Authors Note: I wrote this during a blackout. Obviously my muse blacked out too because I just can't seem to get this part right. I'm posting it anyway or this fic will end up dying. Not that you needed to know that but what can I say, I'm chatty. Anyway thanks to everyone who read and reviewed last chapter!

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"Oh this is darling!" Joyce Summers grabbed a tiny shirt off the rack, smiling admiringly at the design on the front. Despite the gang's best efforts the night before, Ethan Rayne hadn't been found. The Scoobies had started searching for a way to find him or reverse the spell, and Joyce had taken on the task of preparing the mini slayers for what could be extended stay.

"Nice," Buffy commented, then turned back to staring longingly at the adult shoe section just across from where they we're standing. "You know while we're here maybe we could shop for normal sized Buffy too," she suggested hopefully.

"Maybe next time sweetie," Joyce said absently, giving her daughter a light pat on the head before grabbing another shirt from the overcrowded rack. "This would be perfect for Faith." She looked up and frowned. The brunette in question was nowhere to be seen. "Faith?"

A small head popped out from behind a pillar. "Yea?"

"Honey please stay where I can see you." Faith just scowled at Mrs. Summers and disappeared from sight. Joyce let out a weary sigh and turned to her daughter, her eyes imploring.

"I'll get her," Buffy volunteered before her mother could ask. Faith was not thrilled about her second childhood and right now, Buffy couldn't blame her. Peeking around the pillar the blonde desperately tried to repress a smirk. "Faith?"

"What?" the brunette slayer snapped, folding her arms self consciously across her shirt. Buffy's childhood clothing hadn't made it in her move to Sunnydale, and the next alternative had been Willow's old clothes, which were best described as miniature versions of what she wore now. Buffy had gotten off easily, with a plain pair of jeans and a baby blue shirt with a bright flower on the front. Faith however, wasn't so lucky. The fabric of her shirt was bright pink, and stitched to the front was a fuzzy cloth lamb sniffing an equally fuzzy piglet. It came with a matching skirt, which had baby farm animals dancing around the hem.

"Mom wants you to lurk where she can see you," Buffy said.

Faith narrowed her eyes. "Tell your mother I'm fine right here B." Her voice was soft and threatening, and any other day it would have made the blonde slayer back off. But today Faith was just overthree feet tall, and, well, adorable.

"Can't do that," Buffy said as she grabbed her fellow slayers arm, dragging the reluctant girl around the corner.

"Let go," The brunette snarled as she tried to squirm free.

Buffy rolled her eyes. This was ridiculous. "No!" She gave the other slayers arm an extra hard tug, which sent her sprawling. Faith scrambled to her feet, giving the blonde a retaliatory shove which sent her stumbling back a few steps. "Oh you did not just do that," Buffy growled as she clenched her fists, starting towards the other girl.

"Fraid I did B," Faith said, adopting a defensive pose as her counterpart approached.

"Girls!"

Buffy and Faith froze, eyes moving as one to look up at the irate woman who was striding towards them.

"That's it," Joyce bent down and scooped Buffy up and grabbed Faith's hand, marching them briskly towards the exit.

"Where are we going?" Buffy asked as she shifted nervously in her mothers grip.

"Home."

"What about clothes?" Faith looked stricken.

"I'm sure Willow's old things will be just fine," Joyce said icily.

"Mom wait," Buffy implored as she wrapped her tiny arms around her mothers neck, letting her head drop to her shoulder. "We're sorry."

Joyce faltered as she stared down at her daughter. Buffy looked up at her, eyes wide and lip jutting out just a tiny bit. It was a look Buffy had spent years perfecting and it worked every time. "Okay." Joyce sighed and turned around, heading back into the department store. "But I can't watch you while I'm shopping."

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Faith stood stock still, fists clenched at her sides and eyes downcast as other children frolicked around her. She was in a ball pit. Mrs. Summers had deposited her and Buffy at the small childcare center in the middle of the mall with promises she'd be back in an hour to pick them up. It had only been ten minutes and Faith was already wishing she was somewhere else. Like a bar, or a graveyard or even her dingy motel room. Anywhere that wasn't a ball pit.

"I haven't been in one of these in years," Buffy twirled around with her arms outstretched, grinning as brightly colored balls scattered everywhere. Her smile faded when she turned back to face Faith, who was looking at her with an expression of annoyance and disbelief. "What?"

"You're really gettin into this B."

"Well yeah," the young blonde dropped her arms and began to toy with one of the plastic balls. "I mean we're getting to relive our childhoods, people would pay…" she trailed off. Faith had dropped her eyes again and her tense body language conveyed a very clear message. Reliving her childhood was not the brunette's idea of a good time. Faith rarely talked about her past, but from what she had mentioned it wasn't a stretch for Buffy to imagine that her fellow slayer's childhood hadn't been ideal. "Faith…" Buffy began. "We're stuck like this. So we can spend the whole time fighting with each other and brooding, or we could enjoy it. Do things we loved to do…" she winced as Faith clenched her fists tighter. "Or things that we didn't get to do." She added carefully.

Faith raised her head slowly, her pain filled brown eyes meeting soft green ones. There was a moment of tense silence as the slayers stared at each other then Faith looked away. "Whatever," she muttered as she turned around, beginning to wade to the edge of the ball pit.

Buffy narrowed her eyes. She wasn't giving up that easily. Faith was all about finding the fun and right now, she needed a little guidance. Hefting the ball she had been playing with the blonde drew back her arm, took aim, and threw. It ricocheted of the brunette slayers head.

Faith froze. Slowly she turned to face Buffy again. The blonde stared back at her wide eyed, feigning innocent confusion. Faith hesitated for a moment then rolled her eyes, turning away again. Almost immediately she felt another ball bounce off her back. Whirling around, she smirked. Buffy was poised mid throw, still as a statue. Reaching down the brunette slayer scooped up a few of the vibrant spheres, unable to hold back a mischievous grin as she advanced towards the other slayer. "Oh it's on Tinkerbell."

"Tinkerbell?" Buffy only had a moment to look offended before she was pelted repeatedly by Faith. Letting out a little scream she threw the ball she was holding and scrambled for cover.

Faith laughed as she scrambled after her target. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

To be Continued...?

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