching for the nearest dumpster. She had just spotted one when someone called her name. When she turned the older man from the shed was walking towards her. It took her a couple of seconds to see the blond lady he had called Buffy following close behind him. She stumbled back in an attempt to get away from her. And slipped in a large puddle falling on her back. She didn't know why the Buffy lady wanted to hurt her she just knew that she had to get away. She started to scramble back wards. The man stopped seeing the fear.

Giles wasn't sure why Faith was so afraid at first. But he became aware of the fact that Faith wasn't looking at him but over his shoulder. He looked behind him and saw Buffy stopped a few feet behind him. ' Why would she be afraid of Buffy.' he racked his brain quickly turning back to Faith. Who was frozen in fear on the wet cement pavement. Realization hit him within a few seconds. She must have been in that shed, she must of heard what Buffy had said. Hell he would be afraid, he couldn't imagine the fear coursing through the little girl right know. Faith started to get to her feet when Buffy started moving again.

"Buffy." His voice was calm and quit even though he felt like screaming. "I think you should go inside."

"What? Giles..."

"Buffy, I believe that Faith was in that shed." Buffy paled, then nodded and went back to the building as fast as she could hoping to repair some of the damage she had done. Giles bent down were he was resting on his knees. Faith had managed to get to her feet and looked like she was getting ready to run. But seemed to relax when

Buffy left.

"Hey there Faith." Faith just stared at him. "My name's Rupert Giles, you can call me Giles if you want." Still nothing. "You look cold would you like to come in and get warm. I'm not going to hurt you I just want to help you. Can you let me help you." Faith looked around contemplating her options. "Are you hungry Faith." Faiths head snapped back to him and she nodded fast. "Alright I can get you some food and dried of maybe get you some dry clothes. Then maybe you could sleep for awhile, does that sound okay." Faith looked toward the building that Buffy had gone back into. "You don't have to be afraid of Buffy, She's not mad at you. It was someone else alright, and she's not mad at that person anymore." Faith seemed to relax even more at that. "Would you like to go inside know." Faith nodded.

Giles stood and moved to the side to let Faith walk past him. She surprised him when she walked up to him and stood in front of him. She looked up shyly then held her hand up to him indicating she wanted to be carried. Giles smiled and lifted her up into his arms. Faith laid her head on his should and huddled against him getting a sense of safety from the man that she couldn't really explain. Giles walked back towards the building. Faith resting in his arms. He entered the lobby, and then headed towards the library, that nobody had left from. Faith seemed to be happy ignoring all of them especially Buffy. Giles went to put her down on the table but Faith refused to let go of him. Tara came in with the smallest sweatshirt that she could find that they hadn't put on Dawn or Robin. As well as some towels and a pair of socks. Faith stared at her over Giles shoulder. Tara smiled at her and Faith seemed to relax again.

"Hey there, Faith." She said. Faith remained quit. "Can you let Mr. Giles put you down sweat heart, I wanna get you into some warm clothes so you don't get sick." Faith

nodded and Giles set her down on the table Tara handed him a towel and gave one to Buffy as well then she moved forward stopping in front of Faith. Putting the clothes down beside her.

"Kennedy could you go get something for Faith to eat. Maybe some waffles, might as well make some for the other two as well." Said Giles will drying his hair. She nodded and left the room.

"Okay now Faith lift up your arms and lets get that icky wet shirt of." Faith hesitates for a second then lifts up her arms. Never looking away from Tara. she pulls Faiths shirt of. Everyone in the room gasps in surprise our horror some in both. Giles and Tara who were in front of her saw a stomach that was slightly caved in, ribs poking out and very thin arms. The back which Xander, Willow and Buffy could see was scared and cut with welts littering here and there. Faith didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. She just continued to stare at Tara. Xander stands fast heading for the door.

"I'll get the first aid kit." He murmured as he left.

"I need to get started on altering there papers, um who's going to look after Faith." Willow asked standing as well. She had already decided to make Robin her adoptive son and Buffy was to take custody of Dawn.

"I will." Said Tara peering over Faiths shoulder taking a sharp breath as she sees the damage. Willow nods and exits the room as well. Buffy just stares at Faith. Cursing herself for never realizing what Faith had gone through.

Tara wrapped the towel around Faith well taking of the rest of her cloths trying to keep her physical reactions under control as more brooses are revealed on her legs. Xander came back with the first aid kit and Giles lifted Faith up so her back was revealed to Tara. Pulling the towel down Tara cleanse Faith cuts and puts bandages on the bigger ones. Giles holds the child close to him wishing he could take away some of her pain. When Tara nods to him he sets Faith back on the table.

"Hands up again Faith." She smiled as Faith complied. The sweatshirt was way to big. It looked more like a dress. Tara rolled up her sleeves and then put on her socks. Kennedy entered caring three plates of waffles putting them down on the table. Faith stares at one of the plates with desperation in her eyes. Tara sets her on the ground and pulls out one of the chairs in front of a plate. Faith climbs into it. Tara pulls the plate closer grabbing a knife and fork cutting the waffle up quickly for her. Handing Faith the fork and watching as Faith starts stuffing the pieces of waffle into her mouth chewing fast not even waiting to swallow all of it before going for more.

"Hey there sweetheart." Tara chuckles lightly sitting down next to her as Dawn and Robin enter. Xander had gone into wake them for some breakfast. "If you don't slow down your going to choke are get sick." Faith looks up at her then looks back at her plate swallowing her food she sets her fork down putting her hands on her lap and staring at them. "Hey, It's okay. I'm not mad. I just want you to slow down a little okay. Go ahead eat away." Faith looks back up and hesitantly goes for her fork again. Taking smaller bites and actually taking time to swallow her food this time.

"Buffy" Said Dawn from her seat. Buffy looked over into the very confused blue eyes. "Where's mommy and Daddy."