("Author"s notes. Just a short thing. But fuck it, it's just a bit of fun!)

"Not one word B…..not one fuckin' word", Faith snarled. Menace was bathing each syllable but to the slayer's dismay her blonde counterparts smile only grew.

"But….but you look soooooo cute!", gushed Buffy watching her girlfriend's face flush in embarrassment.

"I said….not… one…. word…. B", Faith tried to growl back but her current attire robbed it of any effect.

"But how can I not say something? You're so adorable", Buffy cooed as her eyes took in every facet of Faith's appearance.

"B…..just ….. shit off", Faith grunted crossing her arms over her more than ample chest but all it did was make her look even more like a petulant child as she stood in the pink dress peppered with little flower patterns which her mother had bought for her.

"All you need is a bow in your hair and you'd be a shoe in for the 'Best Dressed' category at any Sunday School picnic or…"

"B….you're really pushin' it", Faith said knitting her brows letting a knuckle crack as her hands dropped to her sides.

"I'm sorry baby but…honestly, how else did you expect me to react seeing you like this…. you're Mom hasn't put a spell on you or something has she? Like to make you some kind of squeaky clean good girl or something?", Buffy said as a sudden hint of worry etched her words for as much as Faith's crude tongue shocked her at times, she wouldn't want her any other way.

"Don't be stupid B…hang on, why did you instantly think 'spell' when it came to my Mom?", Faith said letting her fists slide into an open palm, "You still don't trust her do you?"

"What? I never said that….it's just…..you know….you ….. in this dress…."

"It's the compromise I had to make….for you, B"

"Me?", replied Buffy with a frown.

"Yeah, you"

"What compromise?", Buffy asked seeing the pensive look blemishing her girlfriend's heavenly visage.

"Yeah, Mom wants me to get some 'fancy pants education' or something and she keeps goin' on about it. Now she's Mayor we have to put on some bullshit public display like the 'modern All-American family' or something so she wants me to go to Roebuck Hall", Faith said with a snort of derision in between her liberal use of air quotes.

"Roebuck Hall? Hey, isn't that the private school on the edge of town?"

"Yeah", Faith grunted.

"Hang on", coughed Buffy realising the reason for her girlfriend's discomfort, "Isn't that all ties and blazers and knee socks?"

"Don't remind me B, I looked like a complete twat in that uniform. Man, I don't wanna go to some poncy school and look like a knobend doing it, so Mom said if I did this shit", Faith said motioning to her soft pink dress and wedge sandals, "Then I get to go to Sunnydale High…..with you"

"Awww baby, you mean you did all this…..for me?", asked Buffy as a cute smile flickered across her face.

"Of course for you Buffy", Faith said as her girlfriend cupped her blushing cheeks, "You know what I'd do for you"

"I love you baby", Buffy said kissing her gently, "Hang on…. did you say you've already worn the uniform…. as in you have one?"

"Yeah, Mom kind of jumped the gun and bought the whole outfit", Faith said with a shake of the head, "So I had to negotiate my ass off to get her to drop it"

"Right, right", Buffy said glancing around desperately trying to act casual and failing miserably, "But you still have it… right?"

"B…. what are you…."

"Faith!", Emma called from twenty feet away making the two young lovers snap apart their sweet embrace.

"Oh for …what!?", the slayer called back in petty annoyance.

"Your Mom wants us for a publicity shot"

"Another one?", whined Faith feeling her blush warming her cheeks again.

"Just suck it up and get your ass moving…. you're not the only one suffering here", Emma said adjusting the tie of her new Deputy uniform and shuffling in her itchy pants, "'Gina said it's something to do her campaign or some shit"

"Fucks sake", muttered Faith as she slipped her clammy hand into Buffy's and turned to go through the hordes of Sunnydale citizens wandering round the towns fair eating cotton candy and losing their disposable cash on crooked ring toss games.

"Campaign? I thought she was already Mayor?", Buffy asked trailing along after her girlfriend, her eyes dancing up and down Faith's dress, still trying to process how young, and even innocent, she looked.

"Only the interim Mayor. There's gotta be some kind of election so she's gotta show her loving responsible family…it's all shite B, and you know it. You know what politicians are like", sighed Faith with a screwed up nose which Buffy thought made her even more adorable.

"Ooh, so these pics are going to be used in her campaign then?"

"Yeah", sighed Faith once more, "Everyone in fucking town is gonna see me looking all sweetness and light, smiling with the family of the would-be Mayor and a cop looking like we've all just come from church"

"There you are honey", Regina said as her daughter came into view and swiftly hauled in next to her, not without the usual maternal fussing over the slayer's hair, "Now smile"

"This is really getting old you know", Faith grumbled back as she took her place besides Henry, her Mom and Emma.

"You know our deal sweetheart", Regina smiled back as she turned towards the photographer.

At the thought of spending each day far from Buffy and wearing plaid skirts and striped ties Faith slid one arm around her Mom's waist and gave her best shit-eating smile as the camera clicked away capturing the perfect nuclear family.

"There we go, all done. That wasn't so bad was it?", Regina said adjusting her cream blazer as she turned to her family, "You can all go play now"

"Thanks Mom", Henry said as her slipped from her hand and went to check out the stalls.

"Thanks hon, I'm gonna hit the bar", said Emma as she kissed her love on the cheek and skipped towards the bar.

"I'll come with", Faith replied spinning on her wedge heels which, though cute, were really destroying the last remaining vestiges of her bad ass persona.

"Not so fast young lady", Regina said grabbing Faith by the shoulder.

"What? I was only gonna have one…..maybe two?", the slayer replied a little sheepishly.

"Oh no you're not"

"Come on Mom, don't be such a hardass", Faith said with a little pout.

"Honey, I'm not being a 'hardass' as you put it. But you're not old enough, and dealing with one tipsy Sheriff is going to be hard enough as it is", Regina said with a faint smile, "Emma gets a little hands on and likes to…"

"Woah, woah, enough", the slayer said covering her ears playfully.

"Faith, listen to me", Regina said earnestly, "I just wanted you to know how proud I am of you, of how we all are"

"Yeah, yeah, you tell me all the time", blushed Faith trying not to catch her mother's gleaming eye.

"But it's true, sweetheart", Regina replied putting a finger under her daughter's chin and raising it until their glossy gazes clashed, "I love you honey"

"Love you too Mom…..dammit", the slayer snapped as the photographer snared another shot of the loving family, which even though Faith tried to dismiss, the swelling of her heart couldn't shield how much she loved every second of being where she finally belonged.

"Oh look, aren't those your friends over there", Regina smiled lovingly breaking her embrace and pointing a perfectly manicured finger across to the hot dog stand.

"Oh shit", Faith said back as she couldn't help but feel the prickling warmth of embarrassment flushing her cheeks once more.

Without another word she grabbed Buffy's hand and pulled her away towards the candy apple stall currently being manned by a beaming Giles. As the slayers approached they both wondered how the hell he got roped into it, but they both suspected it had something to do with Regina.

"Fai…. er…..y'know…"

"What?", replied Faith seeing the awkward body language of her girlfriend, "What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing, it's just…. well…"

"Spit it out B", she said sliding her arms around the smaller slayer with furrowed brows.

"You know what you were saying …. a-about the uniform for Roebuck Hall…"

"Yeah"

"You still have it…. right?", Buffy said trying not to blush too much while her voice carried the unmistakable echo of teenage lust.

"Yeah, why? Hang on…. are you…"

"I'm just saying….. you know it's my birthday coming up…. I just wondered…."

Faith chuckled as she stared into her girlfriend's sparkling eyes.

"Why? You want to borrow it sometime and be pulled over my…."

"Not exactly, I thought you might wear it for me and… you know…. "

"Oh you naughty girl, B"

"I was thinking more along the lines of you being the naughty girl", replied Buffy as she bit her lip and her mind raced.