Appreciation.

Chapter 4

Faith had finished her meal. She was sitting still watching the goings on around her. Wondering if this new home and life would be better than her old one. The kind eyed women had said she was her new mommy. Faith thought she was to nice to be a mommy. She really didn't understand what was going on. She was warm, and dry, and full. For now that was enough. She new now that her mama was dead. And she was somewhat relieved. She loved her mama but, she was mean sometimes. Even when Faith was a good girl. She tried so hard to be a good girl. She felt guilty. It wasn't her mama's fault, Faith was just a bad girl, just like her pa was bad. Now she was tired though her eyes drooping she was trying to stay awake. She didn't want to let her guard down. This place these people were to good to be true.

Tara noticed almost immediately when Faith's eye's started to drop. Tara was surprised that Faith had been so quit. The Faith she knew was loud, and strong minded. But then again Faith was so young now. She was scared and fragile. Tara smiled at Faith who's head snapped back up after she realized it had droped. Tara rain her hands through Faiths hair lovingly, and Faith looked up at her with tired eye's. It was then that Tara realized how tired she was. All the commotion going on had momentarily made her forget.

"Tired sweetheart." Faith nodded. "Okay come her." Holding her arms out Faith reached up to her and Tara picked her up heading back out of the library. "I'm taking Faith to my room so she can get some sleep." She whispered to the others due to Faith already being asleep on her shoulder. They nodded, Giles staring after them as they left.

Giles shook his head. He had no idea what was going on with him lately. But every time Tara entered a room he couldn't help but stare, for to long to be appropriate. She was a beautiful women, he tried to reason, he would have to be blind not to notice that. When he had first met Tara Maclay he did appreciate her unique beauty. But wasn't really attracted to her. She was to timid for his taste. At least that's what he had though. But as her confidence grew he found himself finding more thing's to admire. Not just her looks, which there was more than enough to admire, but her strength, her kindness, and her forgiving spirit was drawing him in like a mouth to a flame. He shook his head again. 'Bloody hell Rupert get a hold of yourself, she's gay!" He found himself reminding himself of that fact everyday. Her turned to the remaining occupants in the room. Buffy had managed to calm Dawn down, while Kennedy held Robin in her arms after coaxing him out from under the table. He cleared his throat and they all looked at him.

"I suggest we get things orginized. the children need clothes and we need to find a space for them." They nodded there agreements, going to get the cloths the children were in early that were now dry for there outing.

With in a half hour Xander and Andrew were at the furniture store, Kennedy and Buffy were heading to the local K-mart for some clothes they figured Faith was a size smaller than Dawn was so they would get her some things as well. Willow was still working on there records and Tara was asleep with Faith wrapped protectively in her arms. Giles had the daunting task of getting the students that were in the rooms next to each of the children's respective guardians to move rooms. Now they were putting up a fight. But one of Giles stern glares had sent them into action. They were given a new room assignment. And were gathering there things as fast as they could.

Tara woke up, her eye's heavy with sleep. peering at the clock next to her bed. 2:00 PM flashed in bright red letter. Five hours. She had slept for five hours. She rolled her neck and peered down at Faith. Who was still sleeping peacefully. Tara climbed out of bed careful not to disturb the child. Walking out into the hall she saw Giles going into the room next to hers with a teddy bear, a doll, and a hand full of what looked like hot wheels. Curious she peered into the room. And gasped in surprise. The room which was previously occupied by a fifteen year old girl now looked like a five year olds heaven. in one corner was a small bed with a greenish colored comforter and some green covered pillows. Across from that was a hot wheels track the cars already by it. There were Barbie's in a basket at the end of the bed and three dolls adorned a small wooden chair that was up against the wall by the track. There was a white dresser under the window and the top had a few pictures none of Faith, Robin, our Dawn as there older selves. There was one of Tara with Buffy, and Xander. Another of Giles, and Tara. And then one of just Tara. The frame Said worlds greatest mommy in bright red on the bottom. She let out a laugh at that. Giles looked up at Tara, and blushed slightly. He was in the process of putting the teddy bear on the bed. She smiled at him which to her surprise made him blush more.

"Um I wasn't sure if she liked dolls. She seamed more of a tomboy so." He shrugged bending down to pull a large plastic container giving Tara a nice view. She looked unashamedly. He pull out a baseball clove. Tara peered into the container seeing a variety of sports gear, even rugby. she looked up at him slightly surprised. "But," he continued, "even tomboys need to be girls sometimes." With that he pointed towards the dolls and Barbie's. Tara nodded in understanding.

"Did you do all this yourself?" She asked, he nodded. "Wow Giles thank you. She's going to love it. But you didn't have to do this." He smiled looking down at her.

"Well Buffy and Xander were taking care of Dawn's room. And Kennedy and Willow are putting together quote 'the perfect little boys room' unquote." She laughed as he raised his hands and mad quotes with his fingers. "And you and Faith looked so peaceful, so." He shrugged and then took in a sharp breath when Tara threw her arms around him giving him a tight hug. Giles nearly groaned when he felt her curvaceous body press up against his. He forced it down and wrapped his arms around her giving her a quick squeeze that lasted longer than he had planed when her breast pushed into him more. forcing himself to let got and praying that his face wasn't as red as he thought it was. "Um anyway, she is going to need more clothes. They only got a minimal, not really sure on her size our what she would like for that matter." He shrugged pointing to the closet. She opened it and gasped when she saw a little bike with training wheels and a little helmet on the handle. She looked at him eyes wide as he looked down slightly ashamed of himself.

"Your going to spoil her." He smiled looking at her.

"Went a little overboard at Toy's R Us. But if you think about most kids her age have twice as many toys. I mean I completely forgot about board games do you think she would like Candy Land, or shoots and ladders?" She was smiling at him and his stomach did a little flop.

"Well how about we wait awhile and ask her. I can take her down to the store and let her pick out a few things." Giles nodded.

She wasn't sure when it had started. But her attraction to this older man was undeniable. She wanted him and there was no way around it. She had thought back recently to when she first felt the butterfly's in her stomach, and found that it was when she had first met him roughly. She wasn't romantically interested then, she didn't trust men. But hearing him sing had mad her chest constrict and her throat to go dry. After time seeing his kindness and gentleness towards the rest of the Scooby's who he thought of as children she couldn't help but trust him completely. He would never hurt her. Not physically, and never purposefully emotionally. But she was terrified to tell him. After all to him she was just Tara. Another member of the Scooby gang. Not to mention that she was only interested in women for all he knew. There was now way that he was romantically interested in her. Right? But why then, why was he doing all this for her? No this was for Faith, that made more sense. But then what was with that hug. Sure she had initiated it, but he had deepened it and had held her longer than necessary. And was that a moan she had heard that he had tried to swallow? She shook her head now was not the time to contemplate this

"So I was thinking." She said sitting down on the bed Giles following suit. "you don't have to if you don't want to. But um Faith's going to need a positive male roll model in her life. And it wouldn't hurt for her to have two parents." She looked down. " So I was wondering if it was okay if you could you know be that male roll model I mean you don't have to it would just be nice for her to have someone she could trust completely to call daddy, once she starts talking that is."

To say that Giles was shocked was an understatement. Of course he would love to be a father. And to help out this beautiful women in such an intimate way, not to mention he absolutely adored Faith, even before she was turned into a child. He smiled at her as she continued to talk. Explaining again that he didn't have to if he didn't wont to stammering slightly. 'She's nervous.' He thought to himself. He continued to stare at her as she ended her rant and looked hopefully at him .

"I would be honored." She smiled a real smile which was a rarity for her. And threw herself at him giving him another hug, he had to stop himself from pulling her in closer. 'She's Gay. She's Gay. and your old enough to be her father.' He repeated in his head for times before Tara let go blushing slightly.

There was a cry from Tara's room were she had left Faith. Tara sat up and rushed towards her new daughter Giles a step behind him. Upon entering they saw Faith huddled in a corner a the room tears trailing down her cheek. Eye's shut tight. Tara approached cautiously sitting down in front of Faith. Who was rocking back and forth and shaking slightly. 'She must have had a bad dream.' Thought Tara. She thought quickly of how to best approach the situation. Touching her when she least expected it was defiantly not a good idea. But would suddenly speaking be any better. Tara took a deep breath. 'only one way to find out she thought.

"Faith." She said in the calmest voice she could muster. Faith's eye's shot open and when her brown eye's met Tara's blue Faith flung herself into Tara's arms. Sobbing in relief.

"I thought you wasn't real." Faith whispered against Tara's shoulder which she know rested her head on.

"Oh honey I am real, Okay. You don't have to worry about that. And I'm going to take care of you." Giles came over and sat beside Tara. "Were both going to take very good care of you." Faith looked at Giles and smiled at him snuggling deeper into Tara's embrace. Then reaching out her hand towards him. Giles grasped it and rain his other hand down Faith's back trying t comfort there scared child. He wasn't entirely sure how long the stayed like that. But Tara was the way that broke the reverie by peering at the clock. "Hey you must be hungry? Why don't we get you a small late lunch so you'll eat dinner tonight." Faith looked up and nodded enthusiastically. Then laughed along with Tara when they heard Giles stomach growl at the mention of food.

"What, I didn't get lunch either." He defended as they made there way down to the kitchen.

They encountered allot of stares from the slayers. By now they all knew what had happened and were very curious to see a five year old Faith. Who looked shyly down at the ground. Hiding behind one of Giles legs as they made there way the Slayer central. Tara made each of them a bowel of fruit salad to hold them over until dinner latter that night. After wards Giles had told Faith about her room. She wasn't sure whether are not she should have her own room at first saying she could sleep on the floor were Tara slept. But Giles had insisted that she deserved a room and the had already put everything together. Faith had agreed in the end to at least look in the room. When Faith entered the room she had insisted that there was a mistake. That this pretty room wasn't hers. Giles had looked towards Tara for some guidance. Tara picked Faith up looking Faith in the eyes and smiled.

"This room is for you sweetie, everything in the room is yours. And I can prove it." She walked out of the room closing the door slightly to reveal a wood en sign that read

Faiths Room on it. "Can you read that." Faith shook her head. "Well it say's Faith's, that's you." She tickled Faith slightly who giggled. "Room. So that means...?"

"It's my room." Faith said in a hushed tone like it was the world biggest treasure.

Tara smiled and nodded. Putting Faith down who ran back into her room looking around in wonder. Rushing towards the bed first and climbing onto to bouncing slightly smiling. Giles smiled as he pulled out all her new sports equipment. Her eyes grew wide. She went for the soccer ball holding it out in front of her examining it carefully. Giles gleeful showed her the rest of her belongings she studied each thing admiration. Holding them and putting them back into there place when she was done. moving on to the next thing. Tara watched as amazement and happiness danced in the Faiths young eye's. When they came across the bike it overwhelmed Faith. She broke down. Sobbing not really sure why she was crying. She lifted her arms up to Giles who immediately picked her up comforting looking at Tara for some kind of explanation. Tara just smiled and walked over to him kissing him on the cheek trying to get him to relax.

"She's just a little overwhelmed. She'll be okay." He smiled at nodded, hugging Faith tighter to him.