"How long is this going to take?" Buffy asked as she watched Willow and Tara create a circle out of red and yellow sand.
"I-it shouldn't t-take that long, we j-just have to c-concentrate on F-faith's aura and see i-if there is a-any magical essence s-surrounding it," Tara told her.
"Okay, um strange and completely unrelated question. Is that going to come out of the carpet because I can't really afford to have that cleaned after spending all that money on baby clothes," Buffy said absently running her hand over the back of Faith's head who still slept on in her arms, blissfully unaware of everything that was going on around her.
"The sand will disappear when the spell is finished, no need to worry about unnecessary carpet cleaning bills," Willow smirked.
"And may I just mention again, overkill," Giles said as he came in from the front door laden down with shopping bags, Xander carrying more behind him.
"Giles we said it the entire way home, cute, cute, cute," Dawn said grabbing a denim overall dress from one of the bags he was carrying and danced it around in front of his face.
"Yes of course the cuteness of the clothes meant that you had to buy out the entire store," Giles muttered.
"It's all I'm saying," Dawn said putting the clothes back in the bag.
"Are we nearly ready to go here, we've spent so much time here today Xander and I have to go home and make up many hours of wasted orgasm time," Anya piped up from where she was flipping through a magazine on the couch.
"Anya! Prudent ears," Buffy exclaimed trying to cover Faith's ears while still holding her.
"It's not like she understands anything we're saying. Besides she's completely unconscious and ew, drooling all over your hand," Anya said screwing up her face at Buffy's finger that was still in Faith's mouth.
"Still not the point, her tiny ears shouldn't be assaulted with those images," Buffy said.
"Do you even listen to yourself when you talk?" Dawn asked, "How can ears be assaulted with images. Seriously Buffy I worry about you."
"It made sense in my head, besides Anya knew what I meant," Buffy scowled at her sister.
"I-I think we're r-ready," Tara piped up shyly.
"And you're sure this isn't going to hurt her," Buffy asked for the thousandth time that day.
"Buffy she won't feel a thing," Willow assured her.
Buffy handed the sleeping baby reluctantly over to Tara who lay her down in the pillows they had set up in the middle of the sand circle. Tara and Willow then situated themselves inside the circle on opposite sides of the baby. Tara placed her hand on Faith's head and Willow on her feet and then each held onto each other's spare hand. They began a low chant under their breath and the other occupants in the room watched in fascination as the red and yellow sand rose from the carpet, swirling together to create an orange glow. The orange glow rose around the witches before forming a shield around Faith.
A hand on her shoulder was the only thing that stopped Buffy from rushing forward and grabbing the baby and she looked up questioningly at her Watcher.
"It's alright that's supposed to happen," he told her softly. She visibly calmed but Giles kept his hand on his shoulder offering his silent support and comfort.
"How come my trance thingy took all day and theirs was over in a couple of minutes?" Buffy pouted once the spell was finished.
"Well they are practicing witches I suppose that would have something to do with it," Giles told her.
"Well did it work?" Anya asked standing impatiently as Buffy lifted Faith from the pillows and rested her on her hip.
"There was definitely a magical signature there," Willow said.
"That's good right. So it means we can turn it back?" Xander asked.
"There was a signature, but it didn't give us any clues to how he changed her," Willow sighed putting the pillows back on the couch.
"So basically we're no closer to where we were before any of the chanting and coloured sand," Anya said.
"No, we're no closer," Giles sighed.
"I'm going to put Faith upstairs and then we can get back to the reading," Buffy said.
"Does that mean we won't be leaving anytime soon?" Anya asked Xander loudly.
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"Okay I'm going to be the first one to say it...that looks disgusting," Dawn said peering into the bowl where Buffy was attempting to make Faith something for dinner.
"Adult Faith appreciates my cooking so baby Faith will appreciate my cooking as well," Buffy said as she mixed the mashed vegetables together.
"I hate to say it Buffy but adult Faith isn't really a fan of your cooking. She usually hides it in her napkin and throws it out when you're not looking," Willow said carrying a pyjama clad baby Faith into the kitchen.
"What! No way. Faith loves food and there's no way she could lie about it, she's a terrible liar," Buffy said as Dawn fixed a bib around Faith's neck.
"Just keep on living in your little world of delusion if it makes you happy," Dawn smirked at her sister.
