A/N: You guys are the best. The most amount of reviews I've ever gotten. A decision has been made with the votes from here and from but I'm not going to tell you until it is revealed in the story. Thanks again for the reviews, hope you enjoy this next instalment.
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"Okay don't panic, she's tiny how far could she have gotten?" Buffy thought to herself as she looked frantically around her room, the pyjamas she had been getting for Faith to wear thrown across her bed in her haste to search for the missing baby. She actually began to feel a little sick when her search of her room turned up empty, for some reason the connection they had shared as Slayers disappeared as soon as Faith reverted to her infant self so she couldn't even rely on that to pinpoint the infant's location. Her search of the bathroom where they had previously been turned up empty as well and in her panic she even went as far to check in the toilet having a momentary freak out that the baby had somehow managed to climb her way into the bowl and flush herself down.
By this stage she actually did feel sick to her stomach and in her panic completely forgot there were other people in the household that could have helped her look. She felt bad invading Willow and Tara's room but promised herself that she would help them clean up whatever mess it was she made later. Faith wasn't in their room and Buffy had a sinking feeling that some supernatural creature had managed to snag the baby up while she hadn't been looking. That of course was a crazy thought as she had only had her back turned for a second and her Slayer senses would have been going crazy if anything demon related had ventured into her room.
At this point the blonde Slayer could feel her heart racing and her hands felt clammy as beads of sweat ran down the base of her neck. Looking in on Dawn's room Buffy's legs nearly gave way at the intense relief that flooded her senses. On the floor next to Dawn's vanity sat Faith, dressed only in her diaper. The infant was completely unaware of the panic she had caused the older woman and was drawing contentedly on the carpet with Dawn's makeup that she had found in the school bag strewn all over the floor. In that moment Buffy didn't even care about the mess the baby had made or about the fact that Dawn was no doubtedly going to go postal over the fact that many of her lipsticks had been crushed so badly that they were unusable, she was so relieved to see that Faith was alright that she swooped the baby up into her arms and rained kisses all over her face.
"Baby I'm so glad you're okay you had me so worried," Buffy said as she hugged the infant close.
"Beebee," Faith said happily bouncing a little on Buffy's hip.
"Don't you Beebee me young lady, Dawn is going to absolutely kill you. Now let's practice saying Dawn, she might take it easier on you if you manage to delight her with cuteness before I tell her what you did."
By some small miracle Faith had actually managed to avoid getting any of the lipstick on herself so Buffy was able to change her quickly into the pink striped footsie onesie pyjamas which ironically read 'Don't worry be happy' on the front with a picture of a smiling snail.
"Maybe Dawn will take a hint," Buffy mused as she read the front.
She had managed to get Faith to say 'nie' which she supposed was going to have to be good enough and maybe lessen some of her sister's wrath.
"Now remember," she said to the baby as she lifted her off of the bed, "You can go all out with the cuteness. I'm talking smiles, dimples, maybe even a nice kiss and hug for Dawn, who I'm going to give you to because I think she's less likely to go all screechy if she's holding you."
"Are you alright Buff? You look kind of flustered," Willow asked as Buffy bought the baby into the living room where the two witches and Dawn had been sitting on the couch watching tv.
"Oh, yeah I'm fine, Faith just pulled a little Houdini act upstairs but it's no biggie I found her," Buffy said plopping herself down between Tara and Dawn.
"So Dawn have you had a good night?" she asked her sister.
"Uh yeah, why?" Dawn asked shooting Buffy a strange look.
"What, oh, no reason just making sure my little sister is enjoying life," Buffy said.
"Why are you being weird?" Dawn asked.
"I'm not. Oh, Faith and I wanted to show you something. Faith, can you say Dawnie?" Buffy asked the baby.
"'Nie," Faith replied causing Buffy to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Oh my god, she said my name!" Dawn squealed, "Faith can you say it again, can you say Dawnie?"
"'Nie," Faith said again looking up at Buffy for encouragement.
"Good girl," Buffy said handing the baby over to her sister. Buffy watched fondly as Dawn rested the baby against her chest Faith snuggled her head under the older girl's chin.
"So you know how I said Faith did a little disappearing trick upstairs," Buffy said twisting her hair around her fingers trying not to make eye contact with anyone in the room.
"When you were being weird," Dawn said trying to pull Faith's hand out of her hair.
"Yeah well there may have been a little incident with your room and your makeup may or may not be so deeply ingrained in your carpet that it could quite possibly never come out again, and you can't hurt me because Faith did it and you're holding her and she's a teeny tiny baby and you don't want to hurt her," Buffy said.
"Please tell me she didn't use my new lipsticks," Dawn groaned when her sister nodded.
"But she didn't mean to Dawnie she's just a baby," Willow said.
"I know, I'm trying to be all grown up and not let it get to me. Quickly say something to distract me," Dawn said taking a deep breath.
"Bob bob," Faith said pointing to the television.
Buffy shot the baby a grateful look amazed that her sister had shown the willpower to not blow a gasket about the ruined makeup.
"I don't think Spongebob is on at this time," Willow said.
"Bob bob," Faith pouted pushing herself away from Dawn and giving Willow and irritated look.
"Sorry missy but I don't make the tv scheduling," Willow smirked at the baby.
"You'll just have to deal with Charlie Sheen being all irresponsible but then coming through like a champ for his nephew in the end," Buffy said.
"Hmmph," Faith grunted resting back against Dawn.
"Hello, are my ladies here, calling my ladies the Xan man is in the house," Xander said walking through their front door, Anya following close behind.
"Hey Xand, can you pass me that pacifier?" Buffy asked taking Faith from Dawn as the infant began to cry.
"What! No good to see you Xander. How was you day?" Xander asked grabbing the pacifier from the des.
"No by all means be rude and skip the pleasantries if it means making that god awful noise stop," Anya said covering her ears.
"Here let me work my baby magic on her again," Xander said taking the crying baby from his friend. He rested the baby on his hip and then put the pacifier in Faith's mouth. Her tears stopped but the infant ripped the pacifier from her mouth and threw it to the ground.
"No," she said to Xander pointing to the pacifier on the floor.
"Okay, whatever you say m'lady," Xander said bouncing the baby on his hip.
"Xander you have impressive skills with handling a baby," Anya said watching him make faces at Faith.
"I say it again, don't go getting any ideas," Xander shot at her.
"Well it's not fair to pair your talent for making that awful noise stop with her squishy cuteness, what else do you think I'm going to want," Anya pouted. Xander took Faith with him and sat in an armchair lifting Faith above his head so Anya could flop down onto his lap and then placed Faith in the ex demon's lap. Faith wriggled around on Anya's lap letting out an indignant cry when the blonde woman tightened her grip.
"Beebee," Faith cried holding her arms out desperately trying to escape from Anya who was pinching her cheeks and speaking nonsense to her.
Not able to ignore the baby's cries Buffy rose from her place on the couch and took the irritated baby from the indignant ex demon.
"She's not a very friendly baby," Anya said crossing her arms across her chest.
"Aw it's okay baby," Buffy said taking the now clean pacifier from Tara and handing it to the infant who took it willingly this time.
"So Buff are we going demon hunting tonight?" Xander asked.
"Not tonight, I uh, I asked Spike to cover for me for a couple of days," Buffy said ducking her eyes and settling back on the couch.
"Spike! Buffy you shouldn't be asking Captain Peroxide to cover for you he's going to take it as a sign, that you, you know, well like him," Xander finished.
"I don't like him, but he's useful when we need help with the Slayage," Buffy said running a hand over the top of Faith's head. The baby looked up at her with drowsy eyes sucking away on the pacifier her little hands curled firmly around Buffy's shirt.
"Look like it's time for bed," Willow said smiling.
"No," Faith said taking the pacifier out of her mouth.
"You think she actually understood that?" Dawn asked.
"Who cares, just don't do anything that will make her cry again," Anya shuddered.
"S-she's just tired," Tara said.
The witch was right and Faith was asleep soon after gripping tightly to the blonde Slayer who was holding her tightly tuning out the soft conversation of her friends and listening to the slow breathing of the baby in her arms. Before she knew it the blonde felt her own eye lids drooping and her head slowly dropped back onto the couch and the voices in her living room eventually faded out as she drifted off into darkness.
A/N: Please review, makes me a happy little vegemite.