"It does," Buffy said not looking at Dawn as she continued to mix the vegetable mash.
Willow handed the baby over to Dawn when she spotted her girlfriend leaning against the doorframe and walked over to join her. The two watched silently as Dawn sat at the kitchen bench with Faith on her lap while Buffy fed the infant the vegetable mash she had made.
"It's scary how fast they've picked up the whole having a baby in the house thing isn't it," Willow asked Tara watching as Buffy used Faith's bib to wipe some food from her face.
"I think it's sweet," Tara smiled softly at the trio in the kitchen.
"Sweet in the kind of Buffy's getting attached kinda way," Willow murmured.
"I-I think it's g-good that she's g-getting attached to s-something, s-someone," Tara said.
"I suppose. I just think it's dangerous, when we turn her back she's going to be upset over losing her and go back further into whatever dark place she's been hiding in these last few months," Willow said.
"She's n-not losing her, she's s-still going to be F-Faith," Tara replied.
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"Buffy can't you do anything to make her stop," Dawn growled from the doorway to Buffy's bedroom.
"I'm trying but I don't know what's wrong with her," Buffy said bouncing a screaming Faith up and down.
"Maybe try explaining to her that it's two in the morning and two in the morning is a time for sleep, not a time for extremely loud crying for no reason," Dawn scowled.
"I tried, I also tried bribing her but nothing seems to be working," Buffy cried, "come on Faith, ssh, ssh, it's okay," the blonde said rubbing the infant's back.
"She must be possessed. There is no other explanation for someone crying that loudly," Dawn said putting her hands over her ears.
"She's not possessed, she's j-just a baby a-and sometimes baby's cry," Tara said as she and Willow came up behind Dawn.
"I'm sorry you guys I really don't know what the matter is one minute we were both sleeping nicely and then the next minute it was like def con one and she's screaming and crying and nothing seems to stop it," Buffy said making cooing comforting sounds to the baby she held.
"Well have you fed her?" Willow asked and Buffy nodded, "what about her diaper, does she need her diaper changed because if I had a dirty diaper I'd probably scream bloody murder as well."
"No she doesn't need her diaper changed I checked, god I'm going out of my mind, this has been going on for like twenty minutes before you guys came in," Buffy said.
"We know we could hear it," Dawn sighed.
"Here let me try for awhile," Willow said taking the baby from her friend, "hey Faithy it's okay, you need to stop crying okay because you're making Buffy go a little crazy and it's still really early in the morning and oh my god how on earth can someone so small make such a loud noise," Willow exclaimed as the baby continued to scream and cry.
They all took turns trying to calm the infant down but nothing seemed to work but Faith continued to cry her chubby cheeks turned red from the effort. Dawn eventually handed her back to Buffy and the infant buried her face in the blonde Slayer's neck as she continued to cry.
"It's okay you guys, I've got her you should go back to bed," Buffy said.
"Like we'll be able to sleep through this," Dawn said rolling her eyes.
"Not helping," Buffy replied, "I'll take her downstairs it'll be harder for you guys to hear her from down there."
"Buffy are you sure?" Willow asked.
"Yeah, just hand me that pacifier and that blanket and then you guys go back to bed," Buffy said taking the items from Tara.
"I don't know how you have any more tears to cry," she said to the baby as they entered the living room, "I mean I get the term having a good cry but this is taking it to the extreme. I guess I shouldn't be surprised you're Faith you do everything to the extreme. All though not so much lately. What's been going on with you, you've been quiet and cautious and it's not a good look on you," Buffy said settling herself on the couch and turning on the TV.
There was some old music special on and the music video for an old Led Zeppelin song that came blaring through the television set. Faith took a shuddering breath but her tears stopped when the music started playing.
"This, seriously, this loud offensive rock music makes you stop crying. None of the calm and soothy techniques we've been trying have worked but this song where this guy is all screeching away calms you down. I guess there really is some of the adult Faith in you after all," Buffy smirked, lying down and resting Faith on her stomach.
Faith grabbed one of her hands and Buffy expected to find herself covered in drool but the infant just wrapped her hand around one of her fingers and held on tight. Buffy smiled softly as she closed her eyes she wrapped her free hand around Faith's back and dropped a kiss on the top of the baby's head letting the not so soothing guitars relax her and send her to sleep